Schakowsky To Boycott President Trump's First State Of The Union

EVANSTON, IL — Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston) announced Friday she will join at least five other Democratic members of Congress in boycotting President Donald Trump's first State of the Union address next week. Schakowsky said her constituents have spoken "loud and clear" that they do not want their representative "acting as if this is just another Republican Administration," in a statement explaining her boycott.

"They’ve asked me to resist and they’ve asked me to boycott," said the 9th District representative, who said she would "refuse to normalize" Trump and what she described as his "loathsome" words and deeds.

"The American people have been subjected to a year of racist, erratic, and divisive behavior from their Commander in Chief, and I refuse to accept that as the new normal," Schakowsky said.

Every day, a new piece of news "sheds new light on President Trump’s twisted and prejudiced mind," according to the Evanston Democrat.

She listed several incidents she described as disrespectful, including Trump's announcement of a travel ban on Holocaust Remembrance Day, "refusing to condemn" Nazis and white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia and allegedly referring to Haiti and African nations as s---holes.

"Time and time again he has sown division and hatred time and time again. We can’t treat this as normal," she said.

"I refuse to sit on the floor of the House of Representatives and politely clap for a man who has demonstrated such clear contempt for so many segments of the American population," Schakowsky concluded.

Other House Democrats who have previously announced snubs of Trump's speech include Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, Pramila Jayapal of Washington, John Lewis of Georgia, Maxine Waters of California and Frederica Wilson of Florida.

Several dozen Democratic members of Congress – but no senators – boycotted Trump's inauguration last year.