Dozens of Democrats plan to skip Trump’s State of the Union as protests form

WASHINGTON (TNND) — More than a dozen House and Senate Democrats are boycotting President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address scheduled Tuesday.

There are at least two counter protests scheduled.

“The People’s State of Union,” which is organized by the liberal group MoveOn Civic Action will be held at the National Mall at 8:30 p.m. — beginning just 30 minutes before Trump is supposed to address the nation, the New York Times first reported.

“President Trump has spent the first year of his administration making all of our lives worse: slashing health care, sending masked ICE agents to terrorize our neighbors, and passing tax cuts for the Epstein class,” MoveOn Chief of Program Sara Haghdoosti said in a statement.

“Trump wants the attention and the ratings, but we cannot treat this year’s State of the Union like business as usual. That’s why MoveOn is hosting the People’s State of the Union, where we will hear directly from the people facing the consequences of Trump’s disastrous administration,” she continued.

Confirmed speakers include Sens. Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Reps. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (D-VT), Greg Casar (TX-35), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), and Roy Reid, among others.

“The State of the Union should be a reckoning with reality, but Donald Trump will use it to spin fiction and normalize the gross abuse of power,” said Senator Ed Markey (D-MA).

“He will claim everything is fine while families struggle to afford health care and housing, immigrant communities live in fear, and his billionaire allies loot the country under the cover of chaos – I will not legitimize those lies.”

Meanwhile lawmakers including Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Jason Crow (D-CO), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Dan Goldman (D-NY), Eugene Vindman (D-VA) and Sen. Wyden (D-OR) will be at the National Press Club for an event titled “State of the Swamp.” This event is being hosted by Defiance.org, a website created by Miles Taylor, a former Department of Homeland Security official.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries shared with reporters Tuesday that he will be present at the State of the Union address.

“We’re not going to his house. He’s coming to our house, and it’s the people’s house,” Jeffries said. “And having grown up where I grew up, you never let anyone run you off your block.”