RSVP? Democrats are split on snubbing or showing up for Donald Trump's inauguration

Donald Trump's second inauguration will be a triumphant return for a former president many believed to be permanently barred from Washington four years ago after denying his 2020 election loss.

But for Democrats and their allies, Jan. 20, 2025 is a dreaded date coming off a bruising 2024 presidential election. And they're not sure about attending the time-honored transfer of power in person.

They are making it a point to skip Trump's second inauguration for events that will underscore their values, such as celebrations around the holiday for slain civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which falls on the same Monday.

"I won't pretend to normalize who or what he stands for," Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, said of Trump in an interview.

"I'm not quite sure what I would be celebrating with his inauguration," Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat who spearheaded some of the aggressive oversight during Trump's first term, told USA TODAY.

For Democrats who agree with Raskin, no amount of calls for returning to normalcy will persuade them to attend Trump's swearing-in ceremony.

Notably, however, are Democrats from the swing states Trump swept in November, who emphasized keeping with traditions, namely showcasing the country's peaceful transfer of power.

"I'll be in attendance," said Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., who could face one of the toughest 2026 Senate battles. "And I think Georgians expect me to be."

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said he will also be at the January event, and that his attendance was never in question. "I think it’s a responsibility," said the former astronaut and finalist to be Kamala Harris' 2024 vice-presidential running mate.

And like any event, a handful haven't filled out their calendar, including prominent lawmakers and several of the former living presidents who served before Trump and assembled in 2021 for President Joe Biden's inauguration to underscore the ceremony's importance after Trump.

"That’s a good question," Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said when asked if he would be there come January. "I haven’t thought about it."