--- description: President-elect Donald Trump attacked civil rights leader John Lewis on Saturday, after Lewis said Trump was not a "legitimate president" title: Donald Trump Slams Civil Rights Leader Rep. John Lewis for Critical Comments image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7580c48d66d12452/6988b5a397cdff86006af1d4/donald-trump-john-lewis.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Donald Trump](/tag/donald-trump/) ## Donald Trump Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Donald Trump Slams Civil Rights Leader Rep. John Lewis for Critical Comments  by [Katie Reilly](/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 14, 2017 4:02 PM CUT  President-elect Donald Trump answers journalists' questions during a press conference on Jan. 11, 2017 in New York. President-elect Donald Trump answers journalists' questions during a press conference on Jan. 11, 2017 in New York.Don Emmert—AFP/Getty Images  by [Katie Reilly](/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 14, 2017 4:02 PM CUT President-elect Donald Trump attacked Democratic Congressman and [civil rights leader John Lewis](http://time.com/4378804/john-lewis-activism-sit-ins-civil-rights-movement/ "undefined") on Twitter Saturday morning, after Lewis said Trump was not a [“legitimate president”](http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/john-lewis-trump-won-t-be-legitimate-president-n706676 "undefined") and announced that he would not attend the [upcoming inauguration](http://time.com/4634445/donald-trump-inauguration-prayer/ "undefined"). “Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to…… mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results.” Donald Trump wrote in tweets on Saturday morning. “All talk, talk, talk – no action or results. Sad!” Trump said of Lewis, whose activism—which included [participating in sit-ins](http://time.com/4378804/john-lewis-activism-sit-ins-civil-rights-movement/ "undefined") at segregated lunch counters and marching across the [Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma](http://time.com/3636426/selmas-movie-mlk-articles/ "undefined")—was instrumental to the progress of the civil rights movement. Trump’s comments followed the release Friday of part of Lewis’ [_Meet the Press_ interview](http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/john-lewis-trump-won-t-be-legitimate-president-n706676 "undefined"), in which he said he doesn’t think Trump is a “legitimate” president. “I believe in forgiveness. I believe in trying to work with people, but it’s going to be hard. It’s going to be very difficult,” Lewis said when asked in the interview if he would forge a relationship with Trump. “I don’t see this president-elect as a legitimate president,” Lewis said. “I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected, and they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton. I don’t plan to attend the inauguration. It will be the first one that I miss since I’ve been in Congress.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4635375/donald-trump-john-lewis/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4635375/donald-trump-john-lewis/"},"headline":"Donald Trump Slams Civil Rights Leader Rep. 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