More than two dozen Democratic lawmakers plan to boycott Donald Trump's inauguration on Friday, citing the president-elect's reprimand of African-American civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis (D., Ga.) over the weekend.
Trump tweeted a series of messages Saturday attacking Lewis as "all talk, talk, talk – no action or results" after the Georgia lawmaker said he would not attend the inauguration because he did not think Trump was a "legitimate president."
Trump wrote that Lewis should focus on "the burning and crime infested inner-cities" rather than boycott his inauguration.
Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to......
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2017
mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk - no action or results. Sad!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2017
So far, 26 Democratic members—most from solidly blue districts—have said they will avoid the president-elect's inauguration, CNN reported.
Democratic Reps. Ted Lieu, Judy Chu, and Mark Takano of California, Yvette Clarke of New York, Pramila Jayapal of Washington, Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, and Marcia Fudge of Ohio announced they would not attend the inauguration in response to Trump's tweets.
"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.
Others, including Reps. Lucille Roybal-Allard and Barbara Lee of California, Jerrold Nadler, Nydia Valazquez, Jose Serrano, Adriano Espaillat of New York, Raul Grijalva of Arizona, Luis Gutierrez of Illinois, Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, cited Trump's disparaging comments about women and minorities, along with the intelligence communities' assessment of Russian meddling in the election.
"The rhetoric and actions of Donald Trump have been so far beyond the pale -- so disturbing and disheartening -- and his continued failure to address his conflicts of interest, to adequately divest or even to fully disclose his financial dealings, or to sufficiently separate himself from the ethical misconduct that legal experts on both side of the aisle have identified have been so offensive I cannot in good conscience participate in this honored and revered democratic tradition of the peaceful transfer of power," Nadler said in a statement.
I will not be attending inauguration of @realDonaldTrump but WILL participate in the @womensmarch on January 21st. https://t.co/tlqS26ulj7
— Rep. Nydia Velazquez (@NydiaVelazquez) January 9, 2017
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton announced earlier this month that she and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, would attend the inauguration.