What to expect in State of the Union address

What to expect in State of the Union address

What to expect in State of the Union address

A growing number of House Democrats say they will boycott President Trump's third State of the Union address Tuesday in protest of his conduct while in office.

"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," Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, tweeted hours before the president is set to address a joint session of Congress. "None of this is normal, and I will not legitimize it."

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

The House voted to impeach Mr. Trump in December on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, making him just the third president in U.S. history to be impeached. On Wednesday, the Senate is set to vote on whether to convict and remove Mr. Trump from office. The president, however, is expected to be acquitted by the Senate.

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Other Democrats skipping the address include Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, Steve Cohen of Tennessee, Al Green of Texas, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, and Frederica Wilson of Florida.

"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 politics have inflicted on those I love and those I represent," Pressley said in a statement.

Green explained his decision to boycott the State of the Union on Twitter, saying he will not attend "because of an impeached, reckless, ruthless, lawless, shameless, corrupt, & unapologetically bigoted president."

Because of an impeached, reckless, ruthless, lawless, shameless, corrupt, & unapologetically bigoted president - who is still engaging in a coverup, the state of the House, the state of the Senate, and the #StateOfTheUnion are divided. I will NOT attend #SOTU2020. — Congressman Al Green (@RepAlGreen) February 4, 2020

This is the third year that Blumenauer, Cohen, Green and Wilson will boycott the State of the Union.

Mr. Trump's speech is set against the backdrop of the impeachment proceedings against the president over his dealings with Ukraine. House Democrats say Mr. Trump urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to publicly announce an investigation into his Democratic political rivals, inviting foreign interference in the 2020 election and putting his personal interest above those of the nation.

Grace Segers contributed to this report.