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Rep. Ted Lieu Joins Growing List Of Democrats Boycotting Trump Inauguration

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com)   —  Congressman Ted W. Lieu announced Saturday that he was boycotting Donald Trump's Inauguration.

He issued the following statement on his decision not to attend.

"I respect members of Congress who choose to attend the Inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump or choose not to, just as I respect members of Congress who attended or did not attend the two Inaugurations of President Barack Obama. I view this as a personal decision because no votes are being taken and no policies will be enacted at this ceremony. While I do not dispute that Trump won the Electoral College, I cannot normalize his behavior or the disparaging and un-American statements he has made."

Lieu added, "Trump -- who lost the popular vote -- has made a series of racist, sexist and bigoted statements. In addition, he has attacked Gold Star parents, veterans such as John McCain and now civil rights icon John Lewis."

The congressman also said he was disturbed by Trump's denigrating the intelligence community and his continual statements of support regarding Vladimir Putin.

RELATED LINK: California Congressman Announces He Will Not Attend Trump Inauguration

Lieu also remains critical of the president-elects unwillingness to completely divest himself of all business interests.

"Trump can cure this Constitutional defect by divesting his holdings or putting them into a blind trust, but so far has been unwilling to do so," Lieu said.

""I can only hope that Trump will govern differently than he has campaigned. For me, the personal decision not to attend the Inauguration is quite simple: Do I stand with Donald Trump, or do I stand with John Lewis? I am standing with John Lewis."

In addition to Lewis, congress members who will boycott the Inauguration include Californian's Barbara Lee, Jared Hoffman and Mark DeSaulnier. Others joining the boycott include Earl Blumenauer, Nydia Velazquez, Luis Gutierrez, Kathleen Clark and Raul Grijalva.

In all, 16 Congress people have said they will boycott at this writing.

 

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