President Donald Trump will deliver his first State of the Union address of his second term on February 24, 2026, before a joint session of Congress. In response, several Democrats are boycotting the speech and organizing alternative rallies near the Capitol to protest his policies, especially on immigration.
What happened last year during Trump’s speech?
According to the New York Times, last year, many democrats felt that they mishandled their response to President Trump’s joint address to Congress. Representative Al Green of Texas was removed from the chamber and later censured after interrupting the speech while waving his cane. Some lawmakers also held up paddles with short messages like “Save Medicaid,” “Musk Steals” and “False.” The response was widely criticized and seen as disorganized rather than the calm and united message party leaders had hoped to present.
Lawmakers Boycotting the State of the Union
The following lawmakers have said they will skip or they are planning to skip the State of the Union address-
- Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.)Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.)
- Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.)
- Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.)
- Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.)
- Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.)
- Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-Va.)
- Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)
- Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.)
- Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.)
- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.)
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) told members in a closed-door meeting last week that they could attend the speech in “silent defiance” or choose not to attend at all, according to news reports.
Counter-Events Planned
As reported by The New York Times, a rally called the “People’s State of the Union” will be held at 8:30 p.m. on the National Mall. The event is organized by MoveOn Civic Action and MeidasTouch along with other partners. Organizers say it will highlight “everyday Americans most impacted by Trump’s dangerous agenda.”
Sara Haghdoosti, chief of program at MoveOn Civic Action, explained the goal of the counter-event.
“We know that he is going to use the State of the Union to mislead the American people and lie,” she said. “We want to make sure we’re focusing on the impact his horrendous policies have had. We want to shift the focus from Trump’s lies to the stories of people”, she added.
Several Democratic lawmakers are expected to speak in the event, including Sens. Ed Markey, Jeff Merkley, Chris Murphy, Tina Smith and Chris Van Hollen. House members such as Yassamin Ansari, Becca Balint, Greg Casar, Veronica Escobar, Pramila Jayapal, Delia Ramirez and Bonnie Watson Coleman are also scheduled to attend.
Van Hollen wrote on social platform X: “Next week, Trump will deliver his State of the Union address. I won’t be there. Trump is marching America towards fascism, and I refuse to normalize his shredding of our Constitution & democracy. This cannot be business as usual.”
“State of the Swamp”
According to the reports, other Democrats are planning to attend a separate event called the “State of the Swamp” at the National Press Club that same night. Those who are expected to attend include Reps. Eric Swalwell (Calif.), Jason Crow (Colo.), Seth Moulton (Mass.), Dan Goldman (N.Y.), Eugene Vindman (Va.) and Sen. Ron Wyden (Ore.).
