I’m Skipping the State of the Union. Here’s Why.

Guest article by Representative Ami Bera (D-CA-06)

As a senior member of the House of Representatives, I feel an obligation to attend the State of the Union out of respect for the president as they outline their vision for our country.

This year I feel different.

After watching President Trump run roughshod over the Constitution, display utter disregard for Congress, and openly engage in corruption as he and his family use the office to enrich themselves and tarnish this country that I love, I will not give him the dignity of having my presence at the State of the Union.

Donald Trump is a troll. As such, I expect him to use this annual event at our Nation’s Capitol –– a building I hold sacred –– to troll both my Democratic and Republican colleagues.

I expect him to intentionally make outrageous and inflammatory statements that will make Democrats furious and rise in protest. I expect him to make outright lies and exaggerations, boastfully talk about his brilliance, and stare down my Republican colleagues until they stand, applaud feverishly, and demonstrate their fealty to this malignant narcissist.

I would urge my colleagues and friends on both sides of the aisle not to fall for his traps or feed his massive ego. Remember: we are the first branch of government. We represent the people of this great nation. We work for our constituents, not this maleficent autocrat.

As Democrats, we should realize that while people do not like President Trump and his policies, we need to do a better job defining what we stand for and who we are fighting for. The American people want secure borders, safe streets, and immigration enforcement focused on arresting and deporting violent criminals. They do not want masked and armed ICE agents randomly picking up people because of the color of their skin or the language that they speak.

They support their local law enforcement to keep their communities safe. They only want National Guard help if their governors or mayors seek assistance to keep the peace.

They want their schools to better prepare their children for a rapidly changing world and workforce. They do not want to censor books and dismantle the Department of Education.

They want a president focused on lowering the cost of healthcare, groceries, utility bills, and rent. Not one that illegally invades other countries, tries to take sovereign territory from our friends, or tears down the White House to build a monument to himself.

They support making sure other countries play by the same rules that they place on our exported goods and services. They do not support the president’s random and haphazard implementation of tariffs that have shifted the costs onto working families with already strained budgets.

And while they think our allies should pay their fair share for their own defense and national security, they also know that the world is a better place when America leads with strong partnerships and alliances, and stands up for democracy, freedom, and the rule of law.

I know that the United States of America is better than what we see coming out of this president and this White House. I still believe that America is that “shining city on a hill” President Reagan described in his farewell address. I believe who we are as a nation is reflected in our Pledge of Allegiance with the words “one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

If only the president believed these words. We’re better than this. We have more moral character than this. And we believe in our country more than he does.

Donald Trump does not define the United States of America. We do.

Representative Ami Bera, M.D., has represented Sacramento County in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2013. He serves as a senior Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.