The late Democratic Congressman John Lewis will be lying in state at the Capitol building in D.C. on Monday and Tuesday, but President Donald Trump says that he will not be visiting to pay his respects. Trump did not mention his past antagonism of Lewis when confirming that he would not be visiting, but Trump has previously petulantly complained about Lewis, outrageously claiming at one point that the then-Congressman was “all talk… no action.” In reality, Lewis was — among other high-profile parts of his activism — one of the “Freedom Riders,” who rode buses across the South in an effort to desegregate public transportation and faced violent harassment from racists in the process. Lewis was the absolute farthest thing from “all talk… no action.” Trump was just spouting off nonsense.
Asked on Monday if he would be visiting the Capitol to pay his respects to Lewis, Trump said:
‘No, I won’t be going; no.’
Check out the video below:
"I won't be going."
Trump told reporters as he was leaving the White House that he would not go to pay respects to Congressman John Lewis as he lies in state at the Capitol pic.twitter.com/dkcOOvHvsY
— Bloomberg QuickTake (@QuickTake) July 27, 2020
Back in January 2017, shortly before his inauguration, Trump tweeted:
‘Congressman John 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. All talk, talk, talk – no action or results. Sad!’
Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to……
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2017
mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk – no action or results. Sad!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2017
Again — that is an outrageously ridiculous description of Lewis, who was definitely not “all talk… no action.” Lewis, among other high-profile incidents, was even among the protesters on the Alabama bridge in 1965 on “Bloody Sunday,” when authorities violently attacked demonstrators in an incident that quickly achieved notoriety. That very year, the Voting Rights Act was passed, and the protesters on that bridge, including Lewis, had been marching in support of rights for black Americans including access to the ballot box.
After Lewis passed away, Trump shared only very hollow remarks. He 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
That statement was posted the day after Lewis passed away, as if Trump couldn’t even be bothered to comment about the development until after many other people did.
