Hamiltongate Shows Trump's Contempt for Free Speech

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump repeatedly showed two characteristics that should frighten us all. One was a surprising thin-skin and his need to lash out at anyone who he perseves to be disrespecting him. The other is his open contempt for free speech: apparent in his frequent promises to take down certain publications and to weaken our country's libel laws. If you thought these characteristics were just part of some campaign performance piece, you were mistaken.

This weekend, Donald Trump’s ego was tested (again) after future Vice President Mike Pence saw the hit Broadway musical Hamilton. After the election, many of us have been suffering from Trump Trauma (feeling anger, fear and betrayal, as Plus reported). These feelings were particularly common among those of us who are LGBTQ, immigrants, people of color, or HIV-positive. The cast of Hamilton reflects that diversity, and when they realized Mike Pence was in the audience they decided to address him directly.

Tonight, VP-Elect Mike Pence attended #HamiltonBway. After the show, @BrandonVDixon delivered the following statement on behalf of the show. pic.twitter.com/Jsg9Q1pMZs

Brandon Victor Dixon, who plays Aaron Burr, said this after the play was over: “We, sir, we, are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us, our planet, our children, our parents, or defend us and uphold our inalienable rights. We truly hope that this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and to work on behalf of all of us.”

President-elect Trump wasn’t having it, so he took to Twitter, saying, “The theatre must always be a safe and special place. The cast of Hamilton was very rude last night to a very good man, Mike Pence. Apologize!” Later he wrote, “The cast and producers of Hamilton, which I hear is highly overrated, should immediately apologize to Mike Pence for their terrible behavior.”

Within a few hours, the hashtag #BoycottHamilton started trending among Trump supporters on Twitter. One such supporter interuppted the cast in Chicago, standing up yelling, "We Won!" reports Playbill. 

Trump also happened to have just paid a $20 million settlement for the Plaintiffs in his Trump University scandal, which Hamilton Gate seemed to distract.

Later, TMZ caught Speaker Newt Gingrich saying that Mike Pence should be “happy. He’s the Vice President. [The cast] is not.”

The future president of the United States clearly doesn’t understand what free speech is. He’s shown us time and time again that if he disagrees with you even slightly, you will be brought to size.

Let’s hope that once he’s in the oval office someone takes away his Twitter like my parents took away my Gameboy at the dinner table. 

Read our exclusive interview with Javier Munoz, the HIV-positive star of Hamilton.