LEWIS ON TRUMP

Congressman also blames Russians for helping in GOP win.

U.S. Rep. John Lewis says he’s doesn’t consider Donald Trump a “legitimate president,” cites Russian hacking.

WASHINGTON — Democratic Rep. John Lewis says he’s doesn’t consider Donald Trump a “legitimate president,” blaming the Russians for helping the Republican win the White House.

The Georgia congressman and leader in the civil rights movement of the 1960s said he will skip next week’s inauguration of Trump at the Capitol, joining several other Democrats who have decided to boycott the event.

“You know, I believe in forgiveness. I believe in trying to work with people. It will be hard. It’s going to be very difficult. I don’t see this president-elect as a legitimate president,” Lewis said in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that will air on Sunday.

“I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected. And they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton,” Lewis said.

U.S. intelligence agencies have said they believe Russia meddled in the election to help Trump win. After spending weeks challenging that assessment, Trump finally accepted that the Russians were behind the election-year hacking of Democrats that roiled the White House race.

Lewis, explaining his decision to stay away from the inauguration, told NBC “you cannot be at home with something that you feel that is wrong, is not right.”

He said it will be the first inauguration he has missed in three decades.

The 16-term congressman testified earlier this week against Trump’s choice of Sen. Jeff Sessions to be attorney general, citing the Alabama Republican’s record on ensuring minorities have the right to vote. Lewis, a native of Alabama, suffered a near-fatal beating in Selma, Ala., while helping lead a 1965 march for voting rights.

Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona said Friday on the House floor that he, too, would be staying home. He said the move is not motivated by disrespect for the office, but to protest what he called “disrespect” shown to Americans by the incoming administration and by the actions being taken in Congress.

Other Democratic lawmakers who have announced plans to skip the inauguration include Reps. Barbara Lee of California, Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Luis Gutierrez of Illinois.

Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., says he will skip next week’s inauguration of Donald Trump, joining several other Democrats who have decided to boycott the event.