Actress Meryl Streep, accepting a lifetime achievement award from the Golden Globes, delivered a powerful anti-Trump speech that will be seen as an inspiration to some, and will be blasted by others. Which is already happening on Twitter and Facebook.
Here’s the full video of the speech. Watch it yourself and make your own decision:
The New York Times report (which includes the text of her remarks) frames it this way:
Turning attention away from her and toward Donald J. Trump, Meryl Streep used her acceptance speech for the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes to call out the president-elect for mocking a disabled New York Times reporter in 2015, and warned that a free press would need to be defended. Ms. Streep campaigned for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.
Some conservative commentators immediately criticized her decision to bring politics so vividly into the show. But the room roundly applauded her remarks, which included a plea to support the Committee to Protect Journalists.
“This instinct to humiliate, when it’s modeled by someone in the public platform, by someone powerful, it filters down into everybody’s life, because it kinda gives permission for other people to do the same thing,” she said. “Disrespect invites disrespect, violence incites violence. And when the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose.
Meanwhile, on Twitter…Here’s a cross-section of viewpoints:
The irony of #Trump supporters whining about #MerylStreep 's speech by saying celebrities should stay out of politics. Let that one sink in.
— John Steven Rocha (@TheRochaSays) January 9, 2017
Thank God for Meryl Streep, who spoke truth to Power at the Golden Globes tonight calling out He Who Must Be Worshiped, w/o saying his name.
— Bette Midler (@BetteMidler) January 9, 2017
#MerylStreep, Donald Trump did NOT mock a reporter's disability! That's FAKE NEWS! #GoldenGlobes https://t.co/CSySsKMuuS
— Makada ?? (@_Makada_) January 9, 2017
Sad day when a celeb lies about our President-Elect on national television and is met with applause and lauded as heroic. #MerylStreep
— Brittany Pettibone (@BrittPettibone) January 9, 2017
When you're honored by your peers yet say not ONE word of all your achievements, but instead talk about #empathy…Classy Lady. #MerylStreep pic.twitter.com/6rH5NK4IVW
— Bruno Amato (@BrunoAmato_1) January 9, 2017
Did #MerylStreep at the @GoldenGlobes once again repeat the debunked claim that @realDonaldTrump mocked a reporter's disability? Sad! pic.twitter.com/Ct3KD2c9Ax
— Stefan Molyneux (@StefanMolyneux) January 9, 2017
Trump supporters will use #MerylStreep criticism & parrot "this is why dems lost."
They keep forgetting about treason.
— David Yankovich (@DavidYankovich) January 9, 2017
#MerylStreep just decimated Donald Trump at the Golden Globes without even uttering his name pic.twitter.com/HpreQmYoAu
— R. Saddler ? (@Politics_PR) January 9, 2017
Final score:
Meryl Streep 19
(Oscar noms)Donald Trump 15
(Bankruptcy/ failed business)TY Meryl for your elegance & grace#MerylStreep
— Billy Baldwin (@BillyBaldwin) January 9, 2017
Meryl Streep,
Why didn't you mention the 4 Chicago blacks who kidnapped & tortured a white, special needs Trump voter?#GoldenGlobes
— Scott Presler VA (@ScottPresler) January 9, 2017
Hollywood conservatives/libertarians #MelGibson & #VinceVaughn listening to #MerylStreep speech slamming @realDonaldTrump. #LockHerUp pic.twitter.com/i3sdtSbz1f
— Jacob Engels (@JacobEngels) January 9, 2017
Trump supporters outraged with #MerylStreep criticism of Trump. What Trumpers don't get is we are just getting warmed up! #TheResistance
— (((DeanObeidallah))) (@Deanofcomedy) January 9, 2017
My daughter and I just watched the #MerylStreep speech together, both with lumps in our throats. 1/
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) January 9, 2017
Nothing seems to unite Trump supporters like an outpouring of hate towards someone asking us to be empathetic. #MerylStreep #GoldenGlobes
— Suhail Mohammed (@shadowwraiths) January 9, 2017
I can’t wait to see how Donald Trump insults Meryl Streep at 3 am Eastern.
— Charles Johnson (@Green_Footballs) January 9, 2017
I just want to point out that the people angry at #MerylStreep are angry at her for eloquently condemning the mocking a disabled man.
— Allison Currie (@AlleyDalley) January 9, 2017
Is there no path between the Scylla of Sean Hannity and the Charybdis of Meryl Streep?
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) January 9, 2017
Conservatives are more upset about #MerylStreep speaking about empathy than Russian election-meddling. Seriously messed up. #GoldenGlobes
— (((John M. Becker))) (@freedom2marry) January 9, 2017
For those of you saying celebrities should stay out of politics, you just elected one, and not even an A-lister, so f#*k that. #MerylStreep
— Missy McMurray (@diamonddarling) January 9, 2017
Yes just imagine elitist Meryl Streep going after the man of the people who lives in a gold castle on Fifth Avenue.
— Tom Watson (@tomwatson) January 9, 2017
Didn't watch Meryl Streep #GoldenGlobes speech. But in usual 2016 America fashion, 1/2 my feed thinks she's a hero, other 1/2, she's insane.
— Ana Navarro (@ananavarro) January 9, 2017
Thank you Meryl Streep for calling out Donald Trump's despicable behavior. If we lose our compassion, we lose our humanity. #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/lAjUvCigsu
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) January 9, 2017
Meryl Streep's anti-Trump speech at The Golden Globes touches on protecting journalists RT @goldenglobes: pic.twitter.com/FTubRjDN5T
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) January 9, 2017
I believe we just heard #MerylStreep give one of the most profoundly honest & human speeches ever given at any awards show. #GoldenGlobes
— Craig Zadan (@craigzadan) January 9, 2017
Sorry Meryl Streep fans, there's nothing brave about a privileged millionaire white woman pandering to you and a room of her liberal friends
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) January 9, 2017
Golden Globes aka Liberal Cry Babies coming together in their safe space #MerylStreep #GoldenGlobes #Stop #WeGetIt #Enough
— Mike Boardman (@MikeB094) January 9, 2017
Another idiot liberal with no sense of real world. Getting boring hearing celebrities whining #MerylStreep
— Barry (@Zaboman) January 9, 2017
Is it just me or is anyone else realy, really enjoying all these liberal tears? #MerylStreep
— Kennible Lecter (@kennible_lecter) January 9, 2017
Liberal trash #MerylStreep #GoldenGlobe
— ConservativeInTX (@rybry01) January 9, 2017
Whiny liberal #MerylStreep thinks she is so smart. Hates football and martial arts.
— BigNorthCarolina (@BigNCarolina) January 9, 2017
#GoldenGlobes Meryl Streep, get your liberal ass off the stage. Always making stuff political.
— Eric Wetz (@eric_wetz) January 9, 2017
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.