WASHINGTON – In freezing temperatures, lawmakers, activists, and protesters gathered on the National Mall to oppose the president’s State of the Union address by holding their own “People’s” State of the Union on Tuesday night.
“I’m not at the State of the Union because there, you won’t hear about the State of the Union,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. “You’ll hear lies.”
More than 80 Democratic lawmakers chose to boycott the State of the Union this year to protest President Trump’s initiatives and what they expected his speech would contain. While some simply stayed home, several spoke on the National Mall. The boycott comes amid a partial government shutdown brought about by the Democrats’ refusal to fund the Department of Homeland Security without imposing restrictions on ICE.
The event was hosted by independent journalists Joy Reid and Katie Phang, both of whom regularly criticize the president on their podcasts.
Joy Reid, host of the Joy Reid show, co-hosted the event with Katie Phang of the Katie Phang Show. (Isabel Papp/MNS)
“We are going to hear about the state of our union from the people who are being impacted by policies taking place at the hands of someone who has demonstrated no love for the Constitution,” Reid said at the start of the night.
Lawmakers gave their remarks and presented their guests, who ranged from political activists to ordinary Americans who emphasized the impact of President Trump’s policies on their day-to-day lives.
Dr. Jenna Norton has been a long-time critic of the president’s health policies and was put on administrative leave from the National Institute of Health in 2025, which she said is because of her comments against the administration. (Isabel Papp/MNS)
Among the guests was Dr. Jenna Norton, who organized the Bethesda Declaration, a public letter to protest the Trump administration’s health policies and funding cuts. According to her, last year’s research funding cuts put Americans at risk and wasted more money than they saved.
“When you halt a five-year study, a $5 million study, four years in, you don’t save $1 million, you waste $4 million,” Dr. Norton told the crowd. “They continue to this day to censor research in violation of the courts, erasing people from science who don’t fit their vision.”
However, the night did not go without interruption. While Sen. Murphy took the stage speaking on the struggles of immigrants, a heckler broke through the barricade and took the stage. Despite carrying a sign that read “No money for ICE,” he shouted “Go Trump!” into the microphone before being escorted off the stage. Later, another heckler called out from the audience.
During Sen. Chris Murphy’s speech, a man broke through the barricade and approached the stage, shouting, before security escorted him away with some difficulty. (Isabel Papp/MNS)
The event’s message was a stark contrast to President Trump’s State of the Union address, which centered on the success of his immigration policy and his administration’s efforts to grow the American economy.
“And now I’m bringing them way down on health care and everything else,” the president said. “I’m also confronting one of the biggest rip-offs of our times, the crushing cost of health care, caused by you, since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).”
Rep. Greg Casar’s (D-Texas) guest, Jill Kordick, an Iowa resident, had a different story. “Honestly, I am making choices to defer health care, just all in, you know, great fiscal caution. There are millions of Americans that are affected by the loss of the ACA credits,” she said.
The last government shutdown ended without an extension of ACA tax credits, which led to significant increases in health insurance costs for Americans and was a significant point of contention for Democrats. Roughly 22 million people saw their health care premiums increase in 2026, with many dropping their coverage.
“This isn’t abstract. These are real policy choices, errant policy choices, and they’re harming real people like me,” Kordick said.
One protester arrived with the Straw Hat flag, a symbol from the popular anime One Piece that has been co-opted by protests around the world to symbolize the fight against tyranny. (Isabel Papp/MNS)
Attendees seemed optimistic ahead of November’s midterm elections, predicting that a decline in Trump’s approval rating would be reflected in the polls.
Attendees seemed optimistic ahead of November’s midterm elections, predicting that a decline in Trump’s approval rating would be reflected in the polls.
“The People’s State of the Union starts tonight and we’re going to keep it going every day of the week through November and to the end of this man’s term until we get the country that we deserve,” said Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Calif.
Protesters’ signs echoed the speakers’ calls for change, an end to the redaction of the Epstein files, and for ICE to cease its operations.
“But if the only way out is through, then the only way through is together. As one people, fighting for the ones we don’t know yet,” said Nedia Morsy, director of Make the Road New Jersey, a community initiative to empower Latino immigrants in New Jersey.
“Presidents can come and go, but we are here to stay,” Morsy said.
(Isabel Papp/MNS)