Arizona Senators Criticize Trump Ahead of State of the Union

Kelly and Gallego take aim at the president's record on domestic and foreign policy issues.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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On the day of President Donald Trump's State of the Union address, Arizona's two U.S. senators, Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, issued blistering criticisms of the president's record on a range of domestic and foreign policy matters.

Why it matters

As members of the opposing Democratic party, Kelly and Gallego's public rebukes of Trump ahead of the high-profile State of the Union speech underscore the deep partisan divisions in the country and the growing tensions between the president and his congressional critics.

The details

In separate statements, Kelly and Gallego took aim at Trump's policies on issues like immigration, the environment, and foreign relations. Kelly accused the president of "reckless behavior" that has "damaged our standing in the world," while Gallego said Trump has "failed to lead" on key challenges facing the nation.

  • The statements from Kelly and Gallego were released on February 25, 2026, the same day as Trump's State of the Union address.

The players

Mark Kelly

A Democratic U.S. senator from Arizona.

Ruben Gallego

A Democratic U.S. senator from Arizona.

Donald Trump

The president of the United States at the time of the State of the Union address.

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What they’re saying

“The reckless behavior of this president has damaged our standing in the world and his failure to lead on the critical issues facing our nation is unacceptable.”

— Mark Kelly, U.S. Senator (azcentral.com)

“President Trump has failed to lead on the critical issues facing our nation, from climate change to immigration reform. Arizonans deserve better.”

— Ruben Gallego, U.S. Senator (azcentral.com)

The takeaway

The sharp criticisms from Arizona's Democratic senators ahead of the State of the Union address underscore the deep partisan divisions in the country and the growing tensions between the president and his congressional critics from the opposing party.