U.S. president and vice president pay tribute to Martin Luther King

Chicago Chronicle
22 Jan 2019, 10:41 GMT+10

The president was accompanied by Vice President Mike Pence
The two engaged in a brief period of silence and laid a wreath at Dr King's statue
"It's a great day. It's a beautiful day. Thank you for being here. Appreciate it," the president told reporters

WASHINGTON DC - U.S. President Donald Trump made an unscheduled visit to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington on Monday, on the occasion of a holiday in the United States commemorating the birth and legacy of Dr King.

The president was accompanied by Vice President Mike Pence. The two engaged in a brief period of silence and laid a wreath at Dr King's statue.

Mr Trump did not make any remarks about Dr King.

"It's a great day. It's a beautiful day. Thank you for being here. Appreciate it," he said.

The visit, which lasted about two minutes, was impromptu as the official schedule of the day's events issued by the White House made no reference to a visit.

Mr Trump mentioned the slain civil rights leader when he tweeted later in the day.

"Today we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for standing up for the self-evident truth Americans hold so dear, that no matter what the color of our skin or the place of our birth, we are all created equal by God. #MLKDay," he posted.

Last year the president made headlines by ignoring the commemorations around the nation, instead choosing to play golf at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

This year he is bunkered up at the White House, refusing to be seen in recreation mode because of the shutdown.

The site of the King Memorial in Washington is administered by the National Parks Service, whose workers are going unpaid.

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