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House and Senate Democratic leadership have decided to leave it up each of their members to decide whether or not they will attend Trump’s Tuesday night address before a join session of Congress, but many Democrats are not going to attend the speech. Others are planning to walk out, or bring guests that will highlight the pain that Trump is causing.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), who has been at the center of the resistance, said on Sunday, “I think that State of the Union speech is going to be a farce. I think it’s going to be a MAGA pep rally, not a serious talk to the nation. I think Donald Trump is going to spew a series of lies about his alignment with Russia, about what he’s trying to do to allow Elon Musk to essentially monetize the American government to enrich Musk and his billionaire crowd. And I’m just not going to be a part of that.”
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) announced, “I will not be attending President Trump’s address to Congress. The state of the union is that the President is spitting in the face of the law and he is letting an unelected billionaire fire cancer researchers and wreck federal agencies.”
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) will hold a tele town hall with his constituents instead of going to the speech.
Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT) said, “I know I would hear more of the same [lies] if I attended tonight. I want to be part of an alternative event that will be fact checking in real time. That’s the best way I can use my voice tonight for Vermonters.”
Balint will be participating in a MoveOn livestream with Senate Democrats.
Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL) is skipping the speech.
Some Democrats who are going intend to walk out on the speech as a form of protest, and others are bringing guests like Ukrainians, fired federal workers, and people on Medicaid to use the platform to highlight actions that Trump has taken.
There are many different ways that Democrats can show their disapproval of Trump.
The worst thing that any Democrat could do would be to go to the speech and allow themselves to be used as a prop in Trump’s show.
Any time Trump shows his face in public, he should see resistance in front of him, whether that is empty seats or people walking out, it is all a way to show Trump that Democrats and many Americans are fighting back.
What do you think of the forms of resistance that Democrats are choosing? Give me your opinion in the comments below.