Although most inaugural speeches are forgotten over time, President-elect Donald J. Trump will have an opportunity on Friday to set a tone or deliver a lasting message when he addresses the nation for the first time as its leader.

Over the course of the history of the United States, Presidents Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and most recently, Barack Obama, delivered messages that have marked new eras or become principles for their generation.

“We have called by different names brethren of the same principle. We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists,” Jefferson said in 1801.

President Harry Truman told the country that the United States and “other like-minded nations” found themselves directly opposed by “a regime with contrary aims and a totally different concept of life,” when he was inaugurated in 1949 during a time of fear surrounding a rise of communism. President Ronald Reagan said at his inauguration that “government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem,” before President Bill Clinton said, “government is not the problem, and government is not the solution. We – the American people – we are the solution.”

Regardless of what Trump intends to say, he could set a tone or course for a new political era. But whether or not the words of the nation’s 45th Commander-in-Chief inspire, infuriate, insult or surprise his audience, many Los Angeles representatives decided they won’t be there to hear them in person.

“I view this as a personal decision because no votes are being taken and no policies will be enacted at this ceremony,” said Congressman Ted Lieu (D-Los Angeles). “While I do not dispute that Trump won the Electoral College, I cannot normalize his behavior or the disparaging and un-American statements he has made.”

Lieu – who said it was an an easy decision make – is one of dozens of other lawmakers from California who will boycott the inauguration. Lieu said he respects both members of Congress who are and who are not attending, because either way, “we’re doing it out of love for our country.”

Most California voters supported Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton for president. But Lieu said he does not view it as a partisan issue.

“Keep in mind, we didn’t have 50 members of Congress boycotting when George W. Bush was inaugurated,” he said. “This is happening with Donald Trump because he is so unique in that sense. Trump – who lost the popular vote – has made a series of racist, sexist and bigoted statements. In addition, he has attacked Gold Star parents, veterans such as John McCain and now civil rights icon John Lewis.”

Other lawmakers, like Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles), looked to their constituents to help with the decision to attend the inauguration or not.

“We are a few days away from the inauguration, I know what my heart tells me, and I know what my head tells me, but what do you tell me, what do you think?” Rep Bass asked in a video.

Bass asked her constituents to vote on her Twitter account to weigh in. As of Wednesday, more than 16,740 people voted, and 82 percent told Bass to stay home.

“I work in your district,” Terry McGlynn responded to Bass. “I hope you will lead by standing with John Lewis, spending time to organize rather than validate.”

Congressman Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) was abroad for an intelligence trip this week and was not able to comment by deadline. But he released a statement explaining that he will attend the inauguration on Friday, and then participate in the Women’s March on Saturday in Washington, D.C.

“This is the first time I’ve ever truly considered not attending an inauguration, both because of a foreign adversarial power’s role in Donald Trump’s election, and because of his deplorable conduct before and after Nov. 8,” Schiff said in the statement. “Since the election, Trump has only made matters worse, continuing his denials of the extent of Russian involvement and persisting in offensive conduct that only divides the country.”

But Schiff said the inauguration is not about the president, “it’s about the presidency.”

“We participate on a bipartisan basis because we are acknowledging the peaceful transition of power that is the hallmark of our democracy,” he explained. “Like many of you, I was appalled when candidate Trump wouldn’t commit to respecting the result of the election if he lost. I feel I would be doing the same thing if I boycotted the ceremony in which the office of the presidency is passed from one occupant of the office to the next. … If former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton can demonstrate the grit to attend the inauguration after Trump’s slanderous attacks on her, then so can I.”

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is in Washington, D.C., this week to attend the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ winter meeting, and other conferences, but he will not attend the inauguration, his press secretary Carl Marziali said. He will return to Los Angeles on Friday night.

Since the election in November, a focus has turned to the division and partisanship in the nation, causing President Barack Obama to use his farewell address to encourage unity, cooperation and understanding.

Lieu – who predicted an easy win for Clinton and Democrats in Congress – said he believes the political state of the country loosely follows one of the laws of physics in which every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

“With these large marches and rallies and with an incredibly low approval rating, you’re seeing the public reaction to Donald Trump’s unacceptable behavior,” Lieu said.

But that doesn’t mean Lieu has lost any hope to author, advance and gain approval for meaningful legislation for issues such as veterans or criminal justice reform.

“There is a fair amount of bipartisan legislation that does get passed. It’s the legislation that people don’t read about because it’s not interesting. What you do hear about is the conflict and the issues that divide,” he said.

Lieu pointed to legislation he authored during his first term that was widely approved on both sides of the aisle before Obama signed them into law, such as the Master Plan for the West L.A. VA campus.

Aside from disagreements with his campaign, Lieu will also have an issue with Trump’s presidency when it begins.

Lieu said when Trump is sworn in, he will be in violation of Article 1, Section 9 of the Constitution because of the “massive conflicts of interests” he has with his global business holdings. Lieu said the provision was designed to prevent foreign influence over American elected officials. Lieu, as the newly appointed assistant whip for the House Democratic Caucus, will advocate for his colleagues to pass legislation that would require Trump to divest or put his global business holdings into a blind trust.

“He’s putting his own and his family’s finances above American interests,” Lieu said.

Schiff said he will also join constituents on Saturday in “another fundamental aspect of our democracy” to protest in Washington for the Women’s March.

“Our message that day, and every day of his presidency will be the same: That we will not allow Trump to roll back the progress we have made, that his actions and words have consequences, that we will hold him accountable, that demeaning women, minorities and anyone who disagrees with him will not be acceptable, and that we will not be silent,” Schiff said in his statement.

Then only time will tell if Trump’s inaugural words will echo like Kennedy’s before him, when he said, “ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.”