Several Democrats to boycott Trump's State of Union address
Several Democratic members of Congress are planning to boycott President Donald Trump's first State of the Union address this week, citing his hateful rhetoric.
Congresswoman Frederica Wilson has joined a chorus of Democrats on the Capitol Hill who have said they would boycott Trump's address before the united session of Congress.
"To go, would be to honor the president and I don't think he deserves to be honored at this time after being so hateful towards black people and then black countries, Haiti and the whole continent of Africa," Rep. Wilson, a Democrat from Florida, told CNN on Monday.
"It hurts, and he has brought the White House to the lowest and I don't think he needs to be honored with my presence."
Wilson was referring to Trump's recent racist remarks about Haiti and African nations.
At a closed-door meeting intended to discuss a way forward on an immigration deal in the Oval Office earlier this month, Trump reportedly asked lawmakers, “Why are we having all these people from s**thole countries come here?"
According to several people briefed on the meeting, Trump was referring to Haiti, El Salvador and certain African countries.
Trump has denied saying "anything derogatory" about the people of Haiti, and instead blamed the media for distorting his words. He has said that his characterization was not racist but rather a straightforward assessment of some nations' depressed conditions.
The African Union has described Trump's racist remarks as “upsetting." The union’s spokeswoman Ebba Kalondo has said the president’s comments were alarming and surprising, particularly "given that so many Africans arrived in the US as slaves."
Other Democrats who plan to boycott Trump's State of the Union address include Reps. John Lewis of Georgia, Earl Blumenauer of Oregon and Maxine Waters from California.
Multiple Democratic lawmakers have also said they plan to protest Trump’s speech in other ways.
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