President Donald Trump will join a private gathering today at the opening of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson despite protests from major figures in Congress like Rep. John Lewis of Georgia.

Lewis and Rep. Bennie Thompson believed that Trump's visit to the museum that commemorates the struggle of civil rights activists who fought against segregation, as an affront and contrary to the president's policies and statements.

“President Trump’s attendance and his hurtful policies are an insult to the people portrayed in this civil rights museum,” Lewis and Thompson said in a joint statement Thursday.

President Trump’s attendance and his hurtful policies are an insult to the people portrayed in this civil rights museum. After President Trump departs, we encourage all Mississippians and Americans to visit this historic civil rights museum. https://t.co/cXo11eGHZw

— John Lewis (@repjohnlewis) December 8, 2017

As Mississippi's lone Democrat in Congress, Thompson spoke to the Associated Press about her boycott, stating that Trump's visit makes it appear that she and other members of Congress condone his actions.

"To come and somehow give the impression that things are all right, that we're getting along, was absolutely the wrong message," Thompson said in a telephone interview this week, saying he views Trump's agenda as too destructive to paper over differences, even for a couple of hours.

The last few months have not made Trump popular with the left. In August, the president gave a timid dismissal of white supremacists from the Unite the Right rally and then retracted the statement at a press conference at Trump Tower claiming there was violence on both sides. During the rally, 32-year-old Heather Heyer was struck and killed by confirmed white supremacist James Fields.

He has called NFL players protesting police brutality "sons of b*tches," attacked sports journalist Jemele Hill, LaVar Ball, Rep. Fredericka Wilson who was standing up for the widow of fallen soldier LaDavid Johnson, San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz in the wake of Hurricane Maria and others on Twitter. Trump has frequently legitimatized far Right conspiracists by retweeting them. And he has continued his attacks on former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton a year after the 2016 presidential election.

Jackson, Mississippi Mayor Chokwe Lumumba also joined the boycott against Trump’s visit.

“I believe that the decision of President Trump to come for the opening of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum is ill considered,” Lumumba told CNN in an interview. “President Trump and the policies he espouses are disrespectful to the legacy and history that is to be portrayed in the museum.”

The NAACP has also been vocal about the visit calling for Trump to cancel the trip but the White House stated there was never any intention of canceling.

The Museum of Mississippi History and The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum both open today which is the 200th anniversary of Mississippi becoming the 20th state in the union.

Mississippi Civil Rights Museum

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