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Quad Citians headed to Trump’s inauguration, Bustos and Loebsack attending

All members of the Quad Cities congressional delegation plan to attend the inauguration.

MOLINE -- Some Quad Citians are headed to Friday's inauguration of Donald Trump as the country's next president.

Rock Island County Republican chairman Bill Bloom and his wife are leaving Tuesday, and will meet about half a dozen local supporters for the swearing- in and other festivities in the nation's capitol.

"We've got tickets to the inauguration, tickets to the parade, tickets to the Heartland Ball. I'm trying to figure out how to tie the black tie," Bloom joked.

"I think it's going to be great,", said Bloom, who was initially a Marco Rubio supporter.

"There's going to be a small but noisy group of Northwest Illinois Republicans out there," he said.

At least 25 Democratic Congressmen and Congresswomen have announced they are boycotting the swearing-in ceremony, some to show support for House Representative John Lewis of Georgia, who said he doesn't see Trump as a "legitimate" president.

Trump then tweeted that the civil rights icon was "all talk" and "no action", resulting in some of Lewis's colleagues to announce they are skipping the Trump inauguration.

Representative Cheri Bustos on Monday said she will make the ceremony, although she called the Trump tweets about Lewis "stepping over the line once again."

"The reason I'm still attending the inauguration is it's what our democracy is all about, this peaceful exchange of power from one president to another. I'm there not as a supporter of the next president, he's obviously not who I would have chosen to be our next president. But he did win and I'll be there to watch the transition," Bustos said.

Rep. Dave Loeback, who represents Iowa Quad Citians, says he plans to be there, as well.

Bloom called the move by other lawmakers boycotting the ceremony unfortunate and disappointing.

"It's not the American way," he said. adding he wishes Trump haters would give the new president a chance.

"Let's see how the next six months go," he said.

 

 

 

 

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