Trump slams civil rights icon John Lewis for questioning his legitimacy

Washington, Jan 15
US President-elect Donald Trump fired back at civil rights icon John Lewis, who said he did not view the real-estate mogul's election victory as legitimate.

"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. All talk, talk, talk -- no action or results," Trump tweeted.

Trump made the remarks after Lewis told NBC in an interview that the Republican would take office as an illegitimate President, citing the US intelligence community's allegations that Russia interfered in the election to harm his Democratic Party rival, Hillary Clinton, Efe news reports.

The 76-year-old Lewis -- who spoke at the 1963 March on Washington, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech -- said he would not attend the Presidential inauguration for the first time in his 30 years in Congress.

"I believe in forgiveness. I believe in trying to work with people. It will be hard. It's going to be very difficult. I don't see this President-elect as a legitimate President," Lewis said in his interview.

"I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected. And they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton," he added.

He said he would not attend the inauguration ceremony for that reason.

"It will be the first one that I miss since I've been in Congress," he said. "You cannot be at home with something that you feel that is wrong, is not right."