Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) on working with Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) and his comments that Trump is not a "legitimate" president. Paul said he has a great deal of respect for Lewis, but he is a "partisan." Transcript, via CNN:
SEN. RAND PAUL: So, I think I have a good relationship with him. But I would also be one who says -- and I do appreciate what -- him being a civil rights icon. But I would also say that that doesn't make us immune from criticism or debate. So, John Lewis isn't in a position where there can't be a healthy debate back and forth.
Because he's a civil rights icon shouldn't make him immune. But I would say that, instead of this bickering back and forth, what I would like to find out is how we can still do criminal justice reform. And I have been talking to Democrats about how we get more Republicans on board.
I was disappointed we didn't get it through, you know, when President Obama was in. But I think there is still some chance to reform some of our criminal justice system. And I'm willing to work with John Lewis and others on that.
TAPPER:...I think one of the things people are taking issue with is not the question about whether John Lewis is immune from criticism. Obviously, he's a partisan Democrat and he said president-elect Trump is illegitimate.
Certainly, lots of room to criticize there in terms of what he is saying a few days before the inaugural. But the question of describing his district as crime-infested, urging him to focus on burning inner cities, and referring to this man, who you refer to as an icon, accurately, as all talk, no action, I think, on Martin Luther King Day weekend, I think that struck a lot of people as a little tone-deaf, including many Republicans.
PAUL: Yes, I -- but if it -- but I think it gets one-sided sometimes..... So I think we shouldn't -- when things involve race, it gets very, very sensitive. All of us -- or none of us actually want to be considered to be either racially insensitive. And so it's a very, very important subject, but I think we shouldn't -- we shouldn't ignore that people are partisan. So, John Lewis is a partisan. I have a great deal of respect for him, but he's a partisan.
And I disagree with him on issues. I should be able to honestly disagree with him, and not have it all come back to, I have no appreciation for a civil rights icon because of this. And I think that's the part that I think is sometimes unfair in this.
