TURN YOUR BACKS THEN WALK OUT!

Here are the Democrats who plan to skip Trump’s State of the Union address

Sudiksha Kochi
Wed, February 18, 2026 

THE HILL

Editor’s note: Reps. Jason Crow (Colo.) and Eugene Vindman (D-Va.) will take part in the “State of the Swamp” event, but will also attend the State of the Union address.

President Trump will deliver the first State of the Union address of his second term on Feb. 24, but several House and Senate Democrats plan to skip the high-profile address in favor of counter-rallies and other forms of protest.

Trump’s speech comes as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is shut down amid a standoff between the White House and Democrats over immigration reforms, fueled in part by the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota involving immigration agents.

The State of the Union has typically served as a platform for the minority party to register its opposition to the administration’s agenda — whether through quiet acts like boycotting the speech or more visible protests during the address itself.

But speaking to reporters in the Capitol on Wednesday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said he’s advising the 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.”

Many members are opting for the latter course of action.

Asked if he will attend, Jeffries was adamant. “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.”


Here is a list of Democrats who plan to skip Trump’s address – and how they intend to spend the evening instead.

‘People’s State of the Union’

A counterrally, dubbed the “People’s State of the Union,” will be held at 8:30 p.m. on the National Mall. The rally, which will feature “everyday Americans most impacted by Trump’s dangerous agenda,” is hosted by liberal group MoveOn Civic Action, progressive media company MeidasTouch and other coalition partners.

Speakers at the event include:

Sen. Ed Markey (Mass.)


Sen. Jeff Merkley (Ore.)


Sen. Chris Murphy (Conn.)


Sen. Tina Smith (Minn.)


Sen. Chris Van Hollen (Md.)


Rep. Yassamin Ansari (Ariz.)


Rep. Becca Balint (Vt.)


Rep. Greg Casar (Texas)


Rep. Veronica Escobar (Texas)


Rep. Pramila Jayapal (Wash.)


Rep. Delia Ramirez (Ill.)


Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (N.J.)


Rep. John Larson (Conn.)

‘State of the Swamp’

Other Democrats are planning to attend a different counter-event dubbed “State of the Swamp” at the National Press Club at 7 p.m. that same night. These Democrats include:



Rep. Eric Swalwell (Calif.)


Rep. Seth Moulton (Mass.)


Rep. Dan Goldman (N.Y.)


Sen. Ron Wyden (Ore.)

The event is hosted by advocacy groups DEFIANCE.org and the Portland Frog Brigade, as well as the local newsroom, the COURIER.

While the gathering has been framed as a “boycott” of Trump’s speech, some lawmakers are considering attending the event for a brief period and then attending the State of the Union afterwards.

Rep. Jason Crow (Colo.) office, for instance, indicated that the congressman will be attending both events. Rep. Eugene Vindman’s (D-Va.) office told The Hill that the congressman will be sending in a video for the “State of the Swamp” event, but will be attending the State of the Union address.

DEFIANCE.org co-founder Miles Taylor said in a statement that the event is “not a protest or watch party,” according to a press release.

“It’s a live, public rebuttal — grounded in facts, accountability, and action.”
Other Democrats boycotting Trump’s speech

Other Democrats are also planning to skip this year’s speech.

Rep. Dina Titus (Nev.) does not plan to attend the State of the Union, but will watch it from her office, her spokesperson, Dick Cooper, told The Hill.

Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (Calif.) will also be skipping the event, her office said, though it is not clear whether she will attend a counter-event. She attended Trump’s speech in March but walked out in protest.

When asked last week whether she would attend the event, progressive firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) told reporters, “Probably not, no.”

Rep. Ami Bera (Calif.) wrote in MeidasTouch that as a senior member of the House, he feels an “obligation” to attend the State of the Union.

But, he wrote, “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.”

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