Politics

Viola Davis Says the American Dream Is Bigger Than Trump

January 9th 2017

Backstage at the Golden Globes, Viola Davis, who won an award for her supporting role in Fences, was asked how Americans might ensure that years of progress aren’t reversed under a Donald Trump presidency. 

In response to the reporter’s question, Davis said that she’d actually remove President-elect Donald Trump from the equation. “It’s bigger than him,” she explained, “I believe that it is our responsibility to uphold what it is to be an American.” In other words, it is the duty of all Americans to maintain "what it means to pursue the American Dream."

viola-davis-golden-globes kathclick - bigstockphoto.com

However, she said that, "we've fallen short."

“There is no way that we can have anyone in office who is not an extension of our own belief system," Davis said in her statement.

Davis, known for her roles in "The Help" and the television drama "How to Get Away With Murder," has spoken out in the past about issues like sexual assault and the lack of inclusive casting in Hollywood. She is the first black actress to win a Golden Globe for a motion picture since Octavia Spencer won in 2012.

See Viola Davis’s full response below.

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