More Dems to skip Trump’s swearing-in
PRESIDENT OBAMA used his last network television interview as leader of the free world Sunday to caution President-elect Donald Trump that he needs a strong relationship with the intelligence community.
“You’re not going to be able to make good decisions without building some relationship of trust between yourself and that community,” Obama said on CBS’ “60 Minutes.”
Trump initially dismissed conclusions reached by U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia hacked Democratic emails during the presidential election to undermine Hillary Clinton. He accepted Russia’s role in the hacking last week.
Obama also lamented that partisanship had become so pronounced in the country that some trusted Russian President Vladimir Putin more than their fellow Americans.
“I have been concerned about the degree to which, in some circles, you’ve seen people suggest that Vladimir Putin has more credibility than the U.S. government. I think that’s something new,” Obama said. AT LEAST 25 Democratic lawmakers, including five from New York, have said they will boycott Donald Trump’s inauguration on Friday, pointing to the Presidentelect’s weekend attack on civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis.
New York City Democratic Reps. Nydia Velazquez, Yvette Clarke, Adriano Espaillat, Jerrold Nadler and Jose Serrano all revealed over the weekend their plans to ditch the quadrennial event, citing Trump’s insults of the Atlanta congressman and the general negative tenor of the mogul’s campaign.
“Given the tone of the campaign, Rep. Velazquez didn’t think it appropriate to attend the inauguration and made that decision weeks ago,” the congresswoman’s office told the Daily News on Sunday. “She will spend her time elsewhere on events like the Women’s March.”
“We stand shoulder-to-shoulder against anyone (@realDonaldTrump) who seeks to deny our humanity. #boycotttrump,” Clarke, who represents central Brooklyn, tweeted Sunday.
“When you insult @repjohnlewis, you insult America,” Clarke wrote a day earlier.
Nadler, who will appear on CNN Monday morning to discuss his decision, tweeted Saturday that Trump “stands with V. Putin. I stand with @repjohnlewis.”
In a Facebook post Saturday evening, Espaillat wrote, “Many have given their lives and dedicated their lives to working to fulfill Dr. King’s dream and make it a reality, and it is up to us to preserve his legacy and the legacy of President Barack Obama.”
“President-elect Donald Trump is trying to take us back,” he wrote.
“That’s why I am not attending the presidential inauguration. Donald Trump and the hatefilled rhetoric that plagued his election simply will continue in his administration. THIS is not Dr. King’s Dream!”
Clarke, in a statement, said she, too, questions Trump’s legitimacy as President.
“The 2016 presidential election lacks integrity,” Clarke said. “This election cannot be viewed as a normal election.”
Among the other 20 reps skipping Trump’s inauguration were Reps. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), John Conyers (D-Mich.), Marcia Fudge (DOhio) and Mark Pocan (D-Wis.)
The number of House lawmakers skipping the event is unprecedented in modern history.