Rep. Keith Ellison Joins Growing List of Lawmakers Skipping Trump Inauguration

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Rep. Keith Ellison has announced he is joining the growing list of lawmakers who will skip President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration Friday. Ellison, an outspoken Trump critic and a current candidate to become the next chair of the Democratic Party, said on Facebook he would not celebrate the beginning of Trump's presidency:

The time is always right to do what is right. And in the face of so much hate, the right thing to do is reject it. I am standing with John Lewis and the millions of other people around the country who have been targeted by Donald Trump.

I will not celebrate a man who preaches a politics of division and hate. I won't be attending Donald Trump's inauguration.

Ellison has represented Minneapolis and surrounding Twin Cities suburbs in the U.S. House since taking office in 2007. He was the first Muslim elected to Congress.

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So far, more than 40 Democratic lawmakers plan to boycott Trump’s inauguration, reports the Washington Post. The list grew quickly after Trump tweeted last week that civil rights icon John Lewis, current congressman of Georgia, is "all talk, talk, talk" and should "finally focus on the burning and crime infested inner-cities."

11:30 a.m.: The swearing-in ceremony begins with a performance by the United States Marine Band, followed by remarks from Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt. Religious leaders will hold an invocation, then the Missouri State University Chorale will perform.

Watch Live Stream: Trump Presidential Inauguration 2017

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Image via Michael Vadon, Flickr, used under Creative Commons