Pence: Trump has right to defend himself from Rep. John Lewis

(FOX NEWS) - Vice-president-elect Mike Pence told Chris Wallace President-elect Donald Trump has the "right to defend himself" against claims by civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) that he is not a "legitimate president."

"When someone of John Lewis' stature...someone by virtue of his sacrifice on [Bloody Sunday] crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge and suffered that abuse... use[s] terms like this, it is just deeply disappointing to me," Pence said.

Lewis also joined a number of other legislators including Reps. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), W. Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) and Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) who have reportedly announced they will not attend the inauguration.

"I hope he reconsiders," Pence said, adding that when Donald Trump criticized Lewis as "all talk, no action" he was referring to the "generations of failed policies" that have come out of Washington during the Georgian's 30-year tenure in Congress.

Click here for more, including Pence saying Trump aims to be the president "of all people" .. and here to hear from the only black Republican in the Senate, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.).