Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) announced that he plans to boycott President Donald Trump’s upcoming State of the Union address. In a video posted to social media, Schiff said he believes the president has violated legal and constitutional norms and argued that attending the speech would signal acceptance of what he described as abnormal circumstances.
Schiff said this will be the first State of the Union he has missed, noting that he has previously attended both inaugural ceremonies and prior presidential addresses. Instead of attending the speech inside the chamber, he said he plans to participate in a counter-event referred to as the “People’s State of the Union,” organized by progressive groups including MoveOn and MeidasTouch.
He is not alone in the decision. More than 20 Democratic lawmakers in the House and Senate have indicated they will skip the address. Among those expected to join alternative events are Sens. Chris Van Hollen, Ed Markey, Chris Murphy, Jeff Merkley, and Tina Smith.
Other Democrats are planning to attend a separate event titled “State of the Swamp” at the National Press Club. Lawmakers expected at that gathering include Reps. Eric Swalwell and Dan Goldman, along with Sen. Ron Wyden. Rep. Jason Crow has indicated he may attend both the president’s address and the alternative event.
Additional Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have also signaled plans to skip the speech. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has advised members who attend to maintain what he described as “silent defiance,” while expressing support for colleagues who choose not to participate. Similar boycotts occurred during Trump’s first term, when several Democratic lawmakers declined to attend State of the Union addresses and inaugural ceremonies in protest of his policies.