[R]epublican Governor Phil Scott, who distanced himself from President Donald J. Trump early in his gubernatorial bid, will not be attending the president’s inauguration on Friday.
Jason Gibbs, Scott’s chief of staff, says the governor “is focused on Vermont’s priorities, putting the finishing touches on his budget, his legislative agenda and making additional appointments.”
Trump won 30 percent of the vote in Vermont, which went overwhelmingly for his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton. His election has divided loyalties in Republican circles here, many GOP stalwarts are uncomfortable with the president’s stances on racial issues and immigration. A groundswell of protest as part of the Women’s March on Washington is anticipated at a demonstration on the Statehouse lawn Saturday.
Meanwhile, all three members of Vermont’s congressional delegation, including Sens. Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders, will attend Trump’s inauguration Friday, even as Democratic colleagues in Congress are boycotting the event and constituents are traveling to Washington, D.C., to join a massive protest of the president on Saturday.
Congressman Peter Welch, D-Vt., said in a statement Tuesday that he’s been asked by some constituents to join the movement to boycott the inaugural, which was re-energized last week by civil rights icon and Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., who said he would not attend because he believes Trump’s presidency is “illegitimate.”
Welch said he’s heard from a number of Vermonters asking him to take part in the boycott.
“I believe the inaugural ceremony is about more than any individual,” Welch said in a statement. “It is about the peaceful transition of power enshrined in our Constitution. I believe it is my job to participate in, and be a witness to, this touchstone of our democracy and powerful symbol to the world. So, while I respect the decision of some of my colleagues to stay home, I will attend, but not celebrate, Friday’s ceremony.”
As of late Tuesday, there were nearly 60 House Democrats who said they would not be attending Trump’s inauguration, according to the Washington Post.
Darcie Johnston, Trump’s Vermont field director who now works on the inaugural committee, said that more than a dozen Trump volunteers from Vermont were given tickets to the inauguration. The attendees include former state senate candidate Joy Limoge, Rick Cochran, founder of Mobile Medical International Corporation, former state senator Vince Illuzzi, former candidate for state treasurer Wendy Wilton and Bradford Boyles, the campaign manager for Len Britton who ran on the Republican ticket for U.S. Senate in 2010. Johnston says Welch generously gave most of his tickets to the Trump volunteers, including a Pennsylvania family with Vermont connections that was not able to get in. “We are very grateful for his help with tickets,” Johnston said by email.
Hundreds of protesters from Vermont are expected to attend the Saturday Women’s March on Washington.
VTDigger will have on-the-ground coverage of the inauguration and the protests in Washington, D.C. If you are attending either event, please tell us what is motivating you to travel to the Capitol. Jasper Craven, VTDigger’s reporter in D.C., can be reached at jcraven@vtdigger.org
