President Trump attended the opening of the Mississippi History Museum and Civil Rights Museum in Jackson on Saturday, touring the facilities and making brief, mostly scripted remarks. "The Civil Rights Museum records the oppression, cruelty, and injustice inflicted on the African-American community, the fight to end slavery, to break down Jim Crow, to end segregation, to gain the right to vote, and to achieve the sacred birthright of equality," Trump said, adding, "That's big stuff, that's big stuff. Those are very big phrases, very big words."
The president spent much of his time on the podium telling the story of Medgar Evers, a Civil Rights activist who was assassinated by white supremacists. Trump also said he has "studied, watched, and admired" Martin Luther King Jr. for his "entire life," and he noted that he has had electoral success in Mississippi.
Trump's presence at the museum opening was protested by Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a Civil Rights leader, as well as Derrick Johnson, the NAACP president, among others. Lewis and Johnson boycotted the event because of Trump's presence.
Watch Trump's full speech below. Bonnie Kristian