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NC Rep. Alma Adams among members of Congress not attending inauguration

US Army Sergeant Major Greg Lowery(C-bottom) plays the role of President-elect Donald Trump in a rehearsal for the presidential inauguration at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, January 15, 2017. / AFP / SAUL LOEB 

In the run-up to the inauguration of Donald Trump as America’s 45th president, more than 40 Congressional Democrats have said that they will not attend the ceremony on Friday.

Charlotte congresswoman Alma Adams joined the list Tuesday, announcing she has decided not to attend Trump's inauguration.

Adams released a statement on her decision:

“For many, the election of Donald Trump has sparked very real fears and concerns. In November, the President-elect promised to bridge the divide to help us find common ground.  Unfortunately, that promise has not been honored.  Instead, President-elect Trump has validated our fears with his cabinet picks, tweets and attacks.

I cherish our democracy and have a profound respect for the peaceful transition of power.  However, I cannot in good faith and consciousness pretend to celebrate the inauguration of someone who has spoken so horribly about women, minorities and the disabled. Instead, I am staying home to continue working toward our priorities and to meet with constituents, many of who are fearful of what lies ahead.

When inauguration day is done, the real work will begin. We must remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that all North Carolinians have a fair and equal voice."

Feud between President-elect Trump and Rep. John Lewis

While many said earlier that they did not plan to attend the inauguration, more legislators joined the list after a dust-up this weekend between Trump and Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.).

Lewis said in an interview last week that he did not plan to attend the inauguration because he did not see Trump’s victory in November as “legitimate” due to “interference by the Russian government.”

Trump countered on Twitter saying Lewis was "all talk" and "no action," and that the metro Atlanta-area district he represents is "crime-infested."

Lewis also boycotted the inauguration of George W. Bush in 2001. He told The Washington Post then that it would be “hypocritical to attend Bush's swearing-in because he doesn't believe Bush is the true elected president."

According to inauguration organizers and District of Columbia officials, more than 800,000 people are expected to be in Washington for Friday’s ceremony.

Here is a current list of legislators who have confirmed they will not be there.

• Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC)

• Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.)

• Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.)

• Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.)

• Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.)

• Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.)

• Rep. Anthony Brown (D-Md.)

• Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.)

• Rep. Katherine M. Clark (D-Mass.)

• Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (D-N.Y.)

• Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-Mo.)

• Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.)

• Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich)

• Rep. Peter A. DeFazio (D-Ore.)

• Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.)

• Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.)

• Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.)

• Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Pa.)

• Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (D-Ohio)

• Rep. Al Green (D-Texas)

• Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.)

• Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez (D-Ill.)

• Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.)

• Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.)

• Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.)

• Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.)

• Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.)

• Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.)

• Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.)

• Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.)

• Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.)

• Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine)

• Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.)

• Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.)

• Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.)

• Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.)

• Rep. José E. Serrano (D-N.Y.)

• Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.)

• Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.)

• Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.)

• Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.)

• Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.)

• Rep. Frederica S. Wilson (D-Fla.)

• Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.)

Here are some others who have announced they would be skipping the ceremony.

• Former President George H.W. Bush, (due to his age)

• Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush

• Washington Gov. Jay Inslee

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

• Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner

• Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Here are some others who have announced they will attend the ceremony.

• Former President George W. Bush

• Former First Lady Laura Bush

• Former President Jimmy Carter

• Anson Chan, Hong Kong’s former chief secretary

• Former President Bill Clinton

• Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton

• Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York

• Former United Kingdom Independence Party leader Nigel Farage

• The Rev. Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse and son of Billy Graham

• Rabbi Marvin Hier, the leader of the Simon Wiesenthal Center

• Ohio Gov. John Kasich

• Sergey Kislyak, Russian ambassador to the United States

• Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, (D-Mass.)

• New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez

• Sen. Ed Markey, (D-Mass.)

• Rep. Jim McGovern, (D-Mass.)

• Rep. Seth Moulton, (D-Mass.)

• The Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference

• Bishop Wayne T. Jackson, the leader of Great Faith Ministries International in Detroit

• Sen. Elizabeth Warren, (D-Mass.)

• Paula White, a televangelist

Sources: The Washington Post; The Associated Press; The New York Times; Twitter; USA Today

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