Democrats’ Boycotts of Trump Speech Showcase Party Divisions

President Donald Trump’s primetime address to Congress Tuesday revealed divisions among Democrats about how far to go in demonstrating their resistance to him.

Dozens of senators and House lawmakers skipped the State of the Union to attend boycott events, while other Democrats sought to disrupt the speech from inside the chamber. The boycotters insisted their party should treat the president as an aberration — rather than business as usual.

“Donald Trump is making a mockery of this great institution, and he doesn’t deserve an audience,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said at an event on the National Mall. “I’m not at the State of the Union speech tonight because these are not normal times, and Democrats have to stop behaving normally.”

The decision Democrats faced on how to handle the speech foreshadows a debate over cooperating with Trump that the party will have to navigate if they win control of one or both chambers in the midterm elections.

The boycott and speech happened as the Department of Homeland Security is in a partial shutdown while Democrats demand changes to immigration enforcement. The crowd at the boycott event held signs slamming Immigration and Customs Enforcement as speakers said they wouldn’t let up in the shutdown fight.

“They’re making us sicker, poorer and less secure,” Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) said. “Let’s change that, America. We are better than what is under that Capitol right now.”

Split on Boycott Strategy

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) advised his caucus to either attend the address in “silent defiance” or skip it. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said it was up to individual members of his caucus whether they attend or not.

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), who the administration tried to indict for a video telling service members they can refuse “illegal orders,” said he understands why some members would not want to be at the address, but said he needed to attend to make a point.

“I will be sitting there to make sure he knows that so far he has failed and that the American people are really not into this,” Kelly said. “He’s violated my constitutional rights. He’s violated the constitutional rights of thousands of people across the country.”

Inside the House chamber, Democrats used their guests to show resistance, bringing along survivors of sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, and people affected by health care cuts and Trump’s immigration crackdown.

There was commotion in the building as Rep. Al Green (D-Texas), holding a sign saying “Black people aren’t apes,” was escorted off the floor.

In addition to the boycott events, some Democrats decided to give their own streamed speeches. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) at her own address on Tuesday said she would “not dignify his lies and sit through that in person,” bashing Trump on health care, funding cuts, and costs.