Several Democrats planning to skip Trump’s congressional address

Several Democratic members are planning to boycott President Donald Trump’s first joint congressional address of his second term on Tuesday. Trump is set to address both the House of Representatives and the Senate at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday evening, but some Democrats have decided to skip the event.

One such Democrat is Sen. Chris Murphy from Connecticut, who will instead hold a live prebuttal of the speech. In an interview with CNN’s “State of the Union,” Murphy expressed his belief that Trump’s State of the Union speech will be a “farce” and a “MAGA pep rally” rather than a serious talk to the nation. He accused Trump of lying about his connections with Russia and accused him of trying to monetize the American government to benefit billionaires like Elon Musk.

Joining Murphy in the prebuttal will be Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz from Hawaii. Additionally, Rep. Don Beyer from Virginia has also announced that he will not be attending the address, citing his disagreement with Trump’s policies and the prospect of watching his colleagues applaud issues he finds harmful.

House Democrats have been encouraged by the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee to bring guests who have been adversely affected by the Trump administration to the address. This includes individuals who have been laid off due to recent downsizing efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin from Michigan will deliver the Democrats’ rebuttal address following Trump’s speech, focusing on the actions the administration is currently taking. Slotkin emphasized the importance of leaders being transparent with the public about the state of the country and the need to improve people’s lives.

In 2020, at least eight Democratic lawmakers boycotted Trump’s State of the Union address, including progressive members like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York. The decision to boycott the address reflects the deep divisions and disagreements within Congress regarding the Trump administration’s policies and actions.

Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Murphy, Schatz, and Beyer for comment but did not receive an immediate response. The decision to boycott Trump’s address underscores the ongoing political tensions and ideological differences between Democrats and the Trump administration.