NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley will not be attending tonight's State of the Union address, saying they do not want to legitimize the event.
On her Twitter feed, Ocasio-Cortez wrote, "After much deliberation, I have decided that I will not use my presence at a state ceremony to normalize Trump’s lawless conduct & subversion of the Constitution. None of this is normal, and I will not legitimize it. Consequently, I will not be attending the State of the Union."
She added, "This is a deeply personal decision for each member to make, and a choice I did not take lightly. I will be hopping on Instagram Live later this evening to connect with my constituents and follow up with their questions about #SOTU."
In a statement, Pressley referenced the ongoing impeachment hearings as part of her reason for not attending. "On the eve of Senate Republicans covering up transgressions and spreading misinformation, I cannot in good conscience attend a sham State of the Union when I have seen firsthand the damage Donald J. Trump’s rhetoric and policies have inflicted on those I love and those I represent."
Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Pressley of Massachusetts are two members of the quartet known as "The Squad" – four congresswomen of color who were first elected in 2019. The other two members are Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. Tlaib has announced the guests who will be joining her at the State of the Union address. Omar has not made any announcement about her attendance.