At MLK event, Glenn Grothman counters Trump comments by noting Al Sharpton was frequent visitor to Obama White House

When U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman was asked about some of President Donald Trump's controversial comments, the Republican responded at an event honoring the late Martin Luther King Jr. that President Barack Obama invited civil rights activist Al Sharpton to the White House on numerous occasions.

 “The past president brought Al Sharpton into the White House something like 80 times,” Grothman said on Monday at a Ripon College event. “That was kind of stunning to me, but nobody ever made a big ruckus out of it.”

Grothman's comments were first reported by the Ripon Commonwealth Press. 

Grothman was responding to a question from a panel member at the King event about remarks Trump has made, apparently referring to some of the tweets and comments of the president that have been controversial and widely criticized. Grothman was not asked about nor did he mention Trump's disparaging comments from immigrants from African and other countries.

Grothman said that some of Trump’s tweets have been “unhelpful,” but also said that he sees the president as someone who is trying to unite the country.

“I think he is doing what he can to try to bring people together,” Grothman said. “I mean, if you meet him, that is just obvious, and I think he has had to put up with — to a certain extent it’s self-inflicted — more scrutiny than other presidents.”

Critics of Obama, including former New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, have made a point out of noting that Sharpton was a frequent visitor to the White House when Obama was president. 

The Washington Post reported Sharpton had 72 recorded official visits to the White House between 2009 and late December of 2014. 

Grothman told those at the King event that America is a tolerant country.

“Something I think that’s lost in this discussion is, I think America itself as compared to other places around the globe and other times, is about the most diverse, tolerant place you’re going to find,” Grothman said.

He pointed to ethnic conflict in Ethiopia, separatist movements in Spain and racial prejudice in counties like Brazil and India.