Trump Criticizes Comments by Civil Rights Activist and Representative, Reactions Follow

John Lewis, the renowned civil rights activist and African American Democratic representative in Congress, stated that he does not consider Donald Trump a "legitimate president." These remarks faced sharp criticism from Trump on Twitter, who suggested that the representative should focus on improving the "dismal state" of his district. Several Democratic and Republican representatives have reacted to the recent comments. Mr. Lewis mentioned in an NBC program that he believes Russia "helped" Trump’s election. The allegations of Russian cyber interference in the U.S. election campaign against Hillary Clinton and the Democrats, U.S. intelligence community reports, and the reactions of the elected president of that country have been major news topics in the U.S., and the fallout continues. Donald Trump, the elected president of the United States, has promised to provide a complete report on the hacking of the Democratic Party's emails to the American people within three months. On Friday, January 13, Trump responded in a series of tweets to recent reports claiming that Russia has exploitable information on him, calling them "fake." According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, John Lewis is one of "at least eight members of Congress who have said they will not attend the inauguration of the new president." Lewis's remarks about Trump have been met with criticism from the elected president on Twitter. Trump first stated that this Democratic representative from Georgia "should spend more time fixing the problems and helping his district, which is in a dismal state and falling apart (without considering the prevalence of crime)." He then added, "Just talk, talk, talk - with no action or results. It's sad." In another tweet, Trump again urged John Lewis to focus on crime and offered to "help in any way he can." The Associated Press emphasized that these remarks and criticisms come on the eve of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the national holiday honoring the famous African American civil rights activist. John Lewis, 76, is a well-known figure in American civil rights movements and was present during the 1963 demonstrations alongside Martin Luther King Jr. The latest events leading up to the establishment of the new U.S. government have elicited reactions from several figures in both the Democratic and Republican parties. On one hand, some Democrats have supported Lewis, while on the other hand, some Republicans have criticized his remarks. For example, Democratic representative Ted Lieu stated, "My personal choice not to attend the inauguration is simple: you are either with Trump or with Lewis. I stand with Lewis." Conversely, some Republican figures, including some Trump critics, have objected to certain Democrats emphasizing the legitimacy and outcome of the election. The Washington Post quoted Republican strategist Doug Hi as saying, "Democrats have launched a campaign over the past two months that constantly repeats the election was not legitimate... something that is dangerous and unpatriotic. Now those same people are trying to question Trump's legitimacy." However, some Republican representatives have defended John Lewis's activities without taking a specific stance. This includes Senator Ben Sasse from Nebraska, who shared a photo of Lewis at a civil rights demonstration and stated that he and his words changed the world. Fox News also referenced some support for Mr. Lewis and his civil rights activities, including from Republican figures. Donald Trump, the elected president, claims that the inauguration will be "bigger than expected." The new U.S. government will begin its work on January 20.