Democrat Virginia lawmakers announced Friday that they would boycott any ceremony honoring the 400th anniversary of the Virginia legislature if President Donald Trump attends.
Statement from House Democratic Leader @EFillerCorn, House Democratic Chair @C_Herring, Senate Democratic Leader @DickSaslaw, and Senate Democratic Chair @SenatorLocke on reports that Donald Trump will attend the commemorative session in Jamestown next week. pic.twitter.com/Mdrud9UH5S
— VA House Democrats (@VAHouseDems) July 20, 2019
“We will not be attending any part of the commemorative session where Donald Trump is in attendance,” the Virginia House and Senate Democrat leaders tweeted Friday. “The current President does not represent the values that we would celebrate at the 400th anniversary of the oldest democratic body in the western world.”
The proposed ceremony is set to take place on July 30 in Jamestown, which marks the site of the first English colony and the House of Burgesses— the first legislative body in America. The event is part of a week-long celebration of the area’s colonial history.
“We offer just three words of advice to the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation: ‘Send Him Back,” the tweeted statement continued, referring to the “send her back” chants shouted at Trump’s Greenville, North Carolina, rally on July 17.
Democrat Gov. Ralph Northam and two Republican state lawmakers invited Trump to attend the Virginia event. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was also invited, but she declined the invitation.
Although the White House has not officially announced Trump’s plans, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported Friday that Trump is “expected” to give an address.
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