Call to cancel Trump civil rights opening

President Donald Trump's plan to attend the grand opening of a Mississippi civil rights museum is drawing pushback, including from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says Trump will travel to the state on Saturday to help open the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum as he celebrates the state's bicentennial.

But the NAACP said in a statement that Trump should cancel his planned appearance because of his record on civil rights issues. Other activists are also threatening to boycott or protest Trump's participation.

"President Trump's statements and policies regarding the protection and enforcement of civil rights have been abysmal," NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said in a statement. He called Trump's planned attendance "an affront to the veterans of the civil rights movement."

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said earlier Tuesday that protests and boycotts of the event would be "honestly, very sad."

"I think this is something that should bring the country together to celebrate the opening of this museum and highlighting (the) Civil Rights Movement and the progress that we've made. And would I hope that those individuals would join in that celebration instead of protesting it," she said.

Trump has been criticised for racially charged tweets and comments, including blaming "both sides" for violence at a deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Trump has also been critical of NFL players who kneel during the national anthem to protest police violence and racism.