Martin Luther King III (one of Martin Luther King Jr.'s sons) met with Donald Trump this past Monday.
The meeting, which occurred on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, was called "constructive" by the iconic civil rights leader's son, as he and Trump discussed the importance of voter reform to encourage more participation at the polls.
"He said that he is going to represent all Americans. He said that over and over again," King said according to a report from the AP. "I believe that's his intent, but I think we also have to consistently engage with pressure, public pressure. It doesn't happen automatically."
The meeting followed an ongoing controversy with Trump, where he lashed out against Rep. John Lewis, who said that he does not see The Apprentice star as a "legitimate" president. Trump then took to Twitter this past Saturday to respond to Lewis, saying that the civil rights leader was "all talk, talk, talk – no action or results."
Trump received plenty of backlash for his remarks, considering they were made towards a prominent figure in America’s civil rights movement, during Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend.
In regards to the comments the elder King downplayed them, stating "in the heat of emotion a lot of things get said on both sides" and "at some point in this nation we've got to move forward."
This forthcoming Friday marks the inauguration of Trump as the president of the United States. The event is still struggling to gain performers, but recently got acts such as 3 Doors Down and Toby Keith to join the roster.
However, a number of Democrats have decided to not attend the occasion. According to a report from New York Magazine, more than 40 Democratic lawmakers are boycotting Trump's inauguration. Although it is uncommon for lawmakers to boycott an inauguration for political purposes, it seems that Trump's remarks toward Lewis was the final straw for a number of Democratic lawmakers.
