Vice President-elect Mike Pence quotes Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech following visit to MLK memorial after saying he is 'so disappointed' in John Lewis

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Vice President-elect Mike Pence visited the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial in Washington and cited a famous king quotation inscribed on the memorial's walls as the incoming administration continued to battle civil rights icon Representative John Lewis for questioning Donald Trump's legitimacy.

'Honored to stop by Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial with my family & @SenatorTim Scott,' Pence wrote on Twitter, referencing the South Carolina senator, who in 2014 became the first African American elected from the South since reconstruction.

'Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope,' Pence added, quoting a phrase from King's 'I Have a Dream' speech.

The visit was a gesture of solidarity on Martin Luther King Day, following an election where Trump got just 8 per cent of the black vote, according to exit polls.

The visit also came during a time of political tension over race, after a weekend when Trump went after civil rights icon Representative John Lewis for questioning his own legitimacy.

Vice President-elect said he was 'so disappointed that he would make the statement that he made suggesting that President-elect Trump is not a legitimate president'

Pence said Monday he is 'so disappointed' in Representative Lewis for questioning the legitimacy of Donald Trump's election with 'baseless assertions.'

Pence made his comments in a call-in interview with Fox News on Martin Luther King day, after Trump blasted the civil rights icon over the weekend following his own comments that 'I don't see this president-elect as a legitimate president' – provoking a furious response from Trump on Twitter.

'I served with John Lewis and I disagree with him on many issues,” Pence told 'Fox and Friends' on Monday, as the nation was honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

'I respect the role he’s played in the civil rights movement and the voting rights movement,' he continued.

'That’s why I was just so disappointed that he would make the statement that he made suggesting that President-elect Trump is not a legitimate president.'

Pence laced his comments with compliments, after Trump blasted Lewis for being 'all talk, talk, talk - no action or results,' notwithstanding Lewis having been bloodied marching for civil rights. 

“For someone of John Lewis’ stature to lend credibility to the baseless assertions of those who question the legitimacy of this election is deeply disappointing,” he said. “I hope he reconsiders it.”  

Vice President-elect Mike Pence pushed back at Rep. John Lewis on Sunday, and then criticized him again on Monday on Fox News, while saying he respects the role Lewis played in the civil rights movement

Incoming White House spokesman Sean Spicer appeared on several programs Monday morning. He indicated that Trump was willing to call Lewis

Lewis responded to the flare-up for the first time Monday in a speech at an MLK breakfast in Georgia.

He referenced his role in the Nashville boycott, saying: 'Yes I did get in trouble. I stood out I spoke up I spoke out and I got arrested.' He spoke of his connections to Martin Luther King Jr. and traced his own role in the civil rights movement.

Lewis told NBC's 'Meet the Press' in an interview that aired in full on Sunday, ' 'I believe in forgiveness. I believe in trying to work with people.' But he added: 'It's going to be very difficult. I don't see this president-elect as a legitimate president.'

'I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected, and they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton,' Lewis said, referencing U.S. intelligence agencies who have said Russia hacked the elections.

Trump went after Lewis, ripping his Atlanta-based district as 'falling apart' and being 'in horrible shape,' after Lewis said he would skip Trump's inauguration, saying he wasn't 'legitimate' because of Russian hacking. 

Since then, more House Democrats have announced plans to join Lewis and skip the inauguration, with the number approaching two dozen. 

Pence said on 'Fox News Sunday': "While I have great respect for John Lewis and for his contributions, particularly to the civil rights movement, I was deeply disappointed to see someone of his stature question the legitimacy of Donald Trump's election as president and say he's not attending the inauguration," Pence said on "Fox News Sunday." 

Incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer also acknowledged Lewis' role as a civil rights 'icon' in TV appearances Monday.

Speaking on MSNBC, Spicer indicated Trump was willing to call Lewis to try to patch things up.

'I wouldn’t put it past him to do that. But I think there’s got to be a willingness for John Lewis who has fought so hard for voting and civil rights to not use language about delegitimizing an election and the integrity of our voting system that he’s frankly been a real champion of,' Spicer said.

'I wouldn’t put it past him to pick up the phone and call him, but there’s got to be a willingness on both sides,' he added.