PORTLAND, MAINE – In a video message posted on social media today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) said President Trump’s planned visit to Maine tomorrow is “just one more way to divide us” as the nation grapples with a deadly pandemic, record unemployment, and widespread peaceful protests of police brutality and systemic racism.
Pingree’s video can be downloaded here.
“We do not need the President visiting the state of Maine. I’m pleased he’s coming to recognize the wonderful people who are working hard to make the swabs that make our tests so much more available—that’s critical work that they’re doing here—but he’s not coming here to do this,” said Pingree in the video. “He’s coming here to have a political rally in the 2nd Congressional District. It’s just one more way to divide us. If there was ever a time we needed a president who could bring us together, that could talk about these difficult issues and reassure us that we can move forward together, it’s now. That’s not what we have.”
As of today, more than 109,000 Americans have died of COVID-19, 1.9 million are infected with the virus, 42 million Americans are out of work, and peaceful protests have been held nationwide every evening since the murder of George Floyd by police.