Actor Alyssa Milano campaigned ardently for President-elect Joe Biden in the run-up to the presidential election and she has since reached out to Trump supporters, offering an “olive branch” of sorts. Mediaite [1] reports her efforts received a somewhat mixed reaction from her progressive followers, the reactions from Trump supporters, as you might expect, were hostile.
Milano seemed to be taking a page from Biden, who said he’d consider [2] nominating a Trump supporter to his cabinet (and I sincerely hope he means this in the spirit of healing, and not because he’s really thinking about it). Milano offered her message on Twitter, as a salve to Trump supporters, and as an encouragement for her own followers to do the same.
“I’d like to extend an olive branch to Trump supporters,” Milano wrote. “I am ready to move #ForwardTogether.”
“There’s so much work to do to heal the nation,” she added. “Let’s be a part of the solution and not add to the problems we face. My comments are open. Please reply with #ForwardTogether.”
Then she added a follow-up tweet.
“We’re going to need a lot of humility and compassion right now. Anger and triumphalism is less helpful.”
Conservatives weren’t on board with this and resorted to troll mode.
We’re going to need a lot of humility and compassion right now. Anger and triumphalism is less helpful.
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) November 24, 2020 [3]
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
No way you seriously just tweeted that!
There is no way you take yourself seriously. That’s like something Charles Manson would have said after ordering his followers to kill.
🖕🏻👈🏻
— Jonathan T Gilliam (@JGilliam_SEAL) November 25, 2020 [4]
Yes! Of course! Join #MAGA [5] for .@realDonaldTrump [6]’s second term! Get on board the #TrumpTrain [7] for an amazing #AmericaFirst [8] ride to incredible prosperity! #Hooah [9]! #Sheepdog [10] #Oathkeeper [11] #1A [12] #2A [13] 🇺🇸
— Montgomery Granger (@mjgranger1) November 25, 2020 [14]
No. I refuse to unite with Left-wing radicals. You are the antithesis of what America was founded on, and I am ashamed that you are my fellow countrywoman. I wish you weren’t.
— Alana Mastrangelo (@ARmastrangelo) November 25, 2020 [15]
Thank you, Alyssa!
I, too, am looking forward to you finally respecting our President, 'healing the nation', 'working together' when President Trump is inaugurated for his second term.
I see you.
— 🇺🇸 GELLER REPORT 🇺🇸 (@PamelaGeller) November 24, 2020 [16]
After calling supporters of the president nazis and racists for four years?! How kind of you. Also, no thanks. Bye. 🙄
— Mike Mason (@MikeMason830) November 24, 2020 [17]
Breitbart senior editor Joel Pollack wanted an apology — of sorts, even though Breitbart should apologize to the world for even existing.
I approach liberal friends/relatives with whom I have disagreed to mend fences *BEFORE* the election. You don't get to declare this just because "your side" won. If you want reconciliation, and you didn't do it before Nov. 3, begin with an apology. We deserve it. #ForwardTogether [18] https://t.co/qbLrnxXhEn [19]
— Joel Pollak (@joelpollak) November 24, 2020 [20]
Fortunately, some people appreciated Milano’s sentiments and offered their support.
I agree. I have always wondered why so many folks could support Trump. However, we can show others that believed in Trump that love and compassion is stronger than hate and racism.
— Buster Krabb (@BusterKrabb) November 25, 2020 [21]
Count me in on this @Alyssa_Milano [22] .#ForwardTogether [18]
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) November 24, 2020 [23]
But there are some, like me for instance, who aren’t going to extend that olive branch. By supporting a man who’s openly racist, who brought fascism out in the open, a man who’s very likely a pedophile, who let more than [24] 268,000 Americans die on his own watch by doing nothing about the pandemic the world is dealing with is something I can’t get behind in any way.
Sorry. That’s just never gonna happen.
And as the tweets below demonstrate, I’m not alone.
Hard fucking pass on making peace with Trumpers happy to tear babies from mothers, put people in cages and deny COVID is real while reveling in violence and racism.
Did Nazis deserve an olive branch after WWII? Hell no. Trumpers aren't any better. https://t.co/CoU6kUIxnd [25]
— Brad Gallaway (@bradgallaway) November 25, 2020 [26]
I promise it's okay to have enemies if they're nazis. I proooooomise
— claire de lune (@ClaireMPLS) November 25, 2020 [27]
I refuse to go #ForwardTogether [18] with racist extremists who chant "Send Her Back!" about folks like me.
— Maysoon (@maysoonzayid) November 25, 2020 [28]
I think perhaps accountability is first and then a willingness to an open mind to facts & science before we sing kumbayah. Without that, we end up right where we left off. I’m not into offering my hand to a racist. Not sure you are either. This post seems premature & insincere
— Nancy Lee Grahn (@NancyLeeGrahn) November 25, 2020 [29]
This is a bit harder when those Trump supporters spent four years hurling slurs and sending death threats your way. https://t.co/HzdIiESd2z [30]
— African American Policy Forum (@AAPolicyForum) November 24, 2020 [31]