Piers Morgan is one of the many to have spoken out against Donald Trump’s travel ban, calling it “senseless, cruel and wrong”, but he has admitted he has grown tired of celebrities using awards ceremonies to publicly condemn the US president.
Piers took aim at stars at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards for their attempts to be the “new Martin Luther King” after a large number commented on Trump’s new immigration policy on Sunday night.
Speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Piers said: “It’s an awards ceremony, it’s not a chance for you to be the new Martin Luther King.
Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid (Ian West/PA)
“At what point do these ceremonies change from being a celebration of movies?
“It’s all building up for the Oscars to not be an event about movies but for the stars to compete about who can scream the loudest about Trump.”
He later tweeted: “‘We will hunt monsters & punch them in the face!’ screams Hollywood about Trump, a man they accuse of violent, inflammatory rhetoric.”
'We will hunt monsters & punch them in the face!' screams Hollywood about Trump, a man they accuse of violent, inflammatory rhetoric.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 30, 2017
His comments were in reaction to stars such as Stranger Things actor David Harbour and Veep’s Julia Louis-Dreyfus having their say over the travel ban, which has caused protests across America.
David launched a passionate speech on stage after the Netflix show won best ensemble in a drama series at the SAG Awards.
The actor, who plays police chief Jim Hopper, described the award as a “call to arms” to fellow artists to “battle against fear, self-centredness and exclusivity of our predominantly narcissistic culture”.
He said: “When we are at a loss, amidst the hypocrisy and the casual violence of certain individuals and institutions, we will … punch some people in the face when they seek to destroy the meek and the disenfranchised and marginalised – and do it all with heart and joy.”
What a passionate speech by @DavidKHarbour on behalf of the @Stranger_Things ensemble! #StrangerThings #sagawards pic.twitter.com/EhTMXNsOTx
— SAG Awards® (@SAGawards) January 30, 2017
Julia, who was named best TV comedy actress for her role in Veep, said on stage: “I’m the daughter of an immigrant. My father fled religious persecution in Nazi-occupied France.
“I’m an American patriot and I love this country. Because I love this country, I’m horrified by its blemishes.
“This immigration ban is a blemish and it is un-American.”
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