Rep. Barbara Lee on why she's skipping the inauguration
NEW YORK -- Rep. Barbara Lee, D-California, explained why she will not attend the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, calling inaugurations celebrations and saying “for many, many reasons, I cannot celebrate.”
In an interview on CBSN’s new political show “Red & Blue,” Lee said she supports and respects a peaceful transfer of power and the office of the presidency. But said she is not celebrating Russian interference in the election and what she described an effort to take healthcare away from 20 million people, among other issues.
“I haven’t seen or heard anything yet from the president-elect that he wants to unify the country and speak to the aspirations of each and every American,” Lee said.
Lee first announced that she would not be attending the inauguration on Thursday. In a statement, she said inaugurations are celebratory events and that she “will not be celebrating or honoring an incoming president who rode racism, sexism, xenophobia and bigotry to the White House.”
“I will be organizing and preparing for resistance,” she said.
Lee is among a growing number of Democrats who have said they won’t be attending. The growing list includes lawmakers from California as well as from New York, Georgia, Michigan, Arizona and other states.
Over the weekend, Mr. Trump tweeted an attack on Rep. John Lewis after Lewis said Mr. Trump is not a “legitimate president” and that he would not attend. Some legislators rushed to boycott the inauguration after the Twitter attack.
As of Sunday afternoon, at least 24 Democratic congressman had announced plans to skip the inauguration in protest of Mr. Trump, according to a count by CBS News. Some, however, announced their plans to not attend before the Trump-Lewis feud.
Others have said they will not attend but did not cite the president-elect as a reason.