A service of Salisbury University and University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Trump Appearance Causes Resignation in Jamestown Anniversary Event

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney
official photo
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A Virginia mayor is resigning in protest from a historic Jamestown committee because of the group's reported plans to host President Donald Trump at the 400th anniversary celebration of the first representative legislative assembly in America.

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney sent a resignation letter Monday saying Trump "denigrates our democracy" and has no place at the event.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported Friday that Trump will attend the July 30 event, but the White House hasn't confirmed it to The Associated Press.

Democratic lawmakers have said they will boycott the event.

The event will commemorate the 1619 founding of the House of Burgesses. It is part of a weeklong observance of the state's colonial past, which also will mark the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved Africans' arrival in Virginia.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.