Democratic Rep. John Lewis (Ga.) has drawn attention for announcing on NBC's "Meet the Press" his intention to skip President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, saying it will be the first time he misses the event.
But MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski reported on Tuesday that Lewis has skipped previous inaugural celebrations.
"The Washington Post reported in 2001 that some members of the Black Caucus decided to boycott inauguration day," Brzezinski said on "Morning Joe." "John Lewis, for instance, spent the day in his Atlanta district. He thought it would be hypocritical to attend Bush's swearing in because he doesn't believe Bush is the true elected president."
Brzezinski was quick to point out the similarities in Lewis' recent comments on Trump.
"He questioned Trump's presidency's legitimacy," she said. "He questioned Bush's presidency's legitimacy and skipped the inauguration."
The resurfacing of the report spurred a discussion about the possibility of forgetting one's decision to skip a previous presidential inauguration.
"I think you'd remember," panelist Katy Kay responded.
"You wouldn't forget if you missed an inauguration. You would remember if you didn't go to an inauguration and why you didn't go," Rick Tyler agreed.
Brzezinski continued calling for people to look at both sides of the situation, arguing that the rift between Lewis and Trump could not be placed squarely on either party.