Donald Trump resigns from the Screen Actors Guild after union made moves to expel him due to US Capitol riots
- Former president Donald Trump was a member of the Screen Actors Guild labor union until Thursday.
- SAG-AFTRA was going to hold a hearing over whether or not to expel Trump.
- But Trump resigned first, stating in a letter that the union had "done nothing" for him.
Former president Donald Trump was a Hollywood celebrity before he was became a political figure. But now his association with the actor's labor union group, SAG-AFTRA, has come to an end.
SAG-AFTRA had planned on holding a hearing to decide whether or not to expel Trump from the labor group. The announcement was made on January 19, less than two weeks after President Trump's supporters led an insurrection at the US Capitol building.
"Donald Trump attacked the values that this union holds most sacred - democracy, truth, respect for our fellow Americans of all races and faiths, and the sanctity of the free press," SAG-AFTRA union president Gabrielle Carteris said in a statement. "There's a straight line from his wanton disregard for the truth to the attacks on journalists perpetrated by his followers."
On February 4, Trump responded to SAG-AFTRA's disciplinary committee with a resignation letter.
"I write to you today regarding the so-called Disciplinary Committee hearing aimed at revoking my union membership," the letter begins. "Who cares!"
"While I'm not familiar with your work, I'm very proud of my work on movies such as 'Home Alone 2,' 'Zoolander' and 'Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,'" Trump's statement continues, "and television shows, including 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,' 'Saturday Night Live,' and of course, one of the most successful shows in television history, 'The Apprentice' - to name just a few!"
At the end of the letter, Trump said: "I no longer wish to be associated with your union. As such, this letter is to inform you of my immediate resignation from SAG-AFTRA. You have done nothing for me."
The response from SAG-AFTRA, the labor group that also represents journalists in addition to actors, was two words: "Thank you."
Now Trump, who was a member of the union since 1989, has no formal connection to the group. And although this resignation doesn't prevent him for starring in future movies and TV shows, it does send a union-wide message of disapproval to Trump.