The corridors of power in Washington are about to witness another chapter in our nation’s deepening political divide. More than a dozen Democratic members of Congress have announced they will not attend President Trump’s State of the Union address next Tuesday, choosing instead to participate in what organizers are calling a counter-rally on the National Mall.
This is not your grandfather’s political opposition. This goes beyond the traditional response speech that the opposing party has delivered for generations. What we are seeing here is a fundamental breakdown in the rituals that have long held our democratic institutions together, for better or worse.
Progressive organizations MoveOn and MeidasTouch are hosting what they have dubbed the “People’s State of the Union” at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time, scheduled to coincide directly with the president’s address. The event has been framed as counterprogramming to what organizers characterize as a night of falsehoods and misplaced priorities.
The list of lawmakers planning to skip the presidential address reads like a roll call of the Democratic Party’s progressive wing. From the Senate, Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Tina Smith of Minnesota, and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland have all committed to the alternative event. They will be joined by Representatives Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, Becca Balint of Vermont, Greg Casar of Texas, Veronica Escobar of Texas, Pramila Jayapal of Washington, Delia Ramirez of Illinois, and Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey.
Senator Van Hollen minced no words in explaining his absence, stating that Trump is leading America toward fascism and that he refuses to normalize what he views as attacks on constitutional democracy. These are strong words from a sitting senator about a sitting president, and they reflect the temperature of our current political moment.
Senator Murphy offered his own pointed critique, arguing that the president has transformed what should be a unifying moment into what amounts to a campaign rally filled with division. Representative Balint echoed similar sentiments, expressing her intention to stand with what she called everyday Americans committed to protecting rights and holding power accountable.
The White House, predictably, fired back. Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson pointed to Democratic opposition to tax cuts and border security measures, suggesting it comes as no surprise that these lawmakers would refuse to celebrate what the administration views as commonsense policies.
Here is what bears remembering: the State of the Union address has long served as one of the few remaining moments when our government comes together in one room, regardless of political differences. The fact that we are now seeing organized boycotts speaks volumes about where we are as a nation.
This is not entirely new territory. During Trump’s first term, some Democratic lawmakers also skipped his addresses. But the scale and coordination of this boycott, complete with a competing rally, represents an escalation in political theater.
The question that hangs in the air is whether this represents a new normal or merely another symptom of our current political fever. History will be the judge, but one thing remains certain: the traditions that once bound our political system together are being tested in ways that would have been unthinkable just a generation ago.
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