Paul LePage, the eccentric Republican governor of Maine, voiced his opinion Tuesday on the feud between President-elect Donald Trump and Rep. John Lewis, a Democrat and icon of the civil rights movement.
Lewis recently said he would not attend Trump’s inauguration on January 20 because he doesn’t see Trump as a “legitimate president.” Dozens of other Democratic lawmakers are also planning to boycott the ceremony.
LePage, in his typically controversial fashion, suggested that Lewis needed to bone up on history and show greater appreciation for the white Republican politicians who fought for civil rights for African-Americans.
“I will just say this: John Lewis ought to look at history,” LePage said. “It was Abraham Lincoln who freed the slaves, it was Rutherford B. Hayes and Ulysses S. Grant who fought against Jim Crow laws. A simple thank you would suffice.”
Among the Democratic lawmakers boycotting the inauguration out of solidarity with Lewis is Maine Rep. Chellie Pingree. Gov. LePage said Pingree should resign if she refuses to attend the ceremony later this week.
“For some reason, the left has become so hateful and they are trying to bully us out of believing our constitution,” LePage said. “Chellie Pingree, if she won’t attend on Friday, I would advise her to resign.”
After Lewis questioned his legitimacy, Trump tweeted furiously, urging the congressman to “finally focus on the burning and crime infested inner-cities of the U.S.”
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