--- title: John Lewis: I Would Not Invite Donald Trump to Selma description: Representative John Lewis said he would not invite President-elect Donald Trump on a visit to Selma after Trump called him out on Twitter canonical: https://time.com/4635480/john-lewis-donald-trump-selma/ author: Mahita Gajanan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-01-15T15:46:28.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-07T07:13:39.480Z article:section: Politics og:title: Rep. John Lewis 'Would Not Invite' Donald Trump to Visit Selma og:description: Trump attacked him on Twitter og:url: https://time.com/4635480/john-lewis-donald-trump-selma/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1d9288a12b4aea59/6988b59c97cdff51b16af1cc/john-lewis.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Day Two Of Senate Judiciary Committee Considering Jeff Sessions To Be Attorney General og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Rep. John Lewis 'Would Not Invite' Donald Trump to Visit Selma twitter:description: Trump attacked him on Twitter twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1d9288a12b4aea59/6988b59c97cdff51b16af1cc/john-lewis.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Representative John Lewis 'Would Not Invite' Donald Trump to Visit Selma > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=759961c2-4c2e-4773-bc3c-9e2b45637092&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Rep. John Lewis ‘Would Not Invite’ Donald Trump to Visit Selma [Watch (HLS stream): Rep. John Lewis ‘Would Not Invite’ Donald Trump to Visit Selma](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/CYhTWqCg.m3u8) (0:40)  _Published 2017-01-15. Rep. John Lewis said he would not invite President-elect Donald Trump on a visit to Selma, Alabama with him, speaking an interview with NBC News’ Chuck Todd._ by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Jan 15, 2017 3:46 PM UTC by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Jan 15, 2017 3:46 PM UTC [Representative John Lewis](http://time.com/4635385/donald-trump-john-lewis-reactions/) said he would not invite President-elect [Donald Trump](http://time.com/4635457/saturday-night-donald-trump-press-conference-alec-baldwin/) on a visit to Selma, Ala., with him, speaking in an [interview](http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/rep-lewis-i-would-not-invite-trump-selma-n707056) with NBC News’ Chuck Todd. Lewis, who was beaten on Edmund Pettus Bridge on [Bloody Sunday](http://time.com/3736307/john-lewis-bloody-sunday/) in 1965, has frequently visited the city with politicians from both sides of the aisle over the years, including Vice President-elect Mike Pence, President Barack Obama and former Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush. Lewis said he would not prevent Trump from visiting Selma, and that the President-elect could stand to learn something from a trip there. “Maybe he would learn something. Maybe he would get religion,” he said. However, he said, “I would not invite him to come.” The comment came in the same interview in which Lewis also said Trump was not a [“legitimate President.”](http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/john-lewis-trump-won-t-be-legitimate-president-n706676) The comment evoked an attack from Trump, who said the civil rights leader was “all talk” and “no action.” “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](http://time.com/4635385/donald-trump-john-lewis-reactions/) on Saturday morning. “All talk, talk, talk – no action or results. Sad!” Several Democrats have said they plan to [boycott Trump’s inauguration](http://time.com/4635411/democrats-boycotting-donald-trumps-inauguration/) on Friday, a number that grew following Trump’s comments about Lewis. ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] Nearly 3000 men. On the first day there are 3200 marchers in line. Half of the four lane Highway 80 is closed to traffic. Later where it becomes too late, the marchers had been ordered by the court to reduce their number until 300, to complete the 54 mile work or to present a petition to Governor George Lewis. 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