Most of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation will be present at President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration today, though at least three members decided to skip the event.
U.S. Reps. Dwight Evans (Philadelphia) and Summer Lee (D-Allegheny) told the Capital-Star they would not be present. Capital-Star contacted the entire congressional delegation and did not hear back from three members.
Lee, who was elected to Congress in 2022 for the 12th Congressional District, was not in office during Trump’s previous inauguration. Her office did not respond to a follow-up question asking why she would not attend the inauguration.
Evans, who is currently serving his fifth term in Congress, did as well did not attend Trump’s 2017 inauguration. He said CBS Philadelphia in 2017, the reason for his absence was the fresh president’s position on many issues, including health care and his comments about former Congressman John Lewisthe civil rights leader whom Trump called “all talk” and “no action” after Lewis claimed he was not the “legitimate president.”
Evans in May he suffered a stroke and lost his voice for a few months while he recovered, but it was took the oath of office to serve his current term on January 3. His office did not respond to a follow-up question asking why he would not be present.
U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle (Philadelphia), however, did not respond to Capital-Star’s request for comment POLICY informs that he will not be in attendance and that he “hopes to attend the national championship game in Atlanta, where my alma mater, Notre Dame, plays.”
This isn’t the first time multiple members of the state’s congressional delegation have chosen to skip Trump’s inauguration. According to POLICYIn addition to Evans and Boyle, then-U.S. Reps. Bob Brady (Philadelphia) and Mike Doyle (D-Allegheny) did not attend Trump’s 2017 inauguration. In total, at least 63 Democrats were absent from Trump’s inauguration in 2017, according to Do POLICYThough reports indicate there will be fewer who decide to wait out Trump’s second inauguration on Monday.
Brady and Doyle have retired, although Boyle and Evans continue to represent Philadelphia in Congress and are the only Democrats in that state’s congressional delegation who were members at the beginning of Trump’s first term in 2017.
In 2017 Boyle issued a statement saying he “doesn’t question” Trump’s Electoral College victory and accepted “the people’s decision,” adding that he respects it, “but I won’t celebrate it.” He too criticized Trump for many reasons, including his comments about Lewis.
U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Delaware) also hasn’t said whether she will attend the inauguration.
U.S. Reps. Madeleine Dean (R-Montgomery), Chris Deluzio (R-Allegheny) and Chrissy Houlahan (R-Chester) said they would attend the ceremony.
Although some Democrats will not attend Trump’s inauguration, everyone voted to certify the election results it’s january 6.
According to them, in 2021, at least six Republicans in Congress did not attend the inauguration of President Joe Biden. Newsweek. None of them appeared to be members of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation, although eight of the nine Republican Party members from the state at the time were did not vote to confirm the election results. Trump himself, of course he was also absentbaselessly insisting that the 2020 election was stolen from him. For the first time in 150 years, an outgoing president missed his successor’s inauguration “for reasons other than ill health.” by James Lindsaysenior member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
U.S. Republican Party Representatives Rob Bresnahan (R-Luzerna), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks), John Joyce (R-Blair), Mike Kelly (R-Butler), Ryan Mackenzie (R-Lehigh), Dan Meuser (R-Luzerna ) ), Guy Reschenthaler (Washington’s right), Lloyd Smucker (Lancaster’s right), and Glenn “GT” Thompson (right) have confirmed that they will be present at the swearing-in ceremony. U.S. Republican Scott Perry (R-Ryork), a close Trump ally, did not respond to a request for comment on his attendance.
Elizabeth Goldsmith, a professor emeritus at Florida State University who has studied inaugural traditions, said that while members of Congress are invited to the inauguration and its luncheon, “quite often” some stay away.
“There are different responsibilities related to their attitude towards different things,” Goldsmith said. He will be especially watching where some of Trump’s biggest supporters from the tech and business worlds, such as Elon Musk, sit.
“I would like to emphasize not only being there, but also being close. How close do you stand or sit to the fresh president? So it’s a massive deal,” she said.
Trump’s inauguration will take place in the US Capitol Rotunda due to frosty weather. This will be the first inauguration to be held indoors due to outdoor conditions since President Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration in 1985.
