“Hamilton” star Brandon Victor Dixon has made it clear Donald Trump shouldn’t expect an apology for addressing Mike Pence in the audience after a performance last Friday.
“There’s nothing to apologize for,” the actor who plays Aaron Burr said on CBS This Morning on Monday.
“I was honored to represent our cast and our show in that way,” he said, explaining that the show’s producers asked him to read the statement. “For me, I think the most important thing in respect to all the emotions everyone is feeling after this election is to make sure that people recognize that we are not alone. We are here together.”
He added that “Hamilton” is “inherently an American story told by the definition of the American community — we are men and women of different colors, creeds, and orientations — and the resonate nature of the show throughout the world, throughout the global community, demands that we make statements when there are important issues facing us as a community. So we wanted to stand up and spread a message of love and of unity.”
On Friday, the cast of the Tony-winning Broadway musical singled out Pence during their curtain call, and as the audience booed, Dixon read a statement on behalf of his cast members — and many Americans.
“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, sir,” Dixon said after urging audience members to record and share the video and message on social media. “But we truly hope this show has inspired you to uphold our American values, and work on behalf of all of us.”
President-elect Trump tweeted his dismay with the cast of “Hamilton” early on Saturday, claiming they made the theater unsafe for Pence and that they should apologize.
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
Show creator and former star Lin-Manuel Miranda was not in attendance Friday night, but he, director Tommy Kail, the show’s producers and cast all wrote the statement together after learning Pence would be attending the performance, according to New York Times reporter Patrick Healey, who also said the VP-to-be was walking out of the theater as Dixon begun reading the statement, so it’s unclear which parts, if any, he heard.
Pence spoke up about the incident on Sunday’s “Face the Nation” on CBS, and sought to “assure people who were disappointed in the election results.” He told host John Dickerson that he “wasn’t offended by what was said” at the “Hamilton” show in New York on Friday.
“People are feeling anxious about this time in the life of our nation,” said Pence. “President-elect Donald Trump meant exactly what he said on election night, that he is going to be the president of all the people of the United States of America.”
Watch the video below: