Some Democrats to Skip Trump’s February 24 State of the Union for National Mall Counterprogramming Rally

Planned absences highlight widening tactical divide over how Democrats confront a high-profile presidential address

A group of Democratic lawmakers says it will not attend President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, opting instead for a separate event on the National Mall billed as the “People’s State of the Union.” The decision sets up a visible split in Democratic strategy: some members intend to be in the House chamber for the president’s prime-time address, while others plan to register opposition by staying away and participating in counterprogramming.

The State of the Union is expected to begin at 9:00 p.m. Eastern and will take place in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol. It is Trump’s first official State of the Union address of his second term, following an earlier speech to a joint session of Congress in March 2025 that was not formally designated as a State of the Union.

Who has announced plans to skip the address

Organizers of the National Mall event have identified several Democratic participants who plan to forgo attending the speech. The announced list includes five senators and multiple House members.

• Sens. Ed Markey (Mass.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Chris Murphy (Conn.), Tina Smith (Minn.), and Chris Van Hollen (Md.).
• Reps. Yassamin Ansari (Ariz.), Becca Balint (Vt.), Greg Casar (Texas), Veronica Escobar (Texas), Pramila Jayapal (Wash.), Delia Ramirez (Ill.), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (N.J.).
• Rep. Chellie Pingree (Maine) has also said she will boycott the address and attend the National Mall rally.

Democrats’ official response and Spanish-language reply are set

Beyond attendance decisions inside the chamber, Democrats are also preparing their traditional televised response. Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger has been selected to deliver the party’s rebuttal after Trump’s address. Separately, Sen. Alex Padilla (Calif.) is slated to deliver a Spanish-language response.

What the counterprogramming event signals

The “People’s State of the Union” is framed by its organizers as an alternative prime-time program running alongside the president’s speech. The roster announced so far skews toward lawmakers who have emphasized protest tactics and public mobilization in response to Trump’s agenda. The decision to stage a competing event reflects an effort by some Democrats to avoid being part of the televised tableau inside the House chamber, where the president’s remarks are traditionally received by lawmakers from both parties.

Broader context: tradition, protest, and party discipline

States of the Union typically draw broad attendance because they serve as a major constitutional and political ritual: a presidential report on national conditions and legislative priorities delivered before Congress, the Supreme Court, Cabinet officials, and invited guests. At the same time, modern addresses have repeatedly featured demonstrations, walkouts, and symbolic protest by members of both parties. The planned boycott and parallel rally add another layer to that pattern, formalizing dissent outside the chamber while party leadership continues to promote an organized rebuttal immediately afterward.

The State of the Union will be delivered Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, from the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol, with a Democratic response scheduled to follow.

As the date approaches, the scale of the boycott and the attendance decisions of other Democratic lawmakers will offer a closely watched measure of internal agreement over how best to confront the president at one of the year’s most widely viewed political events.