Donald Trump sparks fury after tearing into black civil rights leader on Martin Luther King national holiday

Trump tweeted that Georgia Democrat Mr Lewis "all talk, talk, talk - no action or results"
AP Photo
Tom Powell16 January 2017

Donald Trump has sparked fury after tearing into a renowned civil rights leader during the Martin Luther King national holiday weekend.

John Lewis, who walked alongside Mr King during the historic 1965 Alabama march, questioned the legitimacy of the Republican billionaire's presidential victory.

Mr Trump's responded with a Twitter outburst slamming the black congressman just days before the national holiday honouring Martin Luther King.

Trump tweeted that Georgia Democrat Mr 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".

The incoming president added: "All talk, talk, talk - no action or results. Sad!"

John Lewis walked alongside Martin Luther King during the historic 1965 Alabama march
REUTERS

Mr Lewis, among the most revered leaders of the civil rights movement, had his skull fractured during the march in Selma, Alabama, more than 50 years ago and has since devoted his life to promoting equal rights for African-Americans.

The weekend clash highlighted the sharp contrast between how many African-Americans view Mr Trump's inauguration compared with Barack Obama's eight years ago.

It also demonstrated that no one is immune from scorn from a president-elect with little tolerance for public criticism.

Mr Trump has found political success even while attacking widely-lauded figures before and after the campaign - a prisoner of war, parents of a dead US soldier, a beauty queen - and now a civil rights icon.

Mr Lewis, a 16-term congressman, said on Friday that he would not attend Mr Trump's swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol on January 20 - the first time he had skipped an inauguration since joining the US Congress 30 years ago.

"You know, I believe in forgiveness. I believe in trying to work with people. It will be hard," he told NBC's Meet The Press in an interview to be shown on Sunday.

"It's going to be very difficult. I don't see this president-elect as a legitimate president."

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

His spokeswoman, Brenda Jones, declined to respond to Mr Trump and said the Mr Lewis' "opinion speaks for itself".

"We as a nation do need to know whether a foreign government influenced our election," she said.

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