Some Democrat lawmakers to boycott State of the Union speech

Feb. 19 (UPI) — At least 12 Democrat members of Congress are planning to boycott next Tuesday’s State of the Union Speech by President Donald Trump and will attend a progressive rally on the National Mall.

The “People’s State of the Union,” by progressive organizations MoveOn and MeidasTouch, will be at 8:30 p.m. EST near the Capitol. They have called it “counterprogramming” to “President Trump’s night full of lies and misplaced priorities for the American people.”

“Democratic lawmakers will be joined on stage by the everyday Americans most impacted by Trump’s dangerous agenda,” the groups said.

According to the organizers, the lawmakers who plan to attend are Sens. Ed Markey, D-Mass.; Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Chris Murphy, D-Conn.; Tina Smith, D-Minn.; and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.; and Reps. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz.; Becca Balint, D-Vt.; Greg Casar, D-Texas; Veronica Escobar, D-Texas; Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.; Delia Ramirez, D-Ill.; and Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J.

“Next week, Trump will deliver his State of the Union address. I won’t be there,” Van Hollen posted Wednesday on X. “Trump is marching America towards fascism, and I refuse to normalize his shredding of our Constitution & democracy. This cannot be business as usual.”

Murphy expressed similar views in an interview with The New York Times.

“He’s made a mockery of the State of the Union speech, and he doesn’t deserve an audience,” he said of Trump. “He’s going to tell 40 different lies, call Democrats names; he’s going to paper over his corruption; and I don’t feel like what he’s doing dignifies having Democrats there to cloak the speech in a veneer of respectability.”

Trump’s speech will be “taking a moment that is meant to bring the country together and turning it into a campaign rally to spew hatred and division,” Murphy said.

“Democrats have no obligation to reward him with an audience as he lies and attacks people who disagree with him.”

Balint also expressed her reasons for not attending the address.

“Instead of sitting through what has become President Trump’s annual self-congratulation, misinformation, and division speech, I look forward to a night of standing with colleagues, organizers, advocates and everyday Americans who are committed to doing the real and honest work of protecting our rights, strengthening our communities, and holding those in power accountable,” she said.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson responded.

“It’s not a surprise that they refuse to celebrate and honor the Americans who have benefitted from the common-sense policies Republicans have governed with,” NBC News reported she said.

Political commentators Joy Reid and Katie Phang are hosting the event.

Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has told lawmakers to sit quietly through the speech or boycott it, but don’t create distractions in the speech. He said he plans to attend.

“We’re not going to his house; he’s coming to our house,” he told reporters. “Having grown up where I grew up [Crown Heights, Brooklyn], you never let anyone run you off your block.”

Some Democrats are expected to walk out during Trump’s speech.”We know that he is going to use the State of the Union to mislead the American people and lie,” Sara Haghdoosti, the chief of program at MoveOn Civic Action, told The Times. “We want to make sure we’re focusing on the impact his horrendous policies have had. We want to shift the focus from Trump’s lies to the stories of people.”