He claims the president was simply going through the motions to honor MLK

By: AP

Martin Luther King Jr.'s son is claiming that President Trump was simply going through the motions when he signed a proclamation in honor the civil rights leader.

Martin Luther King III said that the president doesn't have credibility to speak on matters regarding MLK following remarks Trump made regarding immigration from countries in Africa, referring to them as 's***holes'.

'When you make a statement like you made yesterday, the question is: 'Do you even understand why we have a Martin Luther King holiday?' King told the news reporter at a press conference.

'Today he's doing what the script told him to do. Yesterday caused him to lose any level of credibility. You can talk about Martin Luther King. But the hope is you would hear and embrace what he had to say.'

Trump's remarks have been criticized across the political spectrum, yet the president still called MLK a 'great American hero'.

'Today we celebrate Dr. King for standing up for the self-evident truth Americans hold so dear, that no matter what the color of our skin or the place of our birth, we are all created equal by God,' Trump said.

MLK's signature speech is his 'I Have a Dream' address. MLK III referred to his father's words while reflecting on the state of the nation.

'We are not further away from the dream, but we are still quite a ways away,' King said. 'We are a divided nation. We are segregated in some regards. We still need to address racism. We are still are a racial society, but the majority of people do not harbor racist feelings.'