Trump Says He Will Not Visit US Capitol to Pay Respects to John Lewis
President Donald Trump said he won’t be visit the U.S. Capitol to pay respects to civil rights icon and longtime Georgia congressman John Lewis.
When asked if he would visit the Capitol on Monday or Tuesday in a gaggle with reporters on Monday, Trump responded, “No I won’t be going, no.” Vice President Mike Pence is expected to visit on Monday night.
The “Celebration of Life” ceremony began on Saturday, a little over a week after the 17-term congressman died at 80 years old. A procession over the Edmund Pettus Bridge — the site where Lewis was beaten for protest in 1965 — in Selma, AL, began the ceremony on Saturday. His casket crossed over the bridge for a final time.
The ceremony moved to Washington D.C. on Monday in the “Conscience of the Congress” event. Several members of Congress and civil rights leaders have paid tribute to Lewis on Monday, including Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, the widow of late congressman and civil rights activist Elijah Cummings, on Fox News.
Trump has been a harsh critic of Lewis during his presidency, attacking his district and ripping Lewis for not attending his inauguration in 2017. On July 17, Trump tweeted, “Saddened to hear the news of civil rights hero John Lewis passing. Melania and I send our prayers to he and his family.”
Saddened to hear the news of civil rights hero John Lewis passing. Melania and I send our prayers to he and his family.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 18, 2020
Watch above, via CSPAN.
