As a growing number of Democrats choose to boycott Donald Trump’s inauguration on Friday, one Democratic congresswoman is choosing to go to make a statement.
Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) isn’t a fan of Trump at all. In fact, she’s disgusted by him and says he used “vile tactics” to gain the presidency. But she’ll be at the capitol on Friday to make sure Trump sees her when he’s sworn in.
“I support my colleagues in their decision to boycott the Presidential Inauguration, but knowing how he operates, I suspect President-elect Donald Trump will use this expression of free speech as an excuse to bypass Democrats and to push his extreme agenda with utter impunity,” Moore said in a statement. “With that in mind, I refuse to be a pawn in the president-elect’s efforts to rally support from congressional Republicans.”
“As a proud Democrat, I want President-elect Trump to see me front and center as he’s sworn in,” she continued. “I want him to see exactly what his opposition looks like. When he sees me, I want him to see The Resistance.”
More than 50 Democratic lawmakers plan to boycott Trump’s inauguration. A number of lawmakers announced they would not attend after Trump attacked civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) last weekend.
Moore also said that she made the decision to attend thinking of First lady Michelle Obama, who said during the presidential campaign that when critics go low, “we go high.”
“I prayed on this and thought of First Lady Michelle Obama as she reminded us to refrain from abandoning decency in the face of intolerance and moral depravity,” she said. “It’s no secret that I find President-elect Trump and his policies repugnant and anathema to my efforts to pursue social justice, and I know a majority of my constituents feel the same. In November, Milwaukee sent a strong, clear message that Donald Trump was the wrong man to lead our country. I intend to deliver that message with my presence at the Presidential Inauguration and serve a (sic) symbol of opposition, not normalization.”
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