Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed lashed out Saturday afternoon after President-elect Donald Trump attacked both Rep. John Lewis and his Congressional district in a pair of tweets in retaliation for Lewis' questioning the legitimacy of his election.
Through a series of three tweets of his own, Reed called Lewis a civil rights-era icon who has held office since 1987 a "hero and a national treasure."
He also slammed Trump's timing for his comments against Lewis, noting they came over the Martin Luther King holiday weekend:
The mayor also turned Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan against him, saying that Lewis did just that during his civil rights fights and arrests:
In an interview to air on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday, Lewis said he thinks Trump's victory is not valid because of Russia's actions to influence the results, including hacking into and releasing Democratic emails.
"I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected," Lewis said in the interview. "And they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton."
While slamming Lewis in his tweets, Trump said Georgia's Fifth Congressional District, which the congressman represents, is in "horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested)."
He also accused the Democratic lawmaker of being "all talk, talk, talk - no action or results," a statement that met with protests from many of those on both sides of the aisle who have served with him over the years, and putting Lewis' name as a top trending topic for a long period of time.
The storm also raged offline, including with former Republican National Committee National Chairman Michael Steele, who on Saturday called Trump's comments "unnecessary" and warned him not to isolate himself further from black voters, reports The Hill.
"Number one, don't tweet that. Number two, don't go there. And number three, step back and try to appreciate what's being said and what the concern is," Steele told MSNBC. "The tweet is unnecessary, it’s unfortunate. John Lewis has a walk that very few people in this country, least of all Donald Trump, have ever walked. So you have to respect that and pay attention to that in a real sense."
Also, Steele, who would not back Trump's presidential candidacy, said making such comments could make it difficult for Trump to bring Americans together.
"As black folks, we’re part of that," said Steele, who is black. "So our expectation is not only will you attempt that same effort that you would apply to white folks and other communities, but you will do so in a way that you show respect for our leadership and those who do represent our interests to you on Capitol Hill."
Several of Lewis' colleagues, including the House Democratic Caucus, stepped up on Twitter to defend the veteran lawmaker and his legacy:
Some Republicans, such as Nebraska Rep. Ben Sasse, also stood up for Lewis:
Several celebrities also came out in support of Lewis, including George Takei and Shonda Rimes:
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Meanwhile, Atlanta residents defended both Lewis and their city from Trump's comments about it being crime-infested, answering a call from The Atlanta Journal Constitution to send photos from their district.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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