Two House Democrats Skipping Trump's Speech
Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2020 7:34 pm
FILE - Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, left, and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., center, attend a hearing on Capitol Hill, July 15, 2019.
Two prominent House Democratic freshmen are boycotting President Donald Trump's State of the Union speech over his conduct.
Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, who are both front and center as members of "the Squad," said hours before the address Tuesday that they're skipping it.
Ocasio-Cortez tweeted that she would "not use my presence at a state ceremony to normalize Trump's lawless conduct & subversion of the Constitution."
Pressley, meanwhile, said she's boycotting because Trump "consistently demonstrates contempt for the American people, contempt for Congress & contempt for our constitution."
Other "Squad" members — Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan — were expected to attend the joint session of Congress.
The four freshmen are all congresswomen of color, and they voted to impeach Trump. They have been labeled "The Squad" in part for their criticism of Trump, and the president frequently rails against them.