Democrats held competing events on the evening of the State of the Union address, with lawmakers boycotting the official event and gathering on the National Mall for a counter-rally. Hundreds of people, including about 30 Democratic members of Congress, attended the 'People's State of the Union' to protest against Donald Trump's agenda.
Attendees held signs reading 'No Money for ICE' and 'Healthcare Not Warfare', while one person carried a poster with photographs of more than 30 people killed in dealings with ICE since Trump took office in 2025. The event kicked off about an hour before the president's speech was scheduled to begin.
MoveOn's executive director, Katie Bethell, told the crowd that the boycott was organised 'because we know that Donald Trump's State of the Union will bear no resemblance to what's actually happening in this country today'. The crowd chanted 'Abolish ICE!' as Senator Chris Murphy introduced an Afghan refugee advocate, explaining he was absent because 'these are not normal times'.
A Trump supporter briefly confronted Murphy before being removed. Host Joy Reid dismissed the interruption, saying 'Attention all Maga trolls: your bullshit is not welcome here'. Earlier, a list of about 30 boycotting lawmakers was shared, including Senators Murphy, Chris Van Hollen, Adam Schiff, and Representative Greg Casar.
Attendees also chanted 'Release the files!' as Representative Summer Lee announced plans to introduce articles of impeachment against Attorney General Pam Bondi for refusing to release full, unredacted Epstein files. Lee stated the real state of the union was a government protecting powerful people over abused women and girls.
By 9pm ET, there were an estimated 220,000 live viewers of the rally on YouTube and other platforms. Speakers encouraged voting in the November midterm elections. Schiff warned that Trump would try to discourage voting, potentially sending ICE agents to polling places. Meanwhile, a separate event, 'State of the Swamp', featured actor Robert De Niro at the National Press Club.
