Watch: John Legend Connects the Rise of Trump to 19th-Century Pro-Slavery Politicians in an Interesting Way

Musician John Legend commented on Donald Trump’s divisive and racist rhetoric at this week’s Variety TV Summit.

In the interview, the multi-award winning singer talks about producing WGN’s “Underground” and depicting the complexities of enslaved Black people and whites in a realistic manner.

“You understand them as people and understand their motivation to make the story really rich,” Legend said at the summit.

The musician then brings up the presumptive Republican presidential nominee as a connection to the horrific racial strife of slavery, and white leadership in the 19th century that contributed to that.

“We are at a moment now where we have a major candidate for office who is being really racist and divisive in a public way. I feel the need to call that out all the time … We, as a nation, can’t go back to a dark place.”

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