Congresswoman Grace Meng announced on Wednesday that she will not participate in President-elect Donald Trump‘s inauguration ceremony on Friday, Jan. 20, in Washington, D.C.
“With just days before his inauguration, I had hoped that President-elect Trump would put an end to his inflammatory rhetoric. But obviously that pivot has not occurred,” Meng said in a statement. “I have heard from many constituents and I thought long and hard about this decision. I respect the Office of the President and our nation’s peaceful transfer of power. But the president-elect must get the message that his antagonistic and divisive comments are unacceptable.”
Many elected officials have made the decision to boycott Trump’s inauguration due to his inflammatory campaign rhetoric, verbal attacks against women and minorities, and most recently his dismissal of Georgia Congressman John Lewis after the civil rights icon said Trump was an illegitimate president.
“We cannot tolerate attacks on women, minorities or a civil rights icon. We need a leader who will bring our country together, and live up to the dignity and honor of the Oval Office,” Meng added. “I look forward to welcoming constituents who travel to Washington, D.C., for this weekend’s festivities, and to engaging the new administration in policy discussions once it has been finalized. I will work with Mr. Trump whenever possible, but this weekend I march.”
Joining Meng in the Inauguration Day boycott is Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, who represents Woodhaven and parts of Ridgewood, Glendale and Maspeth, as well as parts of Brooklyn and Manhattan. Velazquez says she’ll instead attend the Women’s March in D.C.
Dozens of other Democrats from across the United States will also be boycotting Trump’s inauguration.
