President-elect Donald Trump took to Twitter on Saturday to demand the cast of the Broadway hit Hamilton apologise for comments made to VP-elect Mike Pence as theatregoers booed him.
Pence was greeted with a mix of boos and cheers as he entered the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York on Friday night to watch a performance of the highly acclaimed musical about the country's founding fathers, played by a racially diverse cast.
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Mike Pence gets booed at Hamilton
The cast of the smash Broadway hit 'Hamilton' tells the Vice President-elect that despite their concerns they hope Donald Trump's administration will uphold American values.
But Trump was not happy and on Saturday took to Twitter to demand the cast apologise to Pence.
The Theater 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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2016
The message delivered to the audience by the cast read: "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," Dixon said. Pence had already begun to leave his seat as Dixon began his remarks, videos posted on social media showed.
"We truly hope that this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and to work on behalf of all of us," Dixon said as audience members cheered and clapped.
A show spokesman said Pence stood in the hallway outside the entrance to the auditorium and heard the full remarks, the New York Times reported.
Trump also tweeted on Saturday.
Our wonderful future V.P. Mike Pence was harassed last night at the theater by the cast of Hamilton, cameras blazing.This should not happen!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2016
Actor Brandon Victor Dixon tweeted a response on Saturday to Trump's claim that the vice president-elect was harassed, saying "conversation is not harassement sir. And I appreciate Mike Pence for stopping to listen."
@realDonaldTrump conversation is not harassment sir. And I appreciate @mike_pence for stopping to listen.
— Brandon Victor Dixon (@BrandonVDixon) November 19, 2016
The incident happened the same day that Trump picked three conservative loyalists to lead his national security and law enforcement teams, setting his administration up to take a hard line confronting Islamist militancy and curbing illegal immigration.
Hamilton is a musical biography of Alexander Hamilton, who rose to become the right-hand man of General George Washington, as well as a key figure in the creation of the US financial system and the creator of the U.S. Coast Guard. He was killed in an 1804 duel with Burr.
Reuters