Jayapal further distances herself from president-elect Trump
Jan 17, 2017, 11:29 AM | Updated: 3:58 pm
Congressmember Pramila Jayapal. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
After initially trying to bring people together and be a voice of hope, Pramila Jayapal continues to distance herself from the president-elect.
Jayapal, Washington’s 7th District Congress member who replaced Jim McDermott in November, wrote that Donald Trump “has continued to demean our heroes and divide our country.” For that, she wrote, she would not be attending the presidential inauguration on Jan. 20.
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“Instead, I’ll be spending the day in the district with my constituents, many of whom are truly terrified that they will no longer have a home in this country,” Jayapal continued.
The decision to skip the inauguration follows a heated moment with Vice President Joe Biden, during which Jayapal attempted to address Biden during the final electoral tally.
Jayapal’s tone toward the next administration has changed significantly since November. She told KIRO Radio’s Jason and Burns that “We have to hope for the best that Donald Trump will understand the significance of the role he is about to assume.”
Since then, however, Trump has broken long-standing conventions and his Cabinet picks embody a drastic change from the Obama administration. That helps explain why Jayapal won’t be alone in her inaugural protest.
Dozens of members of Congress have admitted they will skip the inauguration on Friday, including Rep. Adam Smith, according to KING 5.
Politico reports that as of Sunday, at least 19 House Democrats said they would skip the inauguration events.
Seattle-area Trump protests
The list of rallies and protests around Western Washington continue to grow.
A Reddit post keeping tabs on the events show poster-making parties are the popular activities leading up to Jan. 20. A number of events are scheduled for inauguration day. The final event listed is planned on Sunday when a pantsuit 5k run/walk will be held.
The full list can be found here.
What will most likely be the largest event of the weekend is the “Womxn’s March,” when thousands are expected to silently march from Judkins Park to Seattle Center.
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