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U.S. Reps. Ayanna Pressley and Bill Keating say they will not attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday, Jan. 20.
The inauguration of the 47th president and Vice President JD Vance on the steps of the U.S. Capitol falls on the Martin Luther King Jr. Day federal holiday. The date is dictated by the 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and only allows for the ceremony to shift if Jan. 20 falls on a Sunday.
The congresswoman plans to spend the long weekend in Massachusetts “at community events that feed our collective soul and re-commit us to building a future rooted in love,” the Democrat said in a statement Tuesday.
“As we prepare to mitigate the most harmful and hateful policy decisions that will come from the Trump White House, I will be in the Massachusetts 7th to help organize and mobilize our collective power that honors Dr. King’s vision of justice and equity for everyone who calls Massachusetts and America home,” she said.
Pressley’s office says the congresswoman will host an event in Boston honoring King’s legacy and giving community members tools to protect themselves against “the harm of the incoming administration.” The office said more details about the event will be announced soon.
Keating said in a statement Wednesday that his “decision to not attend the inauguration is out of respect for the men and women of the Capitol Police who were attacked at the very site of the inauguration itself while protecting Members of Congress and the peaceful transfer of power” in 2021.
He added that while he respects that Trump won the election, coming from “a family of police officers” and his more than a decade as a district attorney affected his choice.
Fellow Democrats and Massachusetts congressional members Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Reps. Katherine Clark, Lori Trahan, Jim McGovern, Seth Moulton, Richard Neal, Jake Auchincloss and Stephen Lynch told WBUR they plan to attend Trump’s inauguration.
This article was originally published on January 07, 2025.
Dan Guzman Executive Producer, All Things Considered
Dan Guzman is senior producer for Morning Edition at WBUR.
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Amy Gorel Senior Editor
Amy Gorel is a senior editor of digital news at WBUR.
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