Democrats boycotting Trump's State of the Union

State of the Union: Democrats boycotting Trump speech

Here’s a look at some of the Democrats who plan to boycott President Trump’s first State of the Union address.

It may have been President Trump’s first State of the Union address -- but not all lawmakers attended.

Some Democrats protested the event; some wore black in honor of the #MeToo movement, while others donned kente cloth in response to Trump's reported remark about "sh-thole" countries.

And others -- see those listed below -- boycotted the speech entirely.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer

Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., said he would stay home during the State of the Union – just like he did during Trump’s inauguration.

“Hearing from Oregonians and working together to protect our values and advance policies that actually strengthen our communities is a more productive use of my time,” Blumenauer said in a statement.

Rep. Yvette Clarke

A few hours before the State of the Union, Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., said she would skip Trump's remarks in protest.

Clarke said Trump is "wrong" on the travel ban, DACA and tax reform. She added that citizens in her district, which includes parts of Brooklyn, have been "highly insulted" and "disrespected" by the president.

Rep. Steve Cohen

Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., said he would also boycott the speech.

"The president is unworthy of the podium, the position & the power," he said.

Rep. Danny Davis

“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,” Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., said in a statement.

Davis said that during the address he “will be in Chicago meeting with constituents from the 7th Congressional District to explore the Peoples’ State of the Union.”

Rep. Al Green

Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, said he would boycott "to send a message of disapproval to an unfit president."

“Tonight, I will do something that is as old as the Boston Tea Party, righteous as the Civil Rights movement, honorable as the Women's Suffrage movement, and as necessary as the LGBTQ rights movement," Green said in a statement.

The congressman has pressed the case to impeach Trump multiple times.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal

In a Twitter video, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., announced on Martin Luther King Jr. Day that she will not attend the State of the Union. Instead, Jayapal said, those boycotting the remarks will hold their own “State of the Union.”

“I think it is absolutely unacceptable to see the racism and hatred coming out of the White House, the way in which this president is fueling the flames of divisiveness across the country,” she said.

Rep. Barbara Lee

Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., said she would not be attending the State of the Union.

"I will not attend the #SOTU tonight and listen to President Trump’s hateful agenda," Lee wrote on Instagram Tuesday. "Instead, I will be joining my fellow warrior women at the #StateOfOURUnion. We will organize, we will uplift & we will empower."

Rep. John Lewis

Citing Trump’s reported comments about “s--thole" countries, Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., said he would not go to the State of the Union.

“I cannot in all good conscience be in a room with what he has said about so many Americans. I just cannot do it. I wouldn’t be honest with myself,” he told MSNBC. “I don’t appreciate him, and I wouldn’t waste my time sitting in that House listening to what he has to say.”

Rep. Gregory Meeks

Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., said Trump "does not respect [him]." Therefore, he will also skip the State of the Union.

“At every opportunity, he’s disrespected me and individuals who look like me. I cannot respect him,” Meeks told MSNBC.

Rep. Bobby Rush

“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,” Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., said in a statement.

The congressman said that the president “does not respect the office, our longstanding institutions, traditions, and many of our citizens, who he has repeatedly insulted.”

Rep. Jan Schakowsky

Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., said she would also boycott the address.

"I refuse to normalize President Donald Trump and his loathsome language and actions," Schakowsky said in a statement. "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."

This isn't the first Trump event Schakowsky has chosen not to attend. The congresswoman also skipped Trump's inauguration, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Rep. Albio Sires

Rep. Albio Sires, D-N.J., was not at the State of the Union, either.

"The congressman is not attending the State of the Union because many of his constituents are offended by the president's rhetoric and behavior," Sires' spokeswoman told NJ.com.

Rep. Juan Vargas

Rep. Juan Vargas, D-Calif., tweeted about his decision to skip the State of the Union, saying that he "stand[s] in solidarity with all the people [Trump] has and continues to disrespect."

"I don't want to pretend in any way that I support this president," Vargas told KPBS-TV. "I don't want to be two-faced. I'd like to, if he started acting presidential. I'd be happy to go again, but I'm not going to do that until he starts acting presidential, respecting women, respecting people of color and immigrants."

Rep. Maxine Waters

Calling Trump a “liar,” Waters, D-Calif., said the president “does not deserve [her] attention,” and she would not attend the speech.

“What does he have to say that I would be interested in?” Waters asked during an interview with MSNBC.

Rep. Frederica Wilson

Trump’s State of the Union address is the first Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., did not attend as a congresswoman, she said in a statement.

“I have no doubt that instead of delivering a message of inclusivity and an agenda that benefits all Americans, President Trump’s address will be full of innuendo, empty promises, and lies,” Wilson said.

“It would be an embarrassment to be seen with him at a forum that under any other president would be an honor to attend,” she added.

Wilson and the president got into a notable feud last fall.