Some Democrats to boycott Trump State of the Union for rally

By Richard Cowan

WASHINGTON, Feb 18 (Reuters) - A group of liberal U.S. lawmakers will abandon President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday for an outdoor rally to protest his policies, marking a rare coordinated boycott as partisan tensions around the annual address intensify.

About a dozen Democrats in the Senate and House of Representatives have announced their participation in a "People's State of the Union" event on the National Mall, near the Capitol, to highlight their opposition to the Republican administration's policies, organizers said on Wednesday.

Among the lawmakers set to appear at the 8:30 p.m. (0130 GMT on Wednesday) rally — just ahead of Trump’s 9 p.m. speech — are Senators Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, along with Representatives Becca Balint of Vermont, Greg Casar of Texas, and Pramila Jayapal of Washington state.

"It’s not a surprise that they refuse to celebrate and honor the Americans who have benefited from the commonsense policies Republicans have governed with," said White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson, who added that Democrats have voted against Trump initiatives on taxes and mass deportation of immigrants.

PARTISAN DIFFERENCES DEEPEN

The boycott underscores how Trump’s return to the national stage has deepened partisan fissures, turning a once‑stately ritual into a battlefield over the direction of U.S. democracy. By rallying outside the Capitol where Trump will be speaking to Congress, the lawmakers say they aim to frame the moment as a public challenge to Trump’s agenda.

"Donald Trump has made a mockery of the State of the Union speech – 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 in a statement.

Constituents of theirs who have been affected by Trump policies will also speak at the rally, according to a statement by MeidasTouch, which calls itself a pro-democracy, independent news network. The liberal group MoveOn Civic Action is also an organizer, the groups said.

Other House progressives plan to attend Trump's speech, or at least part of it, but will demonstrate their discontent in other ways.

Representative Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, for example, has invited Wisconsin Soybean Association President Doug Rebout to the speech.

U.S. soybean producers worry that Trump's tariffs on foreign goods have hurt American farmers, resulting in retaliation from China that has at times interrupted soybean trade and have contributed to higher prices for many consumer goods, said Pocan spokesman Matt Handverger.

The Democratic boycott, first reported by the New York Times, highlights the increasingly partisan tone of the annual address, which in recent years has included lawmakers interrupting the speech, displaying protest signs or coordinating attire to highlight various such causes as women's rights.

Last year, it was Representative Al Green of Texas, a Democrat who stood up and shouted in protest of Republican plans to cut the Medicaid health insurance plan for the poor and disabled. He was removed from the chamber by security guards and later reprimanded by the Republican-controlled House.

In 2020, Trump climbed to the podium for the final State of the Union address of his first term and refused to shake then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi's hand. At the end of the speech, Pelosi stood and demonstrably tore the speech transcript in half. She later said she did so because every page contained a "lie."

The annual State of the Union address, intended to inform Congress of pressing issues confronting the nation, was first delivered by President George Washington in 1790 -- a brisk 1,089-word report a far cry from the tense and lengthy spectacles of today.