2/24/26

BREAKING: Democrats Declare War on Trump's State of the Union With Boycotts, Counter-Rallies and Epstein Survivors

Democrats are refusing to play along with Donald Trump's State of the Union pageant tonight, mobilizing a full-scale show of resistance that includes boycotts, dueling counter-events, and a powerful symbolic move that will put Epstein survivors inside the Capitol chamber itself. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries made clear his caucus has two acceptable options: attend in "silent defiance" or join alternative programming happening across Washington, and Democrats are doing both in a big way.

Thousands are expected to gather on the National Mall for the "People's State of the Union," hosted by MoveOn Civic Action and featuring everyday Americans hit hardest by Trump's agenda. Senators Ed Markey, Chris Murphy, Adam Schiff and others will be there instead of giving Trump the audience he craves. A second counter-event, the "State of the Swamp," is being held at the National Press Club, and the name alone says everything about how Democrats view this administration.

Some members are skipping Trump's speech altogether. Rep. Ami Bera put it plainly, writing that after watching Trump "run roughshod over the Constitution" and "openly engage in corruption," he refuses to give Trump the dignity of his presence. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Dina Titus and Sen. Ruben Gallego are also staying away.

But perhaps the most powerful protest is happening inside the chamber itself. Rep. Ro Khanna will bring Epstein survivor Haley Robson, calling her presence proof that accountability must come to "the Epstein class." Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is also bringing an Epstein survivor. Democrats are making sure the faces of Trump's failures and cover-ups are impossible to ignore tonight.

Members of the Democratic Women's Caucus will wear white, honoring the generations of women who fought for the right to vote and sending a message that they are still in that fight, especially as the Trump administration wages specific attacks on women's voting rights.

Jeffries summed it up perfectly: "We're not going to Donald Trump's house. He's coming to our house."