State of the Union 2020: At least 10 House Democrats say they'll skip Trump's address

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

At least 10 House Democrats have pledged to skip Tuesday night's State of the Union address, according to a count by ABC News.
AP

WASHINGTON -- At least 10 House Democrats have pledged to skip Tuesday night's State of the Union address as of Tuesday afternoon, according to a count by ABC News. The list of those who will not attend includes:

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.)
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.)
Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.)
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.)
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.)
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.)
Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.)
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.)
Rep. Al Green (D-Texas)
Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.)

Many of those who said they'd skip the address took to Twitter to explain their decision:

On the brink of his Senate acquittal, President Donald Trump will be unleashing "relentless optimism" during his third State of the Union address, a speech designed to pivot from his impeachment to his drive for reelection. Trump is speaking from a position of strength, with nearly complete control of the Republican Party. The theme of his speech: "The Great American Comeback."

It'll be a different experience for Democrats, nearly all of whom voted for Trump's impeachment in the House. Where Trump will point to GOP unity ahead of the 2020 elections, Democrats and their difficult nomination will be on display after a long night of uncertainty in Iowa's kickoff caucuses - an "unmitigated disaster," as Trump tweeted Tuesday.

The contrast with Trump's State of the Union address last year will be stark. Then, Democrats were triumphant just a few days after taking control of the House. Speaker Nancy Pelosi had forced Trump to reopen the government. Her smirking clap, eye-to-eye with him, mocked the president of the United States in front of the world.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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