Watch Again: Trump Speaks At MS Civil Rights Museum Opening

JACKSON, MS — President Trump on Saturday delivered remarks at the opening of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement, a visit that has already sparked controversy with some African-American leaders saying they will not attend the event. (You can watch a replay of Trump's remarks below.)

"Heading to the great state of Mississippi at the invitation of their popular and respected Governor, @PhilBryantMS," Trump tweeted Saturday. "Look forward to seeing the new Civil Rights Museum!" According to a White House pool report, Air Force One touched down in Jackson at 10:11 a.m. central time.

While Trump attended the opening, Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon and Georgia Democrat, pulled out of the event. In a joint statement with Rep. Bennie Thompson, Mississippi's only Democrat in Congress, Lewis said Trump's attendance and his hurtful policies were an insult to the people portrayed in the museum.

The two joined a number of Democrats in the state who pulled out of the event since it was announced that Trump would speak. In a statement, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, “We think it’s unfortunate that these members of Congress wouldn’t join the president in honoring the incredible sacrifice civil rights leaders made to right the injustices in our history.

"The President hopes others will join him in recognizing that the movement was about removing barriers and unifying Americans of all backgrounds."

Lewis was arrested in Jackson in 1961 with Freedom Riders who were protesting segregated bus travel. He was held at the infamous Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman. Later, as the head of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Lewis organized Freedom Summer, a volunteer effort to register voters in Mississippi in 1964.

Not everyone is boycotting the event. Myrlie Evers, the widow of assassinated Mississippi NAACP leader Medgar Evers, is one of the main speakers at the event. Evers told The New York Times she will address Trump's presence in her speech.

Some plan protests, citing Trump's record on racial issues while Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant has called on residents of the state to allow the president to come and honor Mississippi with his speech and presence.

The ceremony also marks Mississippi's bicentennial of admission into the union.

You can watch a replay of Trump's remarks below:

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images News/Getty Images