Brooks on Lewis Saying Trump Isn’t ‘Legitimate’: What Happened to When They Go Low, We Go High?

On Friday’s “PBS NewsHour,” New York Times columnist David Brooks reacted to Representative John Lewis (D-GA) saying that President-Elect Donald Trump isn’t “legitimate” by asking, “Whatever happened to when we — they go low, we go high?”

Brooks said, “Whatever happened to when we — they go low, we go high? No, I think if you’re going to question the legitimacy of somebody, you better have some evidence. And John Lewis is obviously a hero. But the bias, when we have an election result, has to be that the election results is legitimate. And the — whatever the Russians did, it didn’t probably affect the outcome. If we actually have some evidence to counter that, then you can say it’s illegitimate, but the bias has always got to be to respect the process, to respect the voters, and to assume, if they make a call, that some deference has to be paid, unless there’s evidence. And as I understand it, John Lewis — none of us know whether the Russian activity, which was malevolent, had any huge significant determining effect.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett