Sen. Marco Rubio says he has "tremendous admiration" for civil rights veteran Rep. John Lewis, but takes issue with his remark President-elect Donald Trump isn't a "legitimate president" and his boycott of the inauguration.
Trump slammed Lewis over the weekend, calling the Georgia lawmaker "all talk" and "no action" after Lewis told NBC News' "Meet The Press" he won't go to Friday's inauguration because he doesn't see Trump as a "legitimate president."
"I have tremendous admiration for Congressman Lewis, not only for what he's done, but what he stands for," the Florida Republican told reporters, the Tampa Bay Times reported Monday.
"I don't agree with him that President-elect Trump is illegitimate. I also don't agree with his decision not to attend the inaugural, though it certainly is his right. It's not about President-elect Trump – it's a peaceful transfer of power."
Rubio, who attended a commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. for which Lewis was the keynote speaker, also said he "hoped that the president-elect would have responded differently" to Lewis' criticism, the newspaper reported.