Trump attack on Lewis affects inauguration turnout
After Donald Trump’s attacks against civil rights legend Rep. John Lewis, more legislators are rushing to boycott the president-elect’s upcoming inauguration, citing his feud with the Georgia Democrat as the last straw in their decision.
Several announced their plans on social media, including Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan, who gave a scathing critique of Mr. Trump as an “immature, undignified reality star with questionable friends and a Twitter addiction.”
Rep. Yvette Clarke of New York tagged her post “#boycotttrump” when announcing that she intended to join the ranks of Reps. Mark Takano, Ted Lieu, and Jerry Nadler in skipping the inauguration.
Some who had already decided not to attend the Jan. 20 ceremony dug in their heels further, like California Rep. Maxine Waters.
“I wouldn’t waste my time” with the inauguration, Waters tweeted Sunday.
Nearly two dozen legislators have said they were going to boycott the event, with CNN reporting that 22 will be no-shows at the inauguration.
Mr. Trump had targeted Lewis early Saturday morning, following comments the Georgia Democrat made questioning the legitimacy of the president-elect. He blasted Lewis, who spent his youth organizing protests against racial discrimination in the Jim Crow-era South, as “all talk, talk, talk - no action or results” and called the legislator’s district “crime infested” and “in horrible shape.”
After widespread backlash, the president-elect seemed to tone down his rhetoric on Lewis later that evening, saying in a separate tweet that “I can use all the help I can get” in improving the country’s inner cities.
The tweets have generated large-scale responses on the social media platform, according to Twitter. Twitter spokesperson Nick Pacilio noted to CBS News that 1.5 million tweets mentioning the congressman have surfaced in the last 48 hours alone, with Lewis’ account generating more than 60,000 new followers.
The remarks from Mr. Trump come just as the nation readies to celebrate the civil rights legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Monday.
The president-elect is expected to spend the holiday in Washington, D.C.
These Democrats aren't attending Trump's inauguration
A growing number of Democratic lawmakers are boycotting President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, particularly after revelations of Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 election and his rebuke of civil rights icon John Lewis on Saturday.
Some members of Congress have said they will be protesting in Washington, D.C., and in their districts instead. Here's a list of Democrats who have publicly said they won't be at Friday's ceremony:
California Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard
"I thought long and hard about attending the Inauguration because I value our democracy and respect the office of the presidency, regardless of party. However, the disparaging remarks the President-elect has made about many groups, including women, Mexicans, and Muslims, are deeply contrary to my values. As a result, I will not be attending the Inauguration," Roybal-Allard said in a statement Sunday.
Georgia Rep. John Lewis
The civil rights icon declared last week that he would boycott the event because he doesn't see Trump as a "legitimate" president in light of Russian interference.
"You cannot be at home with something that you feel that is wrong," Lewis told NBC News.
Trump harshly responded Saturday, calling Lewis "all talk" and "no action" and saying he should focus more on "fixing and helping" his district rather than "complaining" about the Russia's role.
California Rep. Mark Takano
"'All talk, no action.' I stand with @repjohnlewis and I will not be attending the inauguration," Takano tweeted Saturday.
New York Rep. Yvette Clarke
"I will NOT attend the inauguration of @realDonaldTrump. When you insult @repjohnlewis, you insult America."
California Rep. Ted Lieu
"For me, the personal decision not to attend Inauguration is quite simple: Do I stand with Donald Trump, or do I stand with John Lewis? I am standing with John Lewis," Lieu said in a statement released by his office.
Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva
"I will not be attending the inauguration of Donald Trump as our next president," the Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chair said Friday on the House floor. "My absence is not motivated by disrespect for the office or motivated by disrespect for the government that we have in this great democracy, but as an individual act, yes, of defiance at the disrespect shown to millions and millions of Americans by this incoming administration, and the actions we are taking in this Congress."
Michigan Rep. John Conyers
The office of Conyers, the dean of the United House of Representatives, confirmed to CNN he won't be attending the inauguration.
California Rep. Mark DeSaulnier
"It is with a heavy heart and deep personal conviction that I have decided not to attend the #TrumpInauguration on January 20, 2017," the California lawmaker tweeted Friday.
New York Rep. Nydia Velazquez
Velazquez tweeted Friday that she will be participating in a women's march protesting policies that activists say are harmful to American women.
"I will not be attending inauguration of @realDonaldTrump but WILL participate in the @womensmarch on January 21st," she tweeted.
Oregon Rep. Kurt Schrader
"I'm just not a big Trump fan. I've met the guy and never been impressed with him," he told Oregon Public Broadcasting Friday. "I'll do my best to work with him when I think he's doing the right thing for the country. But he hasn't proved himself to me at all yet, so I respectfully decline to freeze my ass out there in the cold for this particular ceremony."
Missouri Rep. William Lacy Clay
The lawmaker's spokesperson told the St. Louis Post Dispatch that Clay will be in his home state speaking to schoolchildren.
California Rep. Barbara Lee
Lee said she'll spend the day "preparing for resistance."
"Donald Trump has proven that his administration will normalize the most extreme fringes of the Republican Party. On Inauguration Day, I will not be celebrating. I will be organizing and preparing for resistance," she said Thursday in a statement.
New York Rep. Jose Serrano
"I will not attend the #inauguration2017 next week- cannot celebrate the inauguration of a man who has no regard for my constituents. #Bronx," he tweeted Thursday.
California Rep. Judy Chu
"After much thought, I have decided to #StandWithJohnLewis and not attend the inauguration," Chu tweeted this weekend..
Illinois Rep. Luis Gutierrez
"I cannot go to (the) inauguration of a man who's going to appoint people to the Supreme Court and turn back the clock on women and turn back the clock on immigrants and the safety and freedom that we fought for them," Gutierrez said last month on CNN's "New Day."
California Rep. Jared Huffman
"I have decided that instead of attending the inaugural ceremonies in Washington this month, I'll spend time in California with my constituents making a positive difference in our community," he wrote on Facebook Tuesday. "From helping to build homes for local families to pitching in on cleaning up flood debris to welcoming new US citizens at a naturalization ceremony --- it will be an action-packed couple of days. Stay tuned here for more details."
Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark
"I support the peaceful transition of power, but I don't feel that I need to attend the pageantry associated with and for this president," she told the Boston Globe earlier this month.
Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer
"There is unprecedented concern by my constituents about the many threats posed by a Trump administration seeking to implement the President-elect's policies on health, environment, nuclear weapons and immigration, to name but a few," he said on Facebook.
New York Rep. Adriano Espaillat
"Many have given their lives and dedicated their lives to working to fulfill Dr. King's dream and make it a reality, and it is up to us to preserve his legacy and the legacy of President Barack Obama to ensure that we do not go back in time! President-elect Donald Trump is trying to take us back! And the people Trump is appointing-- Steve Bannon, Jeff Sessions -- are trying to take us back!
"That's why I am not attending the presidential inauguration. Donald Trump and the hate-filled rhetoric that plagued his election simply will continue in his administration. THIS is not Dr. King's Dream!" Espaillat issued the statement on his Facebook page.
Pence urges Americans to unite on Inauguration Day, says he's 'disappointed' in Lewis' comments
Vice President-elect Mike Pence on Sunday called for congressional Democrats, and all Americans, to unite under incoming President Donald Trump, and said he was “disappointed” in Democratic Rep. John Lewis for questioning the legitimacy of Trump’s presidency and urged him to reconsider his Inauguration Day boycott.
“Donald Trump won this election fair and square,” Pence told “Fox News Sunday.” “The American people know that.”
Lewis, a civil rights icon and Georgia congressman, said in an interview airing Sunday on NBC that he didn’t see Trump as a “legitimate president,” amid evidence Russia tried to hurt the candidacy of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
“While I have great respect for John Lewis and for his contributions, particularly to the civil rights movement, I was deeply disappointed to see someone of his stature question the legitimacy of Donald Trump’s presidency and to hear him say he was not attending the inauguration," Pence said. "I hope he reconsiders.”
Lewis joins a handful of congressional Democrats who say they won’t attend Inauguration Day on Friday, when Trump, a Republican, becomes the country’s 45th president.
"I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected. And they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton," Lewis also said in his interview with NBC's "Meet the Press."
On Saturday, Trump retaliated against Lewis for the remarks.
“Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart,” Trump tweeted.
Trump, in a follow-up tweet Saturday, said Lewis should spend more time helping his "crime invested" district, instead of "falsely complaining about the election results."
"All talk, talk, talk -- no action or results. Sad." Trump concluded.
Pence argued Sunday that Trump “has the right to defend himself.”
He also said that Lewis -- who was severely beaten in the historic, 1960’s “Bloody Sunday” civil rights protest -- acted irresponsibly in using that stature to attack Trump.
“It was an act of irresponsibility,” Pence said. “It’s just deeply disappointing to me, and I hope [Lewis] reconsiders.”
Several announced their plans on social media, including Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan, who gave a scathing critique of Mr. Trump as an “immature, undignified reality star with questionable friends and a Twitter addiction.”
Rep. Yvette Clarke of New York tagged her post “#boycotttrump” when announcing that she intended to join the ranks of Reps. Mark Takano, Ted Lieu, and Jerry Nadler in skipping the inauguration.
Some who had already decided not to attend the Jan. 20 ceremony dug in their heels further, like California Rep. Maxine Waters.
“I wouldn’t waste my time” with the inauguration, Waters tweeted Sunday.
Nearly two dozen legislators have said they were going to boycott the event, with CNN reporting that 22 will be no-shows at the inauguration.
Mr. Trump had targeted Lewis early Saturday morning, following comments the Georgia Democrat made questioning the legitimacy of the president-elect. He blasted Lewis, who spent his youth organizing protests against racial discrimination in the Jim Crow-era South, as “all talk, talk, talk - no action or results” and called the legislator’s district “crime infested” and “in horrible shape.”
After widespread backlash, the president-elect seemed to tone down his rhetoric on Lewis later that evening, saying in a separate tweet that “I can use all the help I can get” in improving the country’s inner cities.
The tweets have generated large-scale responses on the social media platform, according to Twitter. Twitter spokesperson Nick Pacilio noted to CBS News that 1.5 million tweets mentioning the congressman have surfaced in the last 48 hours alone, with Lewis’ account generating more than 60,000 new followers.
The remarks from Mr. Trump come just as the nation readies to celebrate the civil rights legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Monday.
The president-elect is expected to spend the holiday in Washington, D.C.
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| © Reuters/CBS News |
These Democrats aren't attending Trump's inauguration
A growing number of Democratic lawmakers are boycotting President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, particularly after revelations of Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 election and his rebuke of civil rights icon John Lewis on Saturday.
Some members of Congress have said they will be protesting in Washington, D.C., and in their districts instead. Here's a list of Democrats who have publicly said they won't be at Friday's ceremony:
California Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard
"I thought long and hard about attending the Inauguration because I value our democracy and respect the office of the presidency, regardless of party. However, the disparaging remarks the President-elect has made about many groups, including women, Mexicans, and Muslims, are deeply contrary to my values. As a result, I will not be attending the Inauguration," Roybal-Allard said in a statement Sunday.
Georgia Rep. John Lewis
The civil rights icon declared last week that he would boycott the event because he doesn't see Trump as a "legitimate" president in light of Russian interference.
"You cannot be at home with something that you feel that is wrong," Lewis told NBC News.
Trump harshly responded Saturday, calling Lewis "all talk" and "no action" and saying he should focus more on "fixing and helping" his district rather than "complaining" about the Russia's role.
California Rep. Mark Takano
"'All talk, no action.' I stand with @repjohnlewis and I will not be attending the inauguration," Takano tweeted Saturday.
New York Rep. Yvette Clarke
"I will NOT attend the inauguration of @realDonaldTrump. When you insult @repjohnlewis, you insult America."
California Rep. Ted Lieu
"For me, the personal decision not to attend Inauguration is quite simple: Do I stand with Donald Trump, or do I stand with John Lewis? I am standing with John Lewis," Lieu said in a statement released by his office.
Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva
"I will not be attending the inauguration of Donald Trump as our next president," the Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chair said Friday on the House floor. "My absence is not motivated by disrespect for the office or motivated by disrespect for the government that we have in this great democracy, but as an individual act, yes, of defiance at the disrespect shown to millions and millions of Americans by this incoming administration, and the actions we are taking in this Congress."
Michigan Rep. John Conyers
The office of Conyers, the dean of the United House of Representatives, confirmed to CNN he won't be attending the inauguration.
California Rep. Mark DeSaulnier
"It is with a heavy heart and deep personal conviction that I have decided not to attend the #TrumpInauguration on January 20, 2017," the California lawmaker tweeted Friday.
New York Rep. Nydia Velazquez
Velazquez tweeted Friday that she will be participating in a women's march protesting policies that activists say are harmful to American women.
"I will not be attending inauguration of @realDonaldTrump but WILL participate in the @womensmarch on January 21st," she tweeted.
Oregon Rep. Kurt Schrader
"I'm just not a big Trump fan. I've met the guy and never been impressed with him," he told Oregon Public Broadcasting Friday. "I'll do my best to work with him when I think he's doing the right thing for the country. But he hasn't proved himself to me at all yet, so I respectfully decline to freeze my ass out there in the cold for this particular ceremony."
Missouri Rep. William Lacy Clay
The lawmaker's spokesperson told the St. Louis Post Dispatch that Clay will be in his home state speaking to schoolchildren.
California Rep. Barbara Lee
Lee said she'll spend the day "preparing for resistance."
"Donald Trump has proven that his administration will normalize the most extreme fringes of the Republican Party. On Inauguration Day, I will not be celebrating. I will be organizing and preparing for resistance," she said Thursday in a statement.
New York Rep. Jose Serrano
"I will not attend the #inauguration2017 next week- cannot celebrate the inauguration of a man who has no regard for my constituents. #Bronx," he tweeted Thursday.
California Rep. Judy Chu
"After much thought, I have decided to #StandWithJohnLewis and not attend the inauguration," Chu tweeted this weekend..
Illinois Rep. Luis Gutierrez
"I cannot go to (the) inauguration of a man who's going to appoint people to the Supreme Court and turn back the clock on women and turn back the clock on immigrants and the safety and freedom that we fought for them," Gutierrez said last month on CNN's "New Day."
California Rep. Jared Huffman
"I have decided that instead of attending the inaugural ceremonies in Washington this month, I'll spend time in California with my constituents making a positive difference in our community," he wrote on Facebook Tuesday. "From helping to build homes for local families to pitching in on cleaning up flood debris to welcoming new US citizens at a naturalization ceremony --- it will be an action-packed couple of days. Stay tuned here for more details."
Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark
"I support the peaceful transition of power, but I don't feel that I need to attend the pageantry associated with and for this president," she told the Boston Globe earlier this month.
Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer
"There is unprecedented concern by my constituents about the many threats posed by a Trump administration seeking to implement the President-elect's policies on health, environment, nuclear weapons and immigration, to name but a few," he said on Facebook.
New York Rep. Adriano Espaillat
"Many have given their lives and dedicated their lives to working to fulfill Dr. King's dream and make it a reality, and it is up to us to preserve his legacy and the legacy of President Barack Obama to ensure that we do not go back in time! President-elect Donald Trump is trying to take us back! And the people Trump is appointing-- Steve Bannon, Jeff Sessions -- are trying to take us back!
"That's why I am not attending the presidential inauguration. Donald Trump and the hate-filled rhetoric that plagued his election simply will continue in his administration. THIS is not Dr. King's Dream!" Espaillat issued the statement on his Facebook page.
Pence urges Americans to unite on Inauguration Day, says he's 'disappointed' in Lewis' comments
Vice President-elect Mike Pence on Sunday called for congressional Democrats, and all Americans, to unite under incoming President Donald Trump, and said he was “disappointed” in Democratic Rep. John Lewis for questioning the legitimacy of Trump’s presidency and urged him to reconsider his Inauguration Day boycott.
“Donald Trump won this election fair and square,” Pence told “Fox News Sunday.” “The American people know that.”
Lewis, a civil rights icon and Georgia congressman, said in an interview airing Sunday on NBC that he didn’t see Trump as a “legitimate president,” amid evidence Russia tried to hurt the candidacy of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
“While I have great respect for John Lewis and for his contributions, particularly to the civil rights movement, I was deeply disappointed to see someone of his stature question the legitimacy of Donald Trump’s presidency and to hear him say he was not attending the inauguration," Pence said. "I hope he reconsiders.”
Lewis joins a handful of congressional Democrats who say they won’t attend Inauguration Day on Friday, when Trump, a Republican, becomes the country’s 45th president.
"I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected. And they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton," Lewis also said in his interview with NBC's "Meet the Press."
On Saturday, Trump retaliated against Lewis for the remarks.
“Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart,” Trump tweeted.
Trump, in a follow-up tweet Saturday, said Lewis should spend more time helping his "crime invested" district, instead of "falsely complaining about the election results."
"All talk, talk, talk -- no action or results. Sad." Trump concluded.
Pence argued Sunday that Trump “has the right to defend himself.”
He also said that Lewis -- who was severely beaten in the historic, 1960’s “Bloody Sunday” civil rights protest -- acted irresponsibly in using that stature to attack Trump.
“It was an act of irresponsibility,” Pence said. “It’s just deeply disappointing to me, and I hope [Lewis] reconsiders.”
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