Trump on his own yet again as he skips farewell to Lewis

The Associated Press ^ | July 29, 2020 | By JILL COLVIN and JONATHAN LEMIRE

[Oldeconomybuyer]

One by one, they passed through the grand Capitol Rotunda to pay respects to the civil rights icon.

It was a solemn display of unity as congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle offered praise for longtime Georgia Rep. John Lewis. There was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who called Lewis the “conscience of the Congress”; and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who praised him as a model of courage. Vice President Mike Pence and former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, came as well.

But missing was a man whose absence spoke volumes: President Donald Trump.

“No, I won’t be going,” Trump told reporters when asked whether he planned to pay his respects to Lewis, the first Black lawmaker to lie in state in the Rotunda. Lewis’ body was later moved to the steps on the Capitol’s east side for a public viewing.

Trump’s absence was another break in convention for a president who has broken so many norms, and one that underscored his separation from much of Washington society, along with his dismal relationship with Democrats on Capitol Hill — especially members of color.

Trump had long harbored resentments toward Lewis.

A spokeswoman for Lewis, who died of pancreatic cancer, brushed off any talk of politics when asked whether the Lewis family had any communication with the White House about whether Trump should attend, calling it “irrelevant.”

“I would say that this is not a political event,” said Brenda Jones, the congressman’s longtime spokeswoman. “It’s our time to pay respect to a man who did a great deal for this country. And that’s all we want it to be.”

The White House did not respond to questions about why the president did not attend.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

[ontap]

Never been prouder of him.....Lewis was just another lying ass democrat communist. I for one won’t miss him!!!

[rstrahan]

After the way Lewis talked about the President I wouldn’t show up either

[Ge0ffrey]

Vice President Pence represented.

[SunkenCiv]

Partisan Media Shills update.

[fwdude]

“Conscience of the Congress.”

Should I stop laughing yet?

[farming pharmer]

Never been prouder of him.....Lewis was just another lying ass democrat communist. I for one won’t miss him!!!

Agreed.

[bray]

Another black racist. Trump would have been booed if he went.

[Alberta's Child]

Lewis is the @sshole who called Trump an illegitimate president and refused to attend his inauguration. Why the hell would any president give a sh!t about respect and proprieties of office after that?

I suspect a lot of these leftists are pissed off that Trump didn't give Lewis' family and the Democratic leadership in Congress the opportunity to "disinvite" him.

[suijuris]

Lewis was a race battery and a liar. I respect Trump for not going along with the crowd.

[cdcdawg]

Remember when John Lewis walked the Obamacare bill over to the White House, and evil White Supreemist protesters spit on him and called him the n-word? Yeah, it’s unfortunate that the video didn’t manage to catch any of that.

[alstewartfan]

Lewis had been an angry liar and bum for many years, which negated his former hero status. He pretended he was spat upon and called a ni**er at a Tea Party rally. Phony!

[Vaduz]

.Lewis was just another lying ass democrat communist.

It’s why the media loved him another agent for their agenda.

[caww]

Vp Pence represented...

Exactly....Lewis didn't warrant a President attending.

[stanne]

Isn’t Lewis the congressman who loudly announced he wows not going to the inauguration?

Didn’t that break with tradition?

[suijuris]

Thats “baiter”. Darn auto correct.

[caww]

If he’d gone the press would have been all over him for doing so. Frankly Lewis wasn’t high enough in the congressional pecking order for all this drama and display.

[Puppage]

Agreed. He was a miserable POS. And, I’ll leave it at that.

[deport]

John Robert Lewis was an American politician and civil-rights leader who
served in the United States House of Representatives for Georgia's 5th
congressional district from 1987 until his death in 2020 from pancreatic cancer.

[RckyRaCoCo]

...and if he had attended I'm sure Ass-press and the others had a coordinated hit piece in their bag of spew.