Virginia Lawmakers to Boycott Trump’s Attendance at Commemorative Meeting

By WI Web Staff

Several Democratic Virginia lawmakers have threatened to boycott at least one of the 400th anniversary celebrations in Jamestown if President Donald Trump shows up.

The legislators, who had been poised to attend the commemorative event on July 30 marking the anniversary of the day in 1619 when the Virginia General Assembly first met, claim Trump doesn’t represent their values.

“We will not be attending any part of the commemorative session where Donald Trump is in attendance,” according to a statement issued Friday by the leadership of the Virginia House and Senate Democratic Caucuses. “The current President does not represent the values that we would celebrate at the 400th anniversary of the oldest democratic body in the western world.”

The statement which was supported by House Minority Leader Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax; Senate Minority Leader Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax; House Caucus Chairwoman Charniele Herring, D-Alexandria; and Senate Democrat Caucus Chair Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, added, “We offer just three words of advice to the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation: ‘Send Him Back’ ”

While Democrats chanted the “send him back” message to Trump, reminiscent racist tweets the president leveled at four female legislators, Republican Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment described the decision by leading Virginia Democrats to boycott the event as “disappointing and embarrassing.”

The meeting, part of a weeklong observance of the state’s colonial past, also commemorates the arrival in Virginia of the first enslaved Africans.

The White House has yet to officially confirm if Trump will attend the meeting.

This post originally appeared in The Washington Informer.