Humans of New York founder says Trump 'encouraged prejudice and violence'

Credit: Scott Olson

Credit: Scott Olson


The founder of a popular photography blog added his voice Monday to the ranks of those opposed to a Donald Trump presidency.

Brandon Stanton highlights the lives of everyday people through his photo blog, Humans of New York. Typically he stops people walking in the Big Apple to photograph and interview them, although he's also packed his camera to capture similar stories from around the world.

"Over the last two years I have conducted extensive interviews with hundreds of Muslims, chosen at random, on the streets of Iran, Iraq and Pakistan," Stanton wrote in an open letter to Trump posted to the Humans of New York Facebook page. "I've also interviewed hundreds of Syrian and Iraqi refugees across seven different countries. And I can confirm -- the hateful one is you."

Stanton disavowed Trump's claims that he is a "unifier" and "presidential" amid recent reports of violence at the Republican presidential hopeful's rallies across the country.

"You are not a 'victim' of the very anger that you've joyfully enflamed for months," Stanton wrote. "You are a man who has encouraged prejudice and violence in the pursuit of personal power. And though your words will no doubt change over the next few months, you will always remain who you are. … Those of us who have been paying attention will not allow you to rebrand yourself."

The post quickly went viral on social media, with more than 250,000 Facebook shares in its first two hours online.

An Open Letter to Donald Trump:Mr. Trump,I try my hardest not to be political. I’ve refused to interview several of...

Posted by Humans of New York on Monday, March 14, 2016

Stanton is the latest high-profile person to denounce Trump. In recent weeks, singer John Legend and comedian Louis C.K. have also spoken out against the polarizing business mogul.