Trump critics on social media were stunned Thursday night when comments that the president’s pick for Alabama’s Senate race, Roy Moore, made about slavery in September resurfaced online.
At a rally in Florence, Alabama, Moore told an African-American audience member that the last time America was “great” was when slavery was legal.
“I think it was great at the time when families were united,” Moore said. “Even though we had slavery, they cared for one another…Our families were strong, our country had a direction.”
The Republican candidate’s comments were the subject of a tweet by former Obama Justice Department official Eric Columbus. The post garnered thousands of retweets within hours.
Many on social media denounced Moore’s revisionist framing, noting that many families were forcibly separated to suit the desires of white households before slavery was outlawed.
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