Democrats need to skip Trump’s State of the Union
Shithole countries. Mexican rapists. Very fine white supremacists.
It is past time for congressional Democrats to draw a line in the sand and unconditionally resist Trump’s savage bigotry. They must not compromise with him on any legislation, and they should refuse to legitimize his dangerous platform of hate in every way.
On Jan. 30, Trump will deliver his State of the Union address. If Democrats attend, and participate as smiling and clapping bipartisan wallflowers during the traditional pomp and circumstance of the event, they will be mainstreaming a racist bigot and turning their backs on everyone he threatens. Not a single one of them should attend.
From his racism to his misogyny, from his xenophobia to his anti-LGBTQ bigotry, from his disrespect for the press to his blatant corruption, Trump disrespects the institution of the presidency and the very foundations of our democracy. His State of the Union may turn out to be more polished and vetted than his unhinged tweets and racist comments, but it will still promote the same dangerous, racist agenda of his authoritarian regime.
Too often, Democrats in Congress cave to the extreme right wing and show cowardly deference to decorum for the sake of bipartisanship rather than standing up for progressive values. In light of Trump’s recent unhinged, racist attack on Africans and Haitians, we have to make sure they don’t treat the State of the Union the same way.
The State of the Union is a pageant of partisanship. Over and over, half the room rises for standing ovations while the other half sits in silence. There is a built-in rebuttal delivered by an up-and-comer from the minority party. It is also a false celebration of bipartisanship, where certain sound bites are designed to force everyone to their feet in applause.
After more than a year, there is no shred of doubt left that the current occupant of the White House is a racist, a misogynist and a fascist. As noted by Jamelle Bouie:
President Trump is a racist. It was clear on Thursday, when he made his remarks about Haiti, and it was clear last month, when he made his comments about Nigeria. It was clear when he went on his “birther” crusade against Barack Obama. It’s been clear for as long as he’s been in the public eye, from when he was investigated by the Department of Justice for housing discrimination in the 1970s to when he demanded execution for five black and Latino teenagers who had been accused, falsely, of attacking and a raping a white woman in New York City in the 1980s.
There is no reason for Democrats to participate in a tradition that will provide Trump with polite political cover that helps normalize his abhorrent regime.
Thanks in part to massive pressure from CREDO members and our progressive allies, more than 60 Democrats boycotted Trump’s inauguration. But only a few refused to attend his first joint address to Congress in February of last year. Already six progressive champions, Reps. John Lewis, Barbara Lee, Maxine Waters, Pramila Jayapal, Frederica Wilson and Earl Blumenauer, have said they will not attend the State of the Union.
We need to keep the pressure up by urging every Congressional Democrat to follow these leaders who are standing up against Trump’s racism. Sign today to demand that Democrats refuse to attend Trump’s State of the Union, and to make sure they know we will have their backs when they do.
photo: Andalou Agency/Getty Images
Originally published at act.credoaction.com.
