Vice President-elect Mike Pence said Sunday he was “deeply disappointed” in Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., for declining to view Donald Trump as a “legitimate president.”
“I was deeply disappointed to see someone of his stature question the legitimacy of Donald Trump’s election as president and say he’s not attending the inauguration,” Pence told Fox News’ Chris Wallace.
“I hope he reconsiders both positions,” he added.
In the waning days of President Obama’s second term, Lewis has emerged as a staunch critic of the president’s successor.
“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 told NBC News in an interview last week, adding that the Russian government “helped [Trump] get elected.”
Pence acknowledged that he maintains respect for Lewis, a leader in the civil rights movement, but urged the Georgia congressman to focus on celebrating a peaceful transition of power.
Trump’s second-in-command also defended the president-elect for decrying Lewis’ comments in a series of tweets.
“He has the right to defend himself,” Pence said of Trump.
