Asked About John Lewis' Legacy, Trump Gripes He Didn't 'Come To My Inauguration'

After a week of tributes and mourning for Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), President Donald Trump declined to offer any praise for the late civil rights icon and instead bemoaned the fact that he didnt come to my inauguration.

In an interview with Axios that aired Monday, Trump was asked how he thinks history will remember Lewis.

I dont know, Trump said. I dont know John Lewis. He chose not to come to my inauguration. I never met John Lewis, actually, I dont believe.

The interview was recorded last Tuesday as Lewis body lay in state in the U.S. Capitol. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle visited the casket to pay their respects, including Vice President Mike Pence , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

Trump did not. Nor did he attend Lewis Atlanta memorial service Thursday, where former presidents Barack Obama , George W. Bush and Bill Clinton spoke in honor of the man whose nonviolent activism helped galvanize support for the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965.

.@jonathanvswan: \"How do you think history will remember John Lewis?\"

President Trump to #AxiosOnHBO: \"I don't know...I don't know John Lewis. He chose not to come to my inauguration.\" pic.twitter.com/LDv76rrIFc

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.@jonathanvswan : "How do you think history will remember John Lewis?"

President Trump to #AxiosOnHBO : "I don't know...I don't know John Lewis. He chose not to come to my inauguration." pic.twitter.com/LDv76rrIFc
Axios (@axios) August 4, 2020

Lewis organized peaceful demonstrations and voter-registration drives, led one of the most famous marches in American history was beaten by a state trooper for doing so and later served as the U.S. representative for Georgias 5th Congressional District for more than three decades . Yet when pressed on whether he found Lewis history impressive, Trump said that he cant say one way or the other.

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I find a lot of people impressive, Trump added. I find many people not impressive. But no, he didnt come to my inauguration. He didnt come to my State of the Union speeches, and thats okay. Thats his right. And, again, nobody has done more for Black Americans than I have. He shouldve come. I think he made a big mistake.

Lewis said in 2017 that he skipped Trumps inauguration because he did not believe Trump to be a legitimate president due to Russian interference in the election. Lewis also skipped Bushs first inauguration. A documentary about his life was released last month:

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