At least a dozen Democratic lawmakers are planning to ditch President Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday.
The annual address has long given the minority party a chance to push back on the president’s agenda, but Democrats appear eager to avoid a repeat of 2025's contentious SOTU. Last year, Texas Rep. Al Green was ejected from the chamber (and later censured) after disrupting the speech with a cane-waving tirade. Other Democrats held up paddles bearing messages like “Save Medicaid,” “Musk Steals,” and simply “False.” The response was mixed: Some critics panned the gestures as weak and performative, while others defended them as a necessary show of resistance.
But this year they’re taking a different tack — some are even planning counter-events. Find out which Democrats won’t be in attendance and where they’ll be instead.
What Democrats are saying
Speaking to reporters at the Capitol on Wednesday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said members of his caucus could either attend the address in “silent defiance” or participate in “alternate programming” around the Capitol complex. Jeffries told The New York Times that he plans to attend: “You never let anyone run you off your block.”
For some Democrats, the decision is about more than optics. “These aren’t normal times, and showing up for this speech puts a veneer of legitimacy on the corruption and lawlessness that have defined his second term,” Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy said in a statement.
It remains unclear how many Democratic members of Congress ultimately plan to attend the speech.
Republicans, for their part, see the address as a chance to reset the narrative — shifting attention away from recent controversies, including fatal shootings involving federal immigration agents in Minneapolis and renewed scrutiny over the Epstein files — and refocusing attention on their economic message ahead of this year’s midterms.
Who’s planning to skip the State of the Union?
Several Democrats — including lawmakers who boycotted Trump’s first and second inaugurations — are once again opting out, heading instead to a rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., dubbed the “People’s State of the Union.” Hosted by the liberal advocacy group MoveOn Civic Action and the progressive media company MeidasTouch, the event will spotlight everyday Americans affected by Trump’s policies, including federal workers who have lost their jobs and immigrants targeted by the administration’s agenda. The program will be lead by former MSNBC hosts Katie Phang and Joy Reid, and will also be livestreamed for supporters watching from home.
The list of attendees includes:
- Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey
- Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley
- Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy
- Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith
- Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen
- Arizona Rep. Yassamin Ansari
- Vermont Rep. Becca Balint
- Texas Rep. Greg Casar
- Texas Rep. Veronica Escobar
- Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal
- Illinois Rep. Delia Ramirez
- New Jersey Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman
- Connecticut Rep. John Larson
Other planned protests
Not all of the protests will take place at the Mall. A smaller group of Democrats plans to attend a separate counter-event dubbed the “State of the Swamp,” set for the same night at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The event is being hosted by advocacy groups DEFIANCE.org and the Portland Frog Brigade, along with the local newsroom COURIER.
Organizers say a mix of lawmakers, celebrities, and other public figures are expected to attend, including:
- California Rep. Eric Swalwell
- Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton
- New York Rep. Dan Goldman
- Virginia Rep. Eugene Vindman
- Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden
- Minnesota Mayor Jacob Frey
- Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson
- Former Georgia state Rep. Stacey Abrams
- Robert DeNiro
- Don Lemon
- Jim Acosta
- Mark Ruffalo
Other lawmakers also opting out of the SOTU include New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Nevada Rep. Dina Titus, and California Rep. Ami Bera.
