More than 60 Democratic lawmakers now skipping Trump’s inauguration – Washington Post
More than 50 Democrats in the House of Representatives have said they won't attend Friday's inaugural ceremonies. Here are some of the reasons they are skipping out. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)
A growing group of Democratic lawmakers will boycott President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration Friday to protest what they described as his alarming and divisive policies, foreign interference in his election and his criticism of civil rights icon John Lewis, a congressman from Georgia.
There are now more than 60 House Democrats 65, at last count who have declared that they will not attend the inauguration on Capitol Hill this week. The number rose sharply after Trump tweeted Saturday that Lewis (D) is all talk, talk, talk and should finally focus on the burning and crime infested inner-cities.
Lewis, who sees Trumps Nov. 8 win as illegitimate because of Russias allegedinterference in the election, is best known for leading civil rights protests in the 1960s, including the 1965 march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., during which state troopers brutally attacked the crowd. Lewis will not attend the inauguration, he told NBC News in an interview for Sundays Meet the Press.
President-elect Donald Trump's team and senators of both parties on Jan. 15 reacted to Trump's feud with Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.). (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)
Heres a list of other lawmakers who will not attend, starting alphabetically with Rep. Alma Adams (D-N.C.):
Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.):
Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.):
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.):
Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.):
Rep. Anthony G. Brown (D-Md.):
Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.):
Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Mass.):
Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-Calif.):
After serious consideration, I have decided that I will not stand with Donald Trump during his ceremonial inauguration ... I feel this decision best represents my family, constituents, and country, Cardenas said in a statement.
Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Tex.):
Donald Trump has shown an utter lack of respect for so many Americans. His attack on civil rights hero John Lewis is the latest example. I will not attend this years inauguration ceremony, Castro said in a statement.
Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.):
Rep. Katherine M. Clark (D-Mass.):
Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (D-N.Y.):
Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-Mo.):
A spokesman told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Clay will be back home in St. Louis speaking to school kids.
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.):
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.):
His behavior and harmful words during and after the campaign have left the country I love with open, bleeding wounds. Instead of binding those wounds, he has poured salt on them, Connolly said in a statement.
Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.):
Rep. Peter A. DeFazio (D-Ore.):
DeFazio typically avoids pomp and circumstance events in Washington, he said in a statement to Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.):
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas):
Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.):
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.):
Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.):
Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Pa.):
Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (D-Ohio):
Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.):
Rep. Al Green (D-Tex.):
Rep. Ral M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.):
Rep. Luis V. Gutirrez (D-Ill.):
Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (D-Fla.):
Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.):
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.):
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.):
Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.):
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.):
Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.):
Will not attend, per the Chicago Tribune.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.):
I acknowledge the fact that he is the incoming president, but Im not in the mood to celebrate that fact, Lofgren told the Los Angeles Times.
Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.):
The President-elect must get the message that his antagonistic and divisive comments are unacceptable. We cannot tolerate attacks on women, minorities or a civil rights icon, Meng said in a statement.
Rep. A. Donald McEachin (D-Va.):
I have never seen a campaign that was based so much on hatred. I have never seen a campaign where a foreign power intervened to get one candidate elected and where the candidate did not even acknowledge, let alone condemn this behavior. Im not sure what there is to celebrate.
The continued hatred and insults even long after the campaign is over is unacceptable. He should have begun to bring people together the day after the election, and he has not started yet. I have a train ticket, but unfortunately, it has come to this.
Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.):
Will not attend, per the Los Angeles Times.
Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.):
Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (D-Calif.):
Will not attend, per the Los Angeles Times.
Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-N.J.):
I will not celebrate [Trumps] swearing-in to an office that he has proven unfit to hold, Payne said in a statement.
Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine):
Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.):
Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.):
Will not attend, per the Chicago Tribune.
Rep. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Md.):
I cannot risk my presence at his inauguration being interpreted as any kind of endorsement of the normality of our situation. I will not attend the inauguration, Raskin said in a statement.
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.):
Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.):
A real president doesnt attack the press because they ask tough questions, Ruiz told the Desert Sun. A real president doesnt insult and bully celebrities or everyday Americans because they disagree with him.
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.):
Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.):
Im just not a big Trump fan, Schrader told Oregon Public Broadcasting. He hasnt proved himself to me at all yet, so I respectfully decline to freeze my ass out there in the cold for this particular ceremony.
Rep. Jos E. Serrano (D-N.Y.):
Rep. Terri A. Sewell (D-Ala.)
Upon prayerful deliberation, I have decided not to attend the inauguration of the 45th President. While I have a profound respect for the office of the President, and I accept the results of the election, I simply cannot accept the blatant disrespect shown by President-elect Trump towards American civil rights icon, my colleague, friend and mentor, the Honorable John Lewis. The ongoing attacks against Congressman John Lewis are a direct assault on the sacrifices of those brave men and women in my Alabama district who fought, bled and died for the civil rights and voting rights of all Americans. As always, I stand with my constituents.
Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.):
Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-N.Y.):
Will not attend, per the Democrat & Chronicle.
Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.):
As the House of Representatives is not in session the week of Inauguration, Congressman Smith will spend the District Work Period at home in Washington state meeting with his constituents, a representative for the congressmansaid in a statement to Seattle NBC affiliate KING 5 News.
Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.):
I am deeply disappointed with Trumps attacks against civil rights hero John Lewis and will not be attending the inauguration as a result, Soto told Orlando ABC affiliate WFTV-Channel 9.
Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.):
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.):
Will not attend, per the Clarion-Ledger.
Rep. Juan Vargas (D-Calif.):
Rep. Nydia M. Velzquez (D-N.Y.):
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.):
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.):
Rep. Frederica S. Wilson (D-Fla.):
Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.):
For the last ten weeks, President-elect Trump has continually denigrated the office of the President by using his bully pulpit for insult and ridicule, Yarmuth said in a statement. This is not normal. It is an embarrassment to our country and to the office of the presidency, and we must send the message that this behavior is not acceptable from the leader of our nation. Not attending the Inauguration is one way for me to do that.
Jenna Portnoy contributed to this report.
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