Donald Trump just attacked civil rights hero John Lewis on Twitter

Impact

On Saturday morning, Republican President-elect Donald Trump retaliated against Georgia representative and civil-rights hero John Lewis, who called the real estate mogul not a "legitimate president" after a briefing on Russian interference in the Nov. 8 presidential elections on Friday, with a low and racially tinged blow about the Democrat's "crime infested" district.

Trump posted two tweets saying "Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk — no action or results. Sad!"

Lewis' district includes large stretches of Atlanta. While it is indeed one of the more violent cities in the country, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Trump's reference to crime rates there seems much less like an expression of concern over the welfare of Lewis' constituents but good old-fashioned race-baiting. The AJC noted Lewis' district is one of the most diverse in the south, and includes the bulk of the state of Georgia's educational institutions, as well as several Fortune 500 corporations.

What's more, Trump came for Lewis just days before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the federal holiday celebrating civil rights icons like Lewis, and which calls on Jan. 16. this year.

Figures across the political spectrum condemned Trump on Twitter soon after his post.

Lewis, who campaigned for Democratic nominee and alleged Russian cyber attack target Hillary Clinton this year, says he will not be attending Trump's inauguration this month. He told NBC he believes in forgiveness but will ""it's going to be very difficult" to work with Trump.

"I don't see this president-elect as a legitimate president," he added. "... You cannot be at home with something that you feel that is wrong, is not right."

Jan. 15, 2017 at 10:57 a.m. This article has been updated.