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Donald Trump could be facing a lot of empty chairs today as dozens of politicians said they intended to boycott his inauguration.

Some 45 members of the US House of Representatives have announced they aren’t attending the ceremony - most of them skipping it for the first time in their political careers.

Many of the representatives have chosen to opt out in solidarity with Rep. John Lewis, the civil rights hero who Trump attacked on Twitter for deciding not to attend the bash.

Mr Trump has claimed his inauguration is set for record breaking attendance and last week suggested it was difficult to buy dresses in Washington DC.

Neither of these claims is true.

DC Police are reportedly expecting an overall turnout of roughly half that of Barack Obama’s first inauguration - and a proportion of that number will be attending various protests around the capital.

Here’s a full list of the US politicians who have announced they intend to boycott the inauguration - or simply do other things that day instead.

Arizona

Raúl M. Grijalva

“My absence is not motivated by disrespect for the office, or motivated by disrespect for the government that we have in this great democracy but as an individual act – yes, of defiance – at the disrespect shown to millions and millions of Americans by this incoming administration."

Ruben Gallego

California

Jared Huffman

"I do accept the election results and support the peaceful transfer of power, but it is abundantly clear to me that with Donald Trump as our President, the United States is entering a dark and very dangerous political chapter. I will do everything I can to limit the damage and the duration of this chapter, and I believe we can get through it."

Zoe Lofgren

"I acknowledge the fact that he is the incoming president, but I’m not in the mood to celebrate that fact"

Barbara Lee

"[I cannot go and honour] an incoming president who rode racism, sexism, xenophobia and bigotry to the White House."

Mark DeSaulnier

Ted Lieu

"I respect Members of Congress who choose to attend the Inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump or choose not to, just as I respect Members of Congress who attended or did not attend the two Inaugurations of President Barack Obama. I view this as a personal decision because no votes are being taken and no policies will be enacted at this ceremony. While I do not dispute that Trump won the Electoral College, I cannot normalize his behavior or the disparaging and un-American statements he has made.”

“Trump--who lost the popular vote--has made a series of racist, sexist and bigoted statements. In addition, he has attacked Gold Star parents, veterans such as John McCain and now civil rights icon John Lewis.”

“Trump has made statements denigrating the patriotic and professional men and women of our intelligence services, many of whom risk their lives in service to our nation. He also continues to believe Vladimir Putin over our intelligence services and is actively misleading the American people when he denies Putin ordered a brazen, multifaceted cyberattack on America to benefit Trump.”

“On January 20, Trump will be in violation of Article 1, Section 9 of the Constitution because of the massive conflicts of interests he has with his global business holdings. That provision of the Constitution was designed to prevent foreign influence over American elected officials. Trump can cure this Constitutional defect by divesting his holdings or putting them into a blind trust, but so far has been unwilling to do so. “

“Can a man such as Trump have a good idea? The answer is yes. And if the next Administration has a good policy, such as withdrawing from the flawed Trans-Pacific Partnership, I will support it. But if Trump has unconstitutional or bad ideas, such as creating a registry based on religion or gutting Social Security and Medicare, I will oppose them.”

“I can only hope that Trump will govern differently than he has campaigned. For me, the personal decision not to attend Inauguration is quite simple: Do I stand with Donald Trump, or do I stand with John Lewis? I am standing with John Lewis."

Mark Takano

Judy Chu

"I'm not going to normalize his behavior. He's attacked Gold Star parents, veterans such as John McCain, Latinos, Muslim Americans and now John Lewis."

Maxine Waters

Lucille Roybal-Allard

"The disparaging remarks the President-elect has made about many groups, including women, Mexicans, and Muslims, are deeply contrary to my values. As a result, I will not be attending the Inauguration."

Karen Bass

Rep. Bass based her decision on a Twitter poll.

Grace Napolitano

Tony Cárdenas

"After serious consideration, I have decided that I will not stand with Donald Trump during his ceremonial inauguration. He has been consistent in his words and actions -- he has disrespected countless Americans -- women, civil rights leaders, Hispanics, people with disabilities, Muslims, gold star families, African Americans, POWs and more. I feel this decision best represents my family, constituents and country."

Raul Ruiz

A real president doesn't attack the press because they ask tough questions. A real president doesn't insult and bully celebrities or everyday Americans because they disagree with him. A real president doesn't use the office to make millions more for his own wealth or his family's wealth."

Juan Vargas

Florida

Darren Soto

"I am deeply disappointed with Trump's attacks against civil rights hero John Lewis and will not be attending the inauguration as a result."

Frederica Wilson

Alcee Hastings

"I have decided to boycott the Inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump and remain in my Congressional district in Florida. This decision is not a protest of the results of the Electoral College, but rather, an objection to the demagoguery that continues to define the incoming administration.

“President-elect Trump has done little to prove that he is ready to lead this country. Instead, he continues to champion divisiveness. The office of the President is not endowed with unquestioned loyalty, and it is the obligation of each and every American to speak out against injustices however big or small. I cannot play a part in normalizing the countless offensive comments that he has made throughout the past year.

“It is quite simply wrong for the President-elect to use his position of power to continue to make racist, sexist, and bigoted statements, to demean those who have spent their lifetimes championing civil rights, such as Rep. John Lewis, and to ridicule religious minorities, ethnic minorities, and anyone who looks different. President-elect Trump continues to denigrate the American intelligence community, jeopardizing the security of the American people, and has clear, undeniable conflicts of interest in violation of Article 1, Section 9 of the Constitution, designed to prevent foreign influence over American elected officials. Make no mistake: these behaviors are not, nor can they ever be, considered normal.

“President-elect Trump has made it clear that when given the choice, he stands with Vladimir Putin. I choose to stand with Rep. John Lewis, and every American that expects our President to serve with compassion and humility. If the Trump administration continues to champion illegal, unconstitutional, or other ideas that put the safety of the American people at risk, it will find no harsher critic than me.”

Georgia

John Lewis

“I don’t see this president-elect as a legitimate president… I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected.”

Illinois

Luis V. Gutierrez

"We all heard the tape when Donald Trump was bragging – bragging! – about grabbing women by their private parts without their consent," he said. "It is something I can never un-hear."

Mike Quigley

Dan Lipinsky

Bobby Rush

Note: Rep. Rush will not be attending due to his wife's hospitalisation.

Rahm Emmanuel (Mayor of Chicago)

Kentucky

John Yarmuth

"After a great deal of thought, I’ve decided not to attend the inauguration – partially out of deference to my friend John Lewis, who was attacked in a historically inaccurate and insulting way, but more importantly, because I thought about the fact that leading up to the election and up until this weekend, Donald Trump has consistently behaved in a way that has helped destroy a lot of the dignity of the presidency,"

Maine

Chellie Pingree

"President-elect Trump’s actions go beyond any kind of reasonable debate—they threaten the constitutional values our country is based on. I won’t dignify or normalize those threats by standing by at his ceremony."

Maryland

Anthony G. Brown

Jamie Raskin

Massachusetts

Katherine Clark

After discussions with my constituents, I do not feel that I can contribute to normalization of the president-elect's divisive rhetoric by participating in the inauguration.

Michigan

John Conyers

Mississippi

Bennie Thompson

"Mr. Trump’s recent insensitive and foolish remarks about civil rights hero John Lewis were far beneath the dignity of the Office of the President. Additionally, Congressman Thompson continues to have concerns about the role that Russia had in our country's democratic process." - Legislative director Cory Horton

Minnesota

Keith Ellison

Missouri

William Lacy Clay

Rep. William Lacy Clay will not attend Donald Trump’s inauguration next week, but will be “back home in St. Louis speaking to school kids,” his spokesman said on Friday.

New Hampshire

Carol Shea-Porter

New Jersey

Bonnie Watson Coleman

“The constituents of the New Jersey’s Twelfth District is a cross section of the many groups and millions of Americans that this incoming Administration has turned its back on. Our nation is founded on democracy and inclusion that unfortunately our president-elect refuses to represent."

Donald Payne Jr

New York

Jose E. Serrano

Jerry Nadler

Adriano Espaillat

Nydia Velazquez

Yvette Clark

Jerrold Nadler

"The rhetoric and actions of Donald Trump have been so far beyond the pale -- so disturbing and disheartening -- and his continued failure to address his conflicts of interest, to adequately divest or even to fully disclose his financial dealings, or to sufficiently separate himself from the ethical misconduct that legal experts on both side of the aisle have identified have been so offensive I cannot in good conscience participate in this honored and revered democratic tradition of the peaceful transfer of power."

Louise Slaughter

“I take the privilege of serving as a member of Congress seriously, so this was not an easy decision. Congressman John Lewis and I came to Congress at the same time, and he has become like a brother to me. He came to Rochester late last year and visited the convent where nuns from Rochester saved his life on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. For all that he’s stood for all these years, I’m happy to stand with him. As tough as this decision is, I was sent to Washington to get things done, which is why I will be working with the president-elect in the years ahead to move my district and our nation forward."

North Carolina

G.K. Butterfield

"Considering Mr. Trump's brand of division and insult, I believe it would be hurtful to my constituents for me to attend the inauguration"

Alma S Adams

Ohio

Marcia Fudge

Oregon

Earl Blumenauer

"There is unprecedented concern by my constituents about the many threats posed by a Trump administration seeking to implement the President-elect's policies on health, environment, nuclear weapons, and immigration, to name but a few.

"I will forgo the inauguration, spending the day instead in my district talking with Oregonians to hear their priorities, try to answer their questions, and prepare for the coming assault on the values and programs we hold dear.

"It is hard to think of a better use of my time on January 20th."

Kurt Schrader

"I’m just not a big Trump fan. I’ve met the guy and never been impressed with him. He’s the president of the United States now, so I’ll do my best to work with him when I think he’s doing the right thing for the country. But he hasn’t proved himself to me at all yet, so I respectfully decline to freeze my ass out there in the cold for this particular ceremony."

Peter DeFazio

Rep. DeFazio doesn't usually attend the inauguration anyway, because he prefers to avoid the "pomp and circumstance events in Washington."

Pennsylvania

Dwight Evans

Pramila Jayapal

Mike Doyle

Brendan Boyle

"I have always believed the Inaugural of the president of the United States should be a nonpolitical day. As just a regular citizen, it is an event I have always looked forward to watching. Regardless of the person taking the oath and the party taking power, I have always looked at it as a day to celebrate American democracy. It is the continuation of that which started with Washington, the peaceful transfer of power in accordance to the wishes of the people.

"The election of Donald Trump presents a challenge to my long held view of presidential inaugurations. As much as I cherish this day, can I in good conscience celebrate that which I believe is a grave mistake? Can I sit by mere yards away and applaud the desecration of the most important office in the history of the world?

"After wrestling with this question for the last two months, I have concluded I cannot participate in this Inaugural celebration.

"I do not challenge that Mr Trump won the Electoral College and therefore will lawfully be president. We cannot go down a path in which we do not accept the legitimacy of the choice of the people. In America, it is the people who decide.

"I accept the decision of the people. I respect it. But I will not celebrate it."

Robert A Brady

"I'm not going to go to the Inaugural. I want to support John Lewis, he's a personal friend of mine.

"Whether John Lewis started it or not, Mr. Trump should have said, 'let's talk, let me listen to you, what are your issues?"

Tennessee

Steve Cohen

Texas

Al Green

“Today, we celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; on Friday, President-elect Trump will be sworn-in. For some time, I have been hearing from many constituents with varying points of view on the question of whether I will attend the inauguration. My response is Dr. King was right when he indicated: On some issues ‘cowardice asks the question, is it safe? Expediency asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? But, conscience asks the question, is it right? And there comes a time when we must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because it is right.’

“I will not attend the inauguration because conscience says it is the right thing to do.”

Lloyd Doggett

Joaquin Castro

"Every American should respect the office of the presidency and the fact that Donald Trump will be the 45th President of the United States. But winning an election does not mean a man can show contempt for millions of Americans and then expect those very people to celebrate him."

Virginia

Don Beyer

Washington

Adam Smith

"Believe me, I have a lot of statements against Donald Trump, his policies, and the way he behaves. What he said in response to Rep. John Lewis's comments was remarkably ignorant—even for him. [But] I'm not not going to the inauguration as a statement. I'm not going because I'd prefer to be home."

Wisconsin

Mark Pocan