Politics

Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib to skip inauguration for safety reasons

January 16, 2021, 10:18 AM

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Tlaib posted this selfie shortly after taking office in 2019. (Photo: Twitter)

When President-elect Joe Biden is sworn-in in front of the U.S. Capitol Wednesday, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) won't be there. Instead, she'll watch from an off-site location and hosting a Zoom celebration for consituents.

Tlaib is skipping the event due to safety concerns following the storming of the Capitol by disaffected Trump supporters, The Detroit News reports. Online chatter suggests they may gather again Jan. 20, though heightened security could act as a deterrent.  

Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn) and Peter Meijer (R-Grand Rapids) are reportedly on the fence about attending because she had jaw surgery Tuesday. "Someone might punch it even accidentally," she posts Saturday on Facebook. "I may avoid the scene." 

Tlaib says her son influenced her not to go. Initially, she had planned to take him.

She worried about her son's safety after the Jan. 6 assault, even with new security measures, checkpoints and 20,000 National Guard troops brought in to protect the Capitol.

Tlaib also said also doesn't know whether she can trust some of her newest Republican colleagues not to share security details or intelligence after speculation that insurgents had inside help on Jan. 6.

"I felt, 'OK, well, I’ll just go on my own.' And he said, 'Why would you go if it’s unsafe?'"


Read more:  The Detroit News


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