Several Democratic officials plan to skip President-elect Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration ceremony, though the number is much smaller than the 60 who boycotted his first inauguration in 2017. High-profile absences include former first lady Michelle Obama, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Several people cited scheduling conflicts with events related to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which is also Monday.
Washington, D.C. political analyst Federico de Jesús noted that while these absences won’t significantly impact the event, they reflect the country’s continued polarization following a contentious presidential campaign season.
“I don’t think that it will alter [the ceremony] substantially or would have any meaningful impact on American democracy,” he said.
In Florida, most Democratic representatives have yet to release statements about attending the inauguration. Only U.S. Representatives Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Jared Moskowitz gave confirmed they will be present. Other lawmakers such as Frederica Wilson and Darren Soto have not made clear their intentions. But their silence suggests a reluctance to participate, following their boycott of the 2017 inaguration.
“Attending a state of the union or inaugural speech is a tradition that shouldn’t be critized,” said de Jesús. “There are reasons, legitimate reasons, to boycott them.”