Rise Up! Lin-Manuel Miranda Reacts to Trump's 'Deeply Un-American' Muslim Ban

In a new interview with The Huffington Post, HAMILTON creator Lin-Manuel Miranda speaks out against President Trump's recent executive order which bars immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries, including fleeing Syrian refugees, from entering the United States.

In the phone conversation, the Tony winner shared his emotional response to seeing protest signs all over the world featuring lyrics from his hugely successful hip-hop musical. "I keep seeing 'Immigrants, We Get The Job Done' on placards at every march, at every protest. I can't tell you what that does to me as a writer to see a line [I wrote]. And what it means for the conversation, in this moment in history," he says.

The recent Oscar nominee went on to call Trump's actions, "deeply un-American," and "against the fundamental freedom of religion in our constitution." He also encourages protestors to "rise up" and feel free to use lyrics from his revolutionary musical to communicate their messages. "There was an incredible protest sign that read 'History Has Its Eyes On You' and it had Carrie Fisher as Leia's eyes over it, and I was so moved by the moment," he explains. "When you're making something, you don't control what happens [in response]. You can only control the thing you make. So to see it ripple back in that way, it's very moving and very humbling."

Miranda goes on to address recent reports that the Trump Administration plans to do away with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). "The importance of the NEA ? I can not tell you how many studies and findings find that arts lift up every other score in education," he says. "When you learn music, you use both hemispheres of your brain. It helps you with the math and it helps you with the arts. It's so important that the arts have attention in our education. It certainly saved my life. I don't know where I would be without the amazing arts education I got at a public school. I certainly wouldn't be talking to you. So, we're going to have to fight to protect it."

Below, listen to the cover of "Immigrants (We Get The Job Done)" by K'naan, Snow Tha Product, Riz MC and Residente from "The Hamilton Mixtape."

Photo credit: Joan Marcus