House Democrats are mapping out a variety of protest tactics as President Trump prepares to deliver his State of the Union address to Congress next week, signaling that the annual speech could become another flashpoint in Washington’s ongoing political battles.
The address comes amid a partial shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security, with the White House and congressional Democrats locked in a standoff over proposed reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. The impasse follows a controversial incident in Minnesota in which immigration agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens.
Against that backdrop, some Democrats are planning visible demonstrations of opposition during the president’s speech. Others are opting for quieter forms of protest, including skipping the event entirely.
Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., told Axios he expects to walk out during the address. “The only question for me is which of his disgusting lines prompts me to get up and leave, because at some point I will,” Huffman said.
Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., indicated he is considering a protest as well, though he did not provide details. In a text message to The Hill, Thanedar said, “I don’t have details to share but this President is not above [the] law, his massive corruption, unconstitutional actions, his insults to our allies and despicable acts at Epstein’s island must be protested.”
Other Democrats are planning symbolic gestures by bringing guests intended to highlight policy disagreements. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wis., said she will bring a constituent who runs a nonprofit daycare and advocates for the Affordable Care Act.
“With the address likely to be divisive, I believe it’s important to have a guest in the room who has the pulse of what the American people really care about: affordable childcare and healthcare for all,” Moore said in a statement.
A spokesperson for Rep. Jennifer McClellan, D-Va., said she views the speech as an opportunity to spotlight individuals she believes have been negatively affected by administration policies. Her guest, the spokesperson said, will speak to how policies have made it harder for him and his family to manage an ongoing health care crisis.
Democrats have used the president’s annual address in past years as a stage for protest, sometimes leading to dramatic scenes. Last year, Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, stood during the speech and raised his walking cane while asserting that the president had no mandate. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., ordered the sergeant-at-arms to remove Green from the chamber, and the House later censured him in a largely party-line vote.
Other Democrats last year walked out mid-speech or held up signs reading “Save Medicaid” and “False.” Members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus wore pink in what chair Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M., described as a color of “power and protest.” Leger Fernández told Axios her members plan to ensure “our opinions with regards to Trump are understood” this year as well.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., reportedly advised members in a closed-door meeting to either attend in “silent defiance” or skip the event. Several have already chosen not to attend. Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., and Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Calif., will not be present. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said she will “probably not” attend.
Rep. Ami Bera, D-Calif., wrote that while he feels an “obligation” as a senior member to attend, he ultimately will not “give him the dignity of having my presence.”
Some Democrats have floated the idea of counterprogramming during the address. Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., said a “responsible counter-narrative” should ensure that “the state of Black and Brown America, and the state of working America broadly,” remains part of the national conversation.
With a partial DHS shutdown looming and immigration likely to dominate the speech, tensions are expected to run high. Asked whether the address should proceed if DHS remains shuttered, Jeffries told CBS’s Ed O’Keefe, “Well, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
As Democrats weigh their options, next week’s State of the Union is shaping up to be as much about protest as policy.
