Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., revealed on Tuesday afternoon that she will not be attending President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address tonight because she does not want to play a role in normalizing what she sees as his criminal conduct.
“After much deliberation, I have decided that I will not use my presence at a state ceremony to normalize Trump’s lawless conduct & subversion of the Constitution,” the freshman congresswoman tweeted. “None of this is normal, and I will not legitimize it. Consequently, I will not be attending the State of the Union.”
After much deliberation, I have decided that I will not use my presence at a state ceremony to normalize Trump’s lawless conduct & subversion of the Constitution.
None of this is normal, and I will not legitimize it.
Consequently, I will not be attending the State of the Union.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 4, 2020
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Though she had no problem accusing the president of the United States of being a criminal, she followed this up with a second tweet in which she appeared to stop short of shaming her fellow congressmen and women for choosing to attend.
“This is a deeply personal decision for each member to make, and a choice I did not take lightly,” she added.
This is a deeply personal decision for each member to make, and a choice I did not take lightly.
I will be hopping on Instagram Live later this evening to connect with my constituents and follow up with their questions about #SOTU.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 4, 2020
Ocasio-Cortez, who has been one of the most outspoken critics of Trump since taking office, is not the only liberal member of Congress who will be boycotting his State of the Union speech. Maxine Waters, D-CA., also took to Twitter today to gleefully reveal she would be skipping the speech as well.
“To think that I would attend the #SOTU to hear the message of an IMPEACHED president is a thought that in no way would be consistent w/ my fight and struggle against this dishonorable president,” she wrote. “I will certainly NOT be there!”
To think that I would attend the #SOTU to hear the message of an IMPEACHED president is a thought that in no way would be consistent w/ my fight and struggle against this dishonorable president. I will certainly NOT be there!
— Maxine Waters (@RepMaxineWaters) February 4, 2020
Ocasio-Cortez’s fellow “Squad” member Ayanna Pressley, D-MA., will also not be in attendance.
“The State of the Union is hurting because of the occupant of the White House, who consistently demonstrates contempt for the American people, contempt for Congress & contempt for our constitution. I cannot in good conscience attend tonight’s sham #SOTU,” she tweeted alongside a photo of herself at the Capitol.
The State of the Union is hurting because of the occupant of the White House, who consistently demonstrates contempt for the American people, contempt for Congress & contempt for our constitution. I cannot in good conscience attend tonight’s sham #SOTU → https://t.co/DTwG3Y7dK3 pic.twitter.com/Hres8eAFkK
— Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (@RepPressley) February 4, 2020
Ocasio-Cortez and Pressley are part of a “Squad” of young female congresswomen that includes Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who has somewhat surprisingly decided to forego taking part in her friends’ boycott. She wrote that she would be in attendance at the speech after saying that Trump is “not legitimate” as a president.
“I am attending tonight’s address not to confer any legitimacy on his actions, his statements, or his presidency,” Omar tweeted. “I am attending on behalf of all of those targeted by this President to say, ‘We are greater than hate.’ My presence tonight is resistance.”
I am attending tonight’s address not to confer any legitimacy on his actions, his statements, or his presidency.
I am attending on behalf of all of those targeted by this President to say, ‘We are greater than hate.’
My presence tonight is resistance.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 4, 2020
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The level of disrespect that is being shown to the president of the United States is truly staggering. Had Republican lawmakers treated Barack Obama this way, they would have been shamed by the media and accused of racism. Since it is Democrats doing this to Trump, however, these congresswomen are facing virtually no backlash for their actions.
Ocasio-Cortez and her colleagues are just bitter that their efforts to impeach Trump have failed. It’s a shame that they can’t put their disdain for the president aside for one night for the sake of the nation.
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