February 4, 2020

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley Boycott Trump’s State of the Union

The progressive first-term Democrats refuse to “normalize Trump’s lawless conduct.”

J. Scott Applewhite/AP

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Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), two of the most prominent progressive Democrats in Congress, announced Tuesday that they would protest President Donald Trump by refusing to attend his State of the Union address.

“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,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. “None of this is normal, and I will not legitimize it.”

Trump will address the nation Tuesday night amid a Senate impeachment trial against him, as former president Bill Clinton did in 1999. The Republican-majority Senate will most likely vote to acquit Trump on Wednesday.

Minutes earlier, Pressley also tweeted that she would not attend the State of the Union. They join several other Democrats boycotting the address, including Reps. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, Steve Cohen of Tennessee, and Frederica Wilson of Florida.

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BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

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