House Democrats are planning to wage protests during President Donald Trumpâs State of the Union address to Congress next week.
Trumpâs speech will likely include remarks about a Department of Homeland Security shutdown after immigration agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens in Minnesota, per The Hill.
The White House and Democrats have been locked in an impasse over reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.
Some Democrats are planning to make a quieter stand by skipping the high-profile event. Others are prepared to walk out midspeech. Others still want to bring guests to underscore their arguments about the real-world impact of Trumpâs policies.
âThe only question for me is which of his disgusting lines prompts me to get up and leave, because at some point I will,â Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) told Axios.
Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) told The Hill via text message that heâs âthinkingâ about protesting during Trumpâs speech, though he didnât share specifics on what exactly heâll do.
âI donât have details to share but this President is not above law, his massive corruption, unconstitutional actions, his insults to our allies and despicable acts at Epsteinâs island must be protested,â he said.
Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) said in an emailed statement she will be bringing one of her constituents, âwho is a small business owner of a nonprofit daycare and advocate for the Affordable Care Act,â as her guest.
âWith the address likely to be divisive, I believe itâs important to have a guest in the room who has the pulse of what the American people really care about: affordable childcare and healthcare for all,â she said.
A spokesperson for Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.) said she views the State of the Union as âan opportunity to share the stories of those impacted by the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicansâ actions over the past year.â
âShe will be bringing a guest who can speak to how their disastrous policies have made it harder for him and his family to make ends meet as they face an active health care crisis,â the spokesperson said.
The presidentâs annual State of the Union address to Congress is an opportunity that minority parties have historically taken advantage of in ways both loud and quiet. And itâs sometimes resulted in disagreements over how to protest.
Last year, Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) stood up during the speech to claim the president had no mandate, raising his walking cane in Trumpâs direction.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) responded ordering the sergeant-at-arms to ârestore orderâ by removing Green from the chamber. The House later censured him in a largely party-line vote.