Dozens of Democrat lawmakers skipping Trump’s SOTU address – One America News Network

Speakers stand on stage ahead of the "People's State of the Union" at the National Mall in Washington, DC, on February 24, 2026. A group of senators and representatives are boycotting US President Donald Trump's State of the Union by holding their own rally. (Photo by Ken Cedeno / AFP via Getty Images) — Speakers stand on stage ahead of the “People’s State of the Union” at the National Mall in Washington, DC, on February 24, 2026. A group of senators and representatives are boycotting US President Donald Trump’s State of the Union by holding their own rally. (Photo by Ken Cedeno / AFP via Getty Images)

OAN Staff Taylor Tinsley and Brooke Mallory
6:01 PM – Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Dozens of Democrats from both the House and Senate are opting out of attending President Donald Trump’s Tuesday State of the Union (SOTU) address.

Reports initially indicated that at least 45 Democrats from both the House and Senate were opting out, citing various reasons ranging from a refusal to “normalize” the administration’s policies, to a desire to avoid what they described as “misinformation.”

However, the boycott gained momentum over the last 48 hours as several flashpoints unified the Democrat caucus.

NEW: Per @FoxNews brain room, 70 Congressional Democrats and one independent have announced they are skipping President Trump’s SOTU speech tonight.

That number continues to grow by the hour.

— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) February 24, 2026

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) gave members a choice: attend in “silent defiance” or skip the event entirely — leading many to opt for the latter.

However, although dozens are now planning on skipping the speech, the Democrat Party is still offering formal responses by Governor Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.).

Democrat Whip Katherine Clark (Mass.-5) issued the following statement: “I will not be attending the State of the Union tonight. Rather than listen to Donald Trump lie to the American people, I will be hearing from the people of my district about their personal experiences with skyrocketing costs, new barriers to health care, dismantled Social Security services, and brutal cuts to medical research. Donald Trump vowed to cut prices on day one and make life more affordable. Instead, at every turn, he has rigged the system against working people. He cut trillions from health care, closed rural hospitals, and hiked insurance premium costs — all to lower taxes for the billionaire class. He implemented illegal tariffs that have devastated small businesses and driven up the cost of groceries, housing, insurance, and utilities. Trump promised to make our country safer and go after the ‘worst of the worst.’ But instead, he has allowed ICE to terrorize communities and even endorsed the killing of American citizens in broad daylight. He told us he would hand justice to the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s horrendous abuse. Yet now, he is standing in the way of truth and transparency. Donald Trump’s presidency has been one broken promise after another, and the people of this country and the Commonwealth deserve so much better.”

While Republicans expressed enthusiasm for Trump’s speech touting “historic wins,” secure borders, and improved affordability, Clark’s decision to skip the address and her subsequent statement exemplifies the deep partisan divide.

President Trump has signaled that his speech will be a comprehensive, long-form address, prompting Representative Austin Scott (R-Ga.) to joke with One America News (OAN) that while he is excited, he also hopes the 47^th president wraps up early enough for him to get to bed at a good time.

As Trump prepares to take the podium, the list of absent Democrats continues to grow. Many of those skipping the joint session are instead gathering at the National Mall for a “People’s State of the Union” rally — to offer a sort of counter-narrative to the administration’s remarks.

Lawmakers expected to speak at the “People’s State of the Union” include:

Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ)
Senator Ed Markey (D-MA)
Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT)
Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA)
Senator Tina Smith (D-MN)
Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
Representative Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03)
Representative Becca Balint (D-VT)
Representative Greg Casar (TX-35)
Representative Lizzie Fletcher (TX-7)
Representative Maxwell Frost (FL-10)
Representative Robert Garcia (CA-42)
Representative Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07)
Representative Jim Himes (CT-04)
Representative Sara Jacobs (CA-51)
Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07)
Representative John B. Larson (CT-01)
Representative Summer Lee (PA-12)
Representative Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03)
Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37)
Representative April McClain Delaney (MD-6)
Representative Christian Menefee (TX-18)
Representative Chellie Pingree (ME-01)
Representative Ayanna Pressley (MA-7)
Representative Emily Randall (WA-6)
Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05)
Representative Melanie Stansbury (NM-01)
Representative Delia Ramirez (IL-03)
Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12)

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA.) later told CBS News that he feels “it’s detestable that members would boycott the speech.”

During a House GOP press conference earlier on Tuesday, Johnson also emphasized that “President Trump will demonstrate that Republicans are the only team working to bring common sense back to our broken system.”

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