Several Democrats Plan to Boycott US President’s State of Union Address

Rasa - Several members of Congress are now intending to boycott US President Donald Trump’s first State of the Union address on Tuesday, citing his hateful rhetoric.

News ID: 436170

Date: 31 January 2018 - 05:26

RNA - “I refuse to normalize President Donald Trump and his loathsome language and actions. The American people have been subjected to a year of racist, erratic, and divisive behavior from their Commander in Chief, and I refuse to accept that as the new normal,” Rep. Jan Schakowsky said, World News reported.

“I cannot in good conscience stand silently by and watch generations of struggle for equal rights, for civil, human and voting rights, for the rights of women, for social and economic justice be undone from the highest office in the land.  Therefore, during the President’s 2018 State of the Union Address, I will be in Chicago meeting with constituents from the 7th Congressional District to explore the Peoples’ State of the Union,” Rep. Danny Davis underlined.

“This has been the most chaotic, divisive, and incompetent first year of any administration and I will not sit and watch as Trump pretends that he’s off to a successful start. He’s not. Trump does not respect the office, our long standing institutions, traditions, and many of our citizens, who he has repeatedly insulted. We are watching the presidency erode before our eyes and I, for one, refuse to participate in pomp and circumstance that does nothing but normalize his egregious and hateful behavior. This is a presidency that has been built on racism, stupidity, and lies, which has already wasted enough of America’s time and I will not waste anymore of mine,” Rep. Bobby Rush stressed.

Rep. Maxine Waters, an outspoken Trump critic who has called for his impeachment, underscored that “Why would I take my time to go sit and listen to a liar? To someone who lies in the face of facts, to someone who can change their tune day in and day out. What does he have to say that I would be interested in? I don’t trust him, I don’t appreciate him and I wouldn’t waste my time sitting in that House listening to what he has to say. He does not deserve my attention.”

Rep. Frederica Wilson also announced that “President Trump’s addresses will be full of innuendo, empty promises, and lies.”

Multiple Democratic lawmakers have also said they plan to protest Trump’s speech in other ways.

Trump had asked why so many people from “s***hole countries” like El Salvador, Haiti and specific African nations come to the US, and suggested the United States should take in more immigrants from countries like Norway instead.

Trump became furious during a meeting at the White House, saying “Why are we having all these people from s***hole countries come here?”

The controversy sparked a strong backlash, both in the US and internationally, with Trump’s opponents accusing him of flat-out racism, and countries he allegedly insulted demanding explanation and apologies.

Several African Presidents reacted angrily to the ‘s***hole’ reference, summoning diplomats attached to their countries to explain their President’s position on Africa while the African Union ambassadors in the United States demanded a retraction and apology from Trump.

The US President denied being “racist” in the wake of a scandal and wide condemnation triggered by his alleged reference to African nations as “s***holes”, stressing that “I’m not a racist. I am the least racist person you have ever interviewed, that I can tell you."

But Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, who attended the meeting, stressed the President had used “vile, vulgar” language, including using the word “s***hole” when speaking about African nations.

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