Politics

These are all of the lawmakers who are skipping Donald Trump’s inauguration

There’s a growing number of representatives who say they won’t attend.

Looking down at the stage under construction on the west side of the U.S. Capitol for President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20. Stephen Crowley/The New York Times

By Dialynn Dwyer

Less than a week before President-elect Donald Trump will officially be sworn into office, the number of lawmakers boycotting the inauguration has swelled to more than two dozen.

David King, a senior lecturer in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, said it’s not an uncommon occurrence to have members of Congress choose to skip an inauguration to protest the incoming president. And it’s worth noting that some of Trump’s most vigorous opponents, most prominently his Democratic rival for the presidency, will be there to witness the peaceful transition of power that’s a hallmark of the nation’s democracy.

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“If it’s going to be to their reelection advantage to say ‘I’m not standing for or with this person,’ then you’re going to have people who aren’t going to go,” King said. “Just like there were Republicans who didn’t show up for Barack Obama’s [inauguration].”

Here’s a look at the growing number of politicians who’ve said they won’t attend:

Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga.

The civil rights hero told NBC News’ Meet the Press a week before the president-elect was due to be sworn into office that he does not see Trump as a “legitimate president,” and said he would not be attending the inauguration.

Trump fired back at Lewis on Twitter a day later, prompting many lawmakers to come to his defense, saying they would stand with the Georgia representative in boycotting the inauguration.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush

The ex-Florida governor will not be present to witness his former rival being sworn into office, a Bush spokeswoman told the Tampa Bay Times.

Bush faced off against Trump for the Republican nomination during an often bitter and contentious primary. Though he won’t attend, his brother, President George W. Bush, and his sister-in-law, former First Lady Laura Bush, will be present.

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Their father, the 92-year-old former President George H.W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush, will also be absent due to the elder Bush’s age and health.

Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif.

Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn.

Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass.

Clark issued a statement in early January announcing that she would not be attending the inauguration, saying she did not want to “contribute to the normalization of the President-elect’s divisive rhetoric” with her participation.

Rep. Michael Capuano, D-Mass.

Below, a state-by-state look at the members of Congress who say they are skipping the inauguration:

Arizona

Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz.

Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz.

California

Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif.

In early January, Huffman announced on social media that, instead of attending the inauguration, he would be spending the day in his district doing “positive things.” He said that will include helping with a river cleanup, participating in a naturalization ceremony for new citizens and joining a local women’s march against the Republican president-elect. 

I have struggled with the issue of whether to attend the Presidential Inauguration on January 20th and here is my…

Posted by Jared Huffman on Saturday, January 7, 2017

Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif.

Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Calif.

“I thought long and hard about attending the Inauguration because I value our democracy and respect the office of the presidency, regardless of party,” Roybal-Allard said in a statement to NBC. “However, the disparaging remarks the president-elect has made about many groups, including women, Mexicans, and Muslims, are deeply contrary to my values.”

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Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif.

Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif.

Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif.

Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif.

Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif. 

Rep. Tony Cárdenas, D-Calif.

My humble and loving parents taught me to live by this saying, “Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres.” It means…

Posted by U.S. Rep. Tony Cárdenas on Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Rep. Juan Vargas, D-Calif. 

Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Calif. 

Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif. 

The congresswoman told the Los Angeles Times she is not “in the mood to celebrate” the fact that Trump is the incoming president.

 

Rep. Grace Napolitano, D-Calif.

Will not be attending, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Calif.

Will not be attending, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Florida

Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla.

“I am deeply disappointed with Trump’s attacks against civil rights hero John Lewis and will not be attending the inauguration as a result,” Soto told WFTV.

Illinois

Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill.

The representative for the 4th District of Illinois told CNN in December he would boycotting Trump’s inauguration, and reiterated his reasons for not attending on the floor of the House of Representatives.

Why I Will Not Be At Inauguration And Will Be Marching With Women

My speech this morning on the Floor of the House about why I will not be at the inauguration ceremonies on Jan. 20 but will be marching with women at the Women’s March on Jan. 21. “We all heard the tape when Donald Trump was bragging – bragging! – about grabbing women by their private parts without their consent. It is something I can never un-hear. Bragging to that guy on TV that he would grab women below the belt as a way of hitting on them. Sorry. That is never OK. It is never just locker room talk. It is offensive and, if he ever actually did it, it is criminal….” The text of my speech: http://bit.ly/2jqSpJ6 More info on the Women’s March: https://www.facebook.com/womensmarchonwash/

Posted by Luis V. Gutiérrez on Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Kentucky

Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky.

Maine

Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine

Maryland

Rep. Anthony Brown, D-Md. 

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md.

Michigan

Rep. John Conyers, Jr. D-Mich.

The dean of the House of Representatives told CNN he won’t be attending the inauguration.

Mississippi

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.

A spokesman for Thompson told The Clarion-Ledger the congressman would not be attending.

Missouri

Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-Mo. 

A spokesman for Clay told the St. Louis-Post Dispatch the congressman would not be attending the inauguration and would instead be speaking with school children in St. Louis.

New Hampshire

Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, D-N.H.

New York

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J.

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Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y.

Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.

Rep. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y.

Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y.

Many have given their lives and dedicated their lives to working to fulfill Dr. King’s dream and make it a reality, and…

Posted by Congressman Adriano Espaillat on Saturday, January 14, 2017

North Carolina

Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C.

Rep. Alma Adams, D-N.C.

Ohio

Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio

Oregon

Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore.

There is unprecedented concern by my constituents about the many threats posed by a Trump administration seeking to…

Posted by Earl Blumenauer on Saturday, January 7, 2017

Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Ore.

“I’m just not a big Trump fan,” Schrader told Oregon Public Broadcasting. “I’ve met the guy and never been impressed with him. He’s the president of the United States now, so I’ll do my best to work with him when I think he’s doing the right thing for the country. But he hasn’t proved himself to me at all yet, so I respectfully decline to freeze my a** out there in the cold for this particular ceremony.”

Pennsylvania

Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa. 

Posted by Congressman Brendan Boyle on Monday, January 16, 2017

Rep. Dwight Evans, D-Pa. 

Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Pa.

Tennessee

Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn.

Texas

Rep. Al Green, D-Texas

Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas

Virginia

Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va.

Washington

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash.

Smith told NBC he would not be attending the inauguration.

Wisconsin

Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis.

 

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