Meryl Streep disparages Donald Trump, salutes the press in Golden Globes speech

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Credit: Gettty Images

Credit: Gettty Images

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Meryl Streep's speech at the Golden Globe awards began with a comprehensive run-down of many of her fellow artists' hometowns and home countries, then quickly pivoted to a pointed observation:

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The comment was but one that disparaged president-elect Donald Trump without mentioning him by name. Streep, who was honored with the  Cecil B. DeMille Award at Sunday night's event, also alluded to reports that Trump mocked a disabled reporter. 

Trump denied he made fun of journalist Serge Kovaleski during a 2015 rally but of course has made "building the wall" a signature rallying cry.

Streep's speech launched into sharp cultural commentary almost immediately.

"Thank you, Hollywood Foreign Press," she began. "You and all of us in this room really, belong to the most vilified segments in American society right now: Hollywood, foreigners and the press."

"Disrespect invites disrespect. Violence incites violence," she continued. "When the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose... We need the principled press to hold power to account, to call them on the carpet for every outrage."