Canon Historian Jon Meacham: Be Very Wary of ‘Vermin’ Rhetoric

The Cathedral's Canon Historian, Jon Meacham, had strong words for former President Donald Trump, who vowed to root out the "vermin" living in the United States.

“Okay, well, here we go. Because to call your opponents vermin and to dehumanize them is to not only open the door but to walk through the door toward the most ghastly kinds of crimes,” Meacham said.

We should note that Jon was speaking in his capacity as a presidential historian and MSNBC contributor, but this truth-to-power statement is exactly why he was tapped to serve as the Cathedral’s first-ever Canon Historian.

He also had a warning to the wider Republican Party:

“Think again. Think anew about this. This is not about the age of the incumbent president. This is not about your opinion of the incumbent vice president of the United States. This is about your candidate’s frontrunner, your party’s frontrunner, who is, in fact, now, as clearly as you can do, is putting American democracy, human rights, the rule of law below his own ambition.”

You can read the full story, and watch the exchange on “Morning Joe,” over at MediaIte.