January 1, Democrats Ditch Trump Speech for Protest Rally

Wyatt’s Take

• A group of Democrats plan to skip President Trump’s State of the Union.
• They’ll hold their own protest rally at the National Mall instead.
• The boycott highlights deep partisan divides in Washington.

At least twelve Democrat lawmakers, including several senators and House members, announced they will boycott President Trump’s upcoming State of the Union address. Instead, they’re gathering at the National Mall for a protest event called the “People’s State of the Union.”

This rally, organized by MoveOn Civic Action and left-wing activists, is set for the same night as President Trump’s speech. Liberal media personalities Joy Reid and Katie Phang are tapped to host the event.

“I will not normalize Donald Trump’s march toward fascism by attending his state of the union address. We cannot pretend this is business as usual,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen.

Rep. Yassamin Ansari added, “Last year, I walked out of President Trump’s State of the Union because I refused to normalize the most corrupt and authoritarian administration in American history.”

Both Van Hollen and Ansari made headlines in 2025 for taking taxpayer-funded trips to El Salvador on behalf of an accused human smuggler connected to MS-13.

Other Democrats attending include Reps. Pramila Jayapal and Becca Balint, who have claimed the DOJ tracked their search history of the Epstein files as “ammunition” against them.

Sen. Murphy argued that attending Trump’s address “puts a veneer of legitimacy on the corruption and lawlessness that defined his second term.” Senators Ed Markey, Jeff Merkley, and Tina Smith, plus Reps. Greg Casar, Veronica Escobar, Delia Ramirez, and Bonnie Watson Coleman, were also listed as boycotting.

The total number of lawmakers joining the protest may grow.

“President Trump has spent the first year of his administration making all of our lives worse: slashing health care, sending masked ICE agents to terrorize our neighbors, and passing tax cuts for the Epstein class,” MoveOn’s Sara Haghdoosti claimed.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told Democrats not to repeat last year’s disruptions that embarrassed party leadership. Previous protests during Trump’s speeches led to disciplinary action for several members.

During Trump’s last address, Rep. Al Green shouted at the president and was ejected from the House floor. Others faced meetings with Democratic leaders after their outbursts.

“People don’t want to be gaslit and belittled by a president who covers up the Epstein files and sends masked agents to kidnap and kill them,” said Ben Measles of MeidasTouch Network.

The protest rally will be streamed live by the liberal MeidasTouch Network, instead of airing Trump’s speech.

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Wyatt Matters

Most Americans want leaders who respect the country and the people they represent. When politicians stage stunts instead of listening to the president, it disrespects voters and distracts from real problems facing working folks.