As President Donald Trump prepares to deliver the first State of the Union address of his second term, some Democrats are making plans to boycott the speech and attend a counterprogramming rally instead.
MeidasTouch, a progressive media company, and MoveOn Civic Action, a left-wing advocacy group, will host the “People’s State of the Union” rally as an alternative to what the groups are calling Trump’s “night full of lies and misplaced priorities for the American people.”
At least a dozen Democratic lawmakers are expected to attend the rally, which is scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 24 on the National Mall near the U.S. Capitol. Progressive commentators Joy Reid and Katie Phang are slated to host.
Organizers said the rally lineup includes Sens. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, and Chris Murphy of Connecticut, as well as Reps. Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, Veronica Escobar of Texas, and Pramila Jayapal of Washington.
“Donald Trump has made a mockery of the State of the Union speech,” Murphy said in a press release for the event. “Democrats have no obligation to reward him with an audience as he lies and attacks people who disagree with him.”
The Democratic Party has grappled in recent weeks with how best to approach Trump’s upcoming speech before a joint session of Congress — whether to interrupt his remarks, sit quietly in the chamber or ditch the event entirely. The internal discussions reflect broader, ongoing divisions in party strategy.
With the midterm elections on the horizon, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers are aware that symbolic decisions, such as choosing to skip the State of the Union, could resonate with voters back home.
“Trump is making life unaffordable and more difficult each day for the American people,” Jayapal said in the press release, adding, “We don’t need to hear his take on the State of the Union, because I hear it at my town halls, I hear it from strangers on flights and people who stop me on the street: the American people are struggling to get by.”
Another counterprogramming event, billed as the “State of the Swamp,” is planned at the National Press Club. The event will be hosted by Defiance.org, a website launched by Miles Taylor, a former Department of Homeland Security official and fervent Trump critic.
Last year’s address saw members of both parties react, at times with heckling, walkouts and protest signs, in what became a widely covered moment of partisan friction. Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, was forcefully removed and later censured for his disruptions.
Ebony Davis is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked at CNN as a campaign reporter covering elections and politics.