Inside Democrats' emerging Trump inauguration boycott
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More than a dozen congressional Democrats plan to sit out President-elect Trump's inauguration, and many more are anxiously grappling with whether to attend, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Not every Democrat skipping the ceremony will do so to protest Trump — but a formal boycott is materializing as a first act of resistance against the incoming president.
- For many Democrats, the scars of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol remain fresh in the mind, marking Trump as a threat to democracy.
- "For somebody who he said he's going to lock me up, I don't see the excitement in going to see his inauguration," former Jan. 6 committee chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) told Axios.
State of play: Martin Luther King Jr. Day coinciding with the Jan. 20 inaugural ceremony gives many Democrats an easy out, though others planning to stay away cited a distaste for inaugurations, a loathing of Trump — and even fears for their safety.
- Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) said that as a Latina, she doesn't "feel safe coming" with Trump's supporters pouring in for the ceremony. "I'm not going to physically be in D.C. on that day," she told Axios.
- Similarly, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) said that attending MLK Day events instead "makes sense, because why risk any chaos that might be up here?"
- For other members, the reasoning is more mundane: Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) "almost never attends inaugurations" and has only been to two during his 28 years in office, his spokesperson told Axios.
What we're hearing: Incoming Progressive Caucus chair Greg Casar (D-Texas), who hasn't decided whether to attend, told Axios, "I think you'll have some number of Democrats who go and a substantial number who don't."
- "There are civil rights organizations that are trying to set up alternatives," said Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), adding that Trump's inauguration "seems like the worst place to spend Martin Luther King Day."
- Several progressives predicted that the boycott won't be confined solely to the party's left flank.
Zoom in: Dozens of Democrats boycotted Trump's first inauguration in 2017, led by the now-deceased congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis.
- But the Jan. 6 attack, for which Democrats hold Trump squarely responsible, has added a new layer of disgust for some.
- Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) told Axios he "cannot be a part of that spectacle" as someone who was "locked in my office ... as the insurrectionists tried to overthrow our government."
- "I was trapped in the [House] gallery on Jan. 6," Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) said, explaining her intention to skip the ceremonies.
Between the lines: Many undecideds are painfully trying to balance their sense of obligation with their detestation for Trump, as USA Today first detailed on Thursday.
- Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) expressed alignment with his colleagues who cannot bring themselves to go — but said he also believes members of Congress are "supposed to go to all of that stuff."
- "I'm struggling," the veteran lawmaker conceded.
The other side: A sizable number of Democrats are prepared to grit their teeth and show up — if only to try to rebuild public faith in national institutions after the events that followed the 2020 election.
- "I'm planning to attend ... because I believe in the peaceful transition of power and I respect the Office of the President," Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) told Axios.
- Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) said progressives "are coming down in different ways," but that she feels "it's important that we try to establish norms again" after Jan. 6.
The bottom line: For many lawmakers, the question simply isn't a priority at the moment.
- Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), asked whether he plans to attend, told Axios: "Pssh, is that the burning issue of the day?"
Axios' Stephen Neukam and Stef Kight contributed reporting for this story.
