Georgia Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon, says he doesn’t see President-elect Donald Trump “as a legitimate president” and will not attend Trump’s inauguration.
Georgia Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon, says he doesn’t see President-elect Donald Trump “as a legitimate president” and will not attend Trump’s inauguration.
It is a mistake.
It’s important elected officials be present at the swearing-in ceremony, which is the way the nation communicates to the world that power can change hands peacefully and that the office is bigger than its occupant.
Without a doubt, Trump responded to Lewis’ criticism in a decidedly unpresidential, disrespectful and condescending manner.
He called Lewis “all talk, talk, talk — no action or results” — this, for a man who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and nearly lost his life during a beating on the Selma-to-Montgomery march in 1965.
Despite the weekend furor that caused, Trump doubled down Tuesday. After Lewis said this would be the only inauguration he will have missed during his time in Congress, Trump blasted out tweets calling Lewis a liar, pointing out that Lewis sat out George W. Bush’s inauguration in 2001.
It’s a petty exchange but with significant consequences.
Consider how the legitimacy of the White House’s current occupant, Barack Obama, was questioned in 2008 and beyond, when birthers and Trump himself accused Obama of being born in Kenya, despite evidence to the contrary. And how George W. Bush’s legitimacy was challenged when he was sent to the White House after the 2000 election when a divided Supreme Court ruled, 5-4, that a Florida recount must stop.
Lewis’ issue with Trump’s legitimacy centers on alleged Russian interference in the campaign. While there are many rumors, and the role of Russia is under investigation, Lewis is wrong to suggest Trump was not legitimately elected.
Protesters who want to voice their displeasure with Trump are free to do so, as is their right as citizens of this free nation. But as an elected representative, Lewis and the 30-plus other members of Congress who announced plans to skip Trump’s inauguration should reconsider the impact of their actions, in this and future presidencies.
There will be many other, more appropriate opportunities for these lawmakers to challenge policies they dislike, as is their responsibility as elected lawmakers.
It would be equally misguided if this opposition were to extend to other joint congressional events, such as the upcoming State of Union Address. Showing up and sitting respectfully during inaugural ceremonies honors the institution without equating to support of Trump’s politics or policies.
As a nation, we’ve endured too much of this nonsense during the past 16 years. We all, Democrats and Republicans alike, dictate how much dignity should be afforded to the office of the president.
— The Dallas Morning News