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Democrats prepare to protest Trump State of the Union: What to know

Democrats are preparing a show of defiance during President Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday, with some skipping the speech entirely, others attending counter-events and many bringing guests to highlight the real-world impact of the administration’s policies.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has strictly advised his caucus to either attend the address in “silent defiance” or take part in alternative programming.

Even so, Democrats are expected to sharply criticize the administration at events before, during and after the address. And it’s unclear whether any rank-and-file members plan to defy Jeffries’ directive.

Here’s what to know about Democratic protests during Trump’s State of the Union.

Democrats target Trump with counter event blitz

Several Democrats are opting to skip Trump’s speech and instead head to a counterrally, dubbed the “People’s State of the Union,” which will begin around 8 p.m. on the National Mall. The event is hosted by liberal activist groups, including MoveOn Civic Action, and will feature “everyday Americans most impacted by Trump’s dangerous agenda.”

Some of the Democratic attendees include Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), as well as Reps. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), Becca Balint (D-Vt.), Greg Casar (D-Texas), Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), John Larson (D-Conn.) and April Delaney (D-Md.).

Other Democrats will be attending a different counter event called the “State of the Swamp” at the National Press Club that will start shortly before Trump’s speech. Some lawmakers are considering attending the event for a brief period and then attending the State of the Union afterwards.

Reps. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) and Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), for instance, will be attending the State of the Swamp event and the State of the Union, according to their offices. 

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) will only be attending the State of the Swamp event and skipping Trump’s address, according to his office.

Democrats to boycott Trump’s address

Other Democrats are also planning to skip this year’s speech, including Reps. Dina Titus (D-Nev.), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Don Beyer (D-Va.), Sean Casten (D-Ill.), Ami Bera (D-Calif.) and Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.). 

“After watching President Trump run roughshod over the Constitution, display utter disregard for Congress, and openly engage in corruption as he and his family use the office to enrich themselves and tarnish this country that I love, I will not give him the dignity of having my presence at the State of the Union,” Bera wrote in MeidasTouch.

Titus will watch the State of the Union from her office, her spokesperson, Dick Cooper, told The Hill. Casten also said in a statement that he will watch Trump’s address “elsewhere.”

Beyer wrote on X that he will spend his evening meeting with constituents in Virginia. 

Epstein survivors to make appearance as guests

Several Democrats are planning to invite guests to highlight what they see as the impacts of the Trump administration’s policies. These include survivors of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse and those who have been affected by heightened immigration enforcement actions.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who had pushed for the Department of Justice to release the Epstein files, will be bringing Haley Robson, an Epstein survivor.

“Haley’s courageous fight is proof that this isn’t about politics, it’s about exposing America’s two-tiered system of justice and bringing accountability to the Epstein class involved in the horrific abuse of young girls,” he said. 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on X that he’s bringing Dani Bensky, another Epstein survivor. 

House Veterans’ Affairs Committee ranking member Mark Takano (D-Calif.) said he’s bringing George Retes, a 26-year-old U.S. citizen who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for three days. 

“His story exemplifies the overreach and cruelty of the Trump Administration and their heavy-handed immigration policies, sweeping up innocent men, women, and children in a desperate bid to fill arbitrary quotas,” Takano said. 

Members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus to wear white

Members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus plan on wearing white to Trump’s address, a source familiar with the matter said.

Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), chairwoman of the caucus who plans on skipping the address, told CBS News that the color choice “depends on where we’re at in the moment.” 

“This year, there are specific attacks on women’s ability to vote,” she told CBS. “The Democratic Women’s Caucus is wearing white both to honor that fight that women have always had and to signal we are still in the fight.” 

Other members are prepared to protest in their own ways or walk out mid-speech.

“The only question for me is which of his disgusting lines prompts me to get up and leave, because at some point I will,” Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) told Axios.

Jeffries urges members to attend in ‘silent defiance’ or skip

Jeffries told reporters last week he’s advising members of his caucus to choose one of two approaches to Trump’s visit: either attend the event with “silent defiance” or participate in “different alternate programming that is going to take place in and around the Capitol complex.”

Jeffries is hoping to avoid some of the drama that ensued last year during Trump’s speech in March, when Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) stood up to assert that the president had no mandate and raised his walking cane in Trump’s direction.

“My current plan is to attend. We’re not going to Donald Trump’s house. He’s coming to our house. It’s my view that you don’t let anyone, ever, run you off of your block,” Jeffries said.

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