Most members of Congress will gather to hear President Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday evening. A very notable exception will be Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
“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,” the New York Democrat tweeted on Tuesday afternoon. “None of this is normal, and I will not legitimize it. Consequently, I will not be attending the State of the Union.”
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.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 4, 2020
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will be thrilled.
A few minutes later, Ocasio-Cortez added a bit more explanation for her announcement, saying, “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.”
Ocasio-Cortez makes herself notoriously accessible to her fans through her Instagram Live videos, where she once called millennials the “most informed,” historically-literate generation. Now, instead of joining her colleagues for Trump’s annual address, she’ll be sharing similar nuggets of wisdom with her 4.2 million Instagram followers.
The lawmaker joins at least three Democrats in choosing to boycott the State of the Union, but she is the most high-profile figure to opt out. A handful of Democratic lawmakers missing from the House floor isn’t likely to change the outcome of the impeachment vote on Wednesday, but it’s a way to signal virtue — and perhaps to gain more Instagram followers.
