Civil-rights icon John Lewis: 'I don't see this president-elect as a legitimate president'

Screenshot/NBC

Democratic Rep. John Lewis of Georgia on Friday leveled harsh words at President-elect Donald Trump, saying he doesn't think Trump's presidency is legitimate.

"I don't see this president-elect as a legitimate president," Lewis told NBC's Chuck Todd during a "Meet the Press" interview set to air on Sunday.

Lewis pointed to allegations of Russian interference in the recent election, including a dossier of unverified claims about Trump's potential ties to Russia.

"The Russians participated in helping this man get elected, and they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton," Lewis said.

The long-serving Democrat from Georgia was the youngest member of the "Big Six" group of civil-rights leaders, which included Martin Luther King Jr., in the 1960s, and he was instrumental in organizing the marches from Selma to Montgomery in Alabama.

Lewis said he won't attend Trump's inauguration. This will be the first time he's skipped the ceremony since he was elected to Congress in 1986.

"You cannot be at home with something that you feel that is wrong," Lewis told Todd. He said it was a "conspiracy on the part of the Russians" to help Trump get elected.

"That's not right. That's not fair," Lewis said. "That's not the open, democratic process."

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