Press Releases

At a dinner in Portland this evening honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced that she would not attend Donald Trump's inauguration.  The following is her statement on the decision.

After giving the issue a lot of thought and consideration, I’ve decided not to participate in Donald Trump’s inaugural ceremonies on January 20. 

I fully accept the outcome of this presidential election. And, under normal circumstances, I would have no question at all about participating in this important ceremony, whatever party the incoming President was from. 

But these are not normal circumstances. Throughout the election, Donald Trump proved so, making disparaging comments about everyone from women to minorities to the disabled.  But what he’s done since the election goes to another level. He’s shown no interest in holding a foreign power accountable for interference in our democracy; he’s put his business interests ahead of the country’s; he’s tweeted threats about people’s civil liberties; and he belittled civil rights hero Representative John Lewis.    

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. Instead, I think I can better serve my District by performing acts of service here in Maine that day. I will also attend the Women’s March on Washington before returning to Congress to serve the interests of my constituents during the presidency of Donald Trump.