Jeffries Suggests Democrats Protest State of the Union

House Minority Leader offers two options for Democrats during Trump's address.

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is giving his Democratic members two options for responding to President Donald Trump's upcoming State of the Union address: attend with "silent defiance" or boycott the event entirely and participate in alternate programming instead.

Why it matters

Jeffries' directive to House Democrats reflects the ongoing partisan tensions and political divisions in the country, as the opposition party looks to make a symbolic statement during one of the president's most high-profile speeches.

The details

Jeffries said Democrats can either "attend with silent defiance" during Trump's address or "not attend, and send a message to Donald Trump in that fashion, which will include participation in a variety of different alternate programming." The New York congressman did not provide specifics on what the "alternate programming" would entail.

  • President Donald Trump is scheduled to deliver the State of the Union address on an upcoming date.

The players

Hakeem Jeffries

The Democratic Minority Leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing New York's 8th congressional district.

Donald Trump

The current President of the United States.

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What they’re saying

“The two options that are in front of us, in our house, is either attend with silent defiance, or to not attend, and send a message to Donald Trump in that fashion, which will include participation in a variety of different alternate programming.”

— Hakeem Jeffries, House Minority Leader (washingtonexaminer.com)

What’s next

It remains to be seen how many House Democrats will heed Jeffries' call and either silently protest or boycott the State of the Union address.

The takeaway

Jeffries' directive to House Democrats underscores the deep partisan divide in Washington, as the opposition party seeks to make a symbolic statement during one of the president's most prominent speeches.