Democratic lawmakers gathered at the National Mall Tuesday evening to counter President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address and protest his administration, basing their absence on the anticipation of Trump lying during his speech.
MoveOn and liberal media outlet Meidas Touch announced on Feb. 13 that it was organizing a counterprogramming to the State of the Union with 35 Democratic lawmakers, characterizing Trump’s address as a “night full of lies,” according to the press release.
“I am not at the State of the Union tonight because Donald Trump is making a mockery of this great institution, and he doesn’t deserve an audience,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) said. “You’re not going to hear about the State of the Union [during Trump’s speech], you are going to hear lie after lie.”
During their remarks, each Democrat explained they did not attend Trump’s State of the Union because the president’s speech wouldn’t reflect Americans’ current experiences and feelings about the country.
Former MSNBC anchors turned independent journalists Joy Reid and Katie Phang hosted the over three-hour rally in front of the Capitol.
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Some of the lawmakers in attendance were Sens. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA).
Democrats provided an alternate vision for the country in their remarks, criticizing Trump for the administration’s immigration policy, handling of the Epstein files, and tax cuts.
Gallego said he wouldn’t “stand for this,” regarding the Trump administration’s policies on immigration, taxes, and security.
“They want to call that the State of the Union. It is a state of denial, because what’s going to happen under that Capitol is a bunch of lies,” Gallego said. “Lies that Donald Trump and Republicans are going to tell us about how great the country is.”
“What is true, what is happening right now, is that Donald Trump and Republicans made this country sicker, poorer, and less secure,” Gallego added.
Schiff argued that Trump’s campaign promises have “all been broken.”
“All of this violates the oath the president took to faithfully administer the laws, to vigorously defend the Constitution,” Schiff said. “Thankfully, our founders gave us the tools to fight back against the man who would be king … and that is the right to vote.”
Markey compared Trump to Pinocchio to demonstrate the amount of “lies” that would be in Trump’s address.
“The State of the Union should be a moment of truth, a reckoning with reality, ” Markey said. “But under Donald Trump it has become a lies-a-palooza … if he was Pinocchio his nose would stretch out across the entire length of the floor of the Congress.”
Multiple survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking ring attended the State of the Union as guests for various members of Congress, to bring attention to the Department of Justice releasing all the files related to the late convicted sex offender.
Garcia, whose guest for the State of the Union was survivor Annie Farmer, said Trump is leading the “largest government cover-up” in modern history.
“The single most powerful moment tonight is going to be when Donald Trump has to look up at that gallery of the U.S. House and see the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein looking back at him, demanding justice, demanding truth, and demanding accountability,” Garcia said.
Epstein survivors, families affected by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, fired public health workers, and Americans losing healthcare benefits joined the members of Congress at the rally.
There were two separate outbursts at the rally by counterprotesters. At one moment, a Trump supporter ran onto the stage during Murphy’s remarks, who was the first speaker, and organizers escorted him away from the podium. A different Trump supporter booed Reid from the crowd when she introduced a speaker.
Reid addressed both protesters when she returned to the podium, saying, “F*** y’all.”
“Attention to all MAGA trolls … your b******* is not welcome here,” Reid said. “We’re here to tell the truth and to hear from impacted people, not to see or hear from you so you go back and pay attention to your orange lying friend.”
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The People’s State of the Union is one part of Democrats’ counterprogramming and response to Trump’s address.
Defiance.org, the Portland Frog Brigade, and COURIER organized another rally, the “State of the Swamp,” countering Trump’s address. Among the Democratic lawmakers who attended this event were remarks from actors Robert De Niro and Mark Ruffalo.
While it’s customary for both parties to attend the president’s address during a joint session of Congress, many Democrats chose to attend counterprogramming or skip the address altogether.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) encouraged his caucus last week to sit in “silent defiance” during Trump’s speech, or not go at all. However, not all Democrats followed Jeffries’s advice, with outbursts from Rep. Al Green (D-TX) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN).
