Donald Trump will be inaugurated as president for the second time on Monday, January 20, but in contrast with his first inauguration, several high profile Democrats have said they will not be attending.
Some are saying they won’t go because they are choosing to go to MLK Day celebrations instead, while others have said they would not feel physically safe in DC surrounded by Trump supporters on that day, according to Axios.
Why It Matters
Four years ago on January 6, members of Congress from both parties hid in safe rooms as Proud Boys and people waving Trump flags stormed the Capitol.
Several accused rioters have asked for permission to return to DC for Trump’s second inauguration, leading to some Democratic members of Congress — especially those who served on the January 6 Committee and have been threatened with jail time by the incoming president — saying they fear the upcoming event would put their safety at risk.
While it isn’t mandatory for members of Congress to attend the inauguration, the number of people being outspoken about missing the event is a sharp departure from previous more amicable transfers of power.
Michelle Obama (left) on Oct. 26, 2024, and Nancy Pelosi on June 23, 2023. They will not be attending Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Left: Jacquelyn Martin, Left: Susan Walsh/Associated Press
What to Know
The full list of Democrats who have said they will not attend is:
- Michelle Obama
- Nancy Pelosi
- Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman
- Rep. Adam Smith
- Rep. Deborah Ross
- Rep. Donald Beyer
- Rep. Steve Cohen
- Rep. Kweisi Mfume
- Rep. Jasmine Crockett
- Rep. Sean Casten
- Rep. Delia Ramirez
- Rep. Ilhan Omar
- Rep. Judy Chu
- Rep-elect. Lateefah Simon
- Rep. Veronica Escobar
Trump and first lady Melania Trump did not attend Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021 following Trump’s repeated denials around the 2020 election results.
The Trumps and the Obamas on January 20, 2017 in Washington, D.C. Barack Obama has said he will attend this inauguration, while Michelle Obama has said she will not.
Lionel Hahn/Sipa via AP Images
What People Are Saying
Rep. Steve Cohen told Axios: “[Trump] has said he is going to pardon some of the January 6 prisoners at his inauguration, and as one who was in the gallery and then locked in my office in the early morning as the insurrectionists tried to overthrow our government and beat police, some to the point of death, I cannot be a part of that spectacle.”
Rep. Judy Chu: “I’m not attending the upcoming inauguration. I will be in my district with my constituents for important events marking Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the second anniversary of a mass shooting in my hometown of Monterey Park.”
What Happens Next
Other high profile Democrats including Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Duckworth and Raphael Warnock, have not decided whether to attend or not, so the final list of Democratic attendees may look even sparser on January 20.
When asked by Axios whether he will be going to the inauguration, Senator Bernie Sanders responded: “Pssh, is that the burning issue of the day?”
