Ken Burns says he's 'embarrassed' by Trump's 'insult to our history'

Countless historians, over the years, have lamented that those who forget or ignore history are condemned to repeat it. Documentarian Ken Burns, now 72, shares that view. But in a late December interview with Financial Times, Burns goes beyond arguing against ignoring history — he also expresses frustration with people who misunderstand it, including President Donald Trump.

Burns, during the interview, discussed his new six-part documentary series "The American Revolution" — arguing that one of his goals is to counter the "mythology of cloying nostalgia."

Burns told the Financial Times, "I'm embarrassed that, as a country, we don't grasp our history. Everyone approaches it from the arrogance of the position of how it turns out. We are all in the grip of the present, but if you point out the parallels, they are dated immediately. People are always trying to fit a square peg into a round hole."

Burns noted that "a vast middle ground of Americans" are "curious but ignorant of history," telling Financial Times, "That's OK as long as you are curious."

The documentarian has often been critical of Trump, calling him an "insult to our history." And that view hasn't changed.

Financial Times' Andrew Jack notes, "Now, the 72-year-old's new six-part docu-series 'The American Revolution' seeks to cast aside the 'mythology of cloying nostalgia' with fresh insights, [Burns] tells me. Contrast that with President Donald Trump's romanticizing executive order signed earlier this year to remove 'revisionist' interpretations in museums and on monuments that question the 'unparalleled legacy of advancing liberty, individual rights and human happiness.'"

"Trump's Department of Education has forged a partnership with more than 40 right-wing organizations, including the America First Policy Institute, Turning Point USA and the Heritage Foundation — 'dedicated to renewing patriotism, strengthening civic knowledge, and advancing a shared understanding of America’s founding principles in schools across the nation”' — as part of celebrations of America's 250th anniversary in July," Jack continued.

Read Financial Times' full interview with Ken Burns at this link (subscription required).