Life on Richthofen: No State of the Union for Democrats (sign if you agree)

Tell Democrats: Skip Trump's State of the Union

The petition to congressional Democrats reads:
"This is not the time for compromise or decorum. Stand up to Trump's racism and skip his State of the Union address."

Add your name:

Dear Katy,

Tell Democrats: 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.

Tell congressional Democrats: Skip the State of the Union. Click here to sign the petition.

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.¹

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.

Tell congressional Democrats: Skip the State of the Union. Click here to sign the petition.

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. So far, only two Democrats have said they will not attend the State of the Union. Yesterday, civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis said he could not in "good conscience be in a room with what [Trump] has said about so many Americans."² Even before this week's blatant racism from the white supremacist in chief, Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer was clear about why he would stay away:

I respect the office of the president. Donald Trump does not. He lies to the American people. He sows discord and discontent... It's past time that we stopped dignifying the performance of this reality TV show performer.³

Bouie notes that even after this week's comments, many media outlets are "hedging their bets" and not going as far as calling Trump a racist.⁴ It is too late for similar cowardice from Democrats when it comes to Trump. Every Democrat should follow Rep. Blumenauer's lead, and they need to know that we will have their backs when they do. Click the link below to demand that Democrats refuse to attend Trump's State of the Union:

https://act.credoaction.com/sign/No_SOTU?t=8&akid=26815%2E12967895%2EuseFWh

Thank you for everything you do,

Heidi Hess, Senior Campaign Manager
CREDO Action from Working Assets

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