Watch: Meryl Streep hits Trump, says violence incites violence

At the Golden Globes, actress Meryl Streep spoke out against Donald Trump’s rhetoric. Streep accused Trump of bullying and targeting foreigners. The speech went viral and won universal acclaim.

The Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement at the Golden Globes is usually given to Hollywood artistes and directors approaching the sunset phase of their careers. But when Meryl Streep received the award on January 8, her acceptance speech resounded across the world as it delivered a stinging rebuke to U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump’s divisive rhetoric.

Streep made repeated references to Trump mocking a disabled New York Times reporter at a rally. She called it “the performance this year that stunned me. It sank its hooks in my heart.”

Streep also criticised Trump’s rhetoric on illegal migrants and foreigners, noting that Hollywood was “crawling with outsiders.” She ended her speech quoting the late Carrie Fisher, “Take your broken heart, make it into art.”

By focusing nearly her entire speech on Trump’s rhetoric without directly naming him, Streep showed she was prioritising the protection of liberal principles rather than merely criticising a politician.