Trump State Of The Union 2020: Ocasio Cortez Slams Trump's 'Lawless Conduct', Boycotts SOTU

Trump critic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, is the latest among anti-Trump Democrats boycotting president Donald Trump's third State of the Union (SOTU) address.

Trump will speak at 9:00 p.m. EST Tuesday on the eve of the Senate's impeachment trial vote set for Wednesday. His aides say he will deliver a "positive" and "unifying" message.

AOC said she will boycott Trump’s SOTU speech rather than “legitimize” his “lawless” behavior. AOC attended Trump's 2019 SOTU, which was her first after being elected to the House in the November 2018 midterm election. She attended the event with guest, Ana María Archila, co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy advocacy group.

“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," tweeted Ocasio-Cortez. "None of this is normal, and I will not legitimize it. Consequently, I will not be attending the State of the Union.”

The icon of Democratic progressives, who is now campaigning for Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT, joins Rep. Alyanna Pressley, D-MA, in skipping the Tuesday night speech.

Along with Ocasio-Cotez, Presley is one of four hard-left congresswomen touted as members of "The Squad." The other Squad members are Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.

Also boycotting this year's SOTU, which will see Trump boast about the strong economy and slam Democrats for their failed impeachment of him, are Rep. Al Green, D-TX. Green said he won't attend, criticizing Trump as “shameless, corrupt, and unapologetically bigoted.” Also boycotting is Rep. Maxine Waters, D-CA., another fierce Trump critic, said she won't attend to hear from a “dishonorable president.”

It was only last week that Ocasio-Cortez slammed Trump for the "public charge" rule he championed and that was upheld by the Supreme Court along partisan political lines. Ocasio-Cortez, herself the child of Puerto Rican parents and a vocal opponent of anti-immigrant policies, assailed conservatives in the Supreme Court for their votes, condemning the 5-4 decision as “shameful."

"This is shameful," she tweeted. "America shouldn’t have a wealth test for admission. It’s a place where millions of people are descendants of immigrants who came with nothing and made a life. The American Dream isn’t a private club with a cover charge - it’s the possibility of remaking your future."