Several Democrats to boycott Trump’s address
Several Democratic lawmakers will boycott Donald Trump’s State of the Union address tonight. Instead, many will rally on the National Mall.
So far, at least 30 Democratic members of Congress have said they will skip the State of the Union. These include senators Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Ruben Gallego of Arizona and Adam Schiff of California, as well as progressive representatives Pramila Jayapal, Maxwell Frost and Greg Casar.
The event, dubbed the “People’s State of the Union”, is being coordinated by progressive media network MeidasTouch and the liberal advocacy group MoveOn. Attorney and commentator Katie Phang and former anchor Joy Reid will co-host the rally. The event’s organizers say it will spotlight federal workers, immigrants and Americans affected by the Trump administration’s policies.
In a statement, Van Hollen said that he would not attend the address. “Trump is marching America towards fascism, and I refuse to normalize his shredding of our Constitution & democracy,” he said. “This cannot be business as usual.”
My colleagues will be covering the latest developments from the counter-protests.
Key events
Trump arrives at the US Capitol
Donald Trump has arrived at the US Capitol, where he’s set to address a joint session of Congress in a few minutes.
We’ll bring you the latest as it happens.
A reminder that the president’s address takes place against the backdrop of an ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown.
Following the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by federal immigration agents, during the administration’s crackdown in Minnesota, Democratic lawmakers decried tactics used by Immigration and Customs Enforcment (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Now, members of Congress are at an impasse as they hammer out guardrails for greater oversight for both agencies.
Fabiola Cineas
The crowd chanted “Abolish ICE! Abolish ICE!” as senator Chris Murphy introduced his guest, Afghan refugee and immigrant advocate Fereshteh Ganjavi. Murphy explained he wasn’t at the State of the Union address because “these are not normal times, and Democrats have to stop behaving normally”.
Moments later, a Trump supporter pushed through the barricades on the grounds and confronted Murphy. An organizer pulled the heckler off the stage as the crowd booed.
Host Joy Reid addressed the interruption. “Attention all Maga trolls: Your bullshit is not welcome here,” she said. “We are here to hear the truth and to hear from impacted people.”
Counter rally to Trump’s address begins
Fabiola Cineas
On the National Mall, hundreds of people, including about 30 Democratic members of Congress, are gathered for the “People’s State of the Union,” a counter rally to protest President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address. Attendees held signs that read “No Money for ICE” and “Healthcare Not Warfare”. One person on stage carried a large poster with the photographs of the more than 30 people who were killed in dealings with ICE since Trump took office in 2025.
The event kicked off about an hour before the president’s speech is scheduled to begin.
MoveOn’s executive director Katie Bethell, who helped organize the event, told attendees they organized the boycott, “because we know that Donald Trump’s State of the Union will bear no resemblance to what’s actually happening in this country today”.
Mike Johnson just gavelled the House into session, as lawmakers funnelled into the chamber. Vice-president JD Vance is walking to his seat as he greets guests, members of Congress and officials.
Trump leaves White House for US Capitol
The president is on the move.
Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have left the White House for the US Capitol. It’s just a 2 mile drive through Washington DC.
Republican House speaker Mike Johnson has arrived for Trump’s State of the Union address. He’ll be seated next to the president as he speaks, alongside the vice-president, JD Vance.
Trump will tout negotiations with tech giants to curb datacenter electricity bill hikes
Dharna Noor
During his State of the Union speech tonight, Trump is expected to roll out a “ratepayer protection pledges” plan, which the White House says will shield Americans from electricity price spikes driven by increased demand from AI datacenters.
Trump reportedly negotiated the plans with tech giants, who have agreed to pay for increased electricity costs in locations where new datacenters are being erected. But green groups are skeptical that they will effectively lower bills.
“Let’s be honest: big tech isn’t going to do anything for the benefit of anyone but itself,” said Mitch Jones, managing director of policy and litigation at progressive environmental group Food and Water Watch.
The president promised to halve electricity costs within his first year back in office, but the average US household paid nearly $116 more for electricity in 2025 than the year before, a 6.7% increase, the Guardian found last month. In communities near datacenters, electricity prices increased even more – by as much as 267% compared with five years ago, a Bloomberg analysis found last year.
The real solution, Jones said, is to place a pause on AI expansion.
“With the Trump administration’s complete unwillingness to hold corporations accountable for any number of harmful impacts on society, it’s imperative we halt new datacenter construction now,” he said. “We must take the time to truly study the full range of impacts of datacenters on our local communities – most certainly including the skyrocketing electricity rates already being thrust on families and small businesses – before determining not how, but if this industry can operate in a responsible way.
“This is a big ‘if’, and right now no one – literally no one – knows if it is possible.”
Cabinet members arrive for Trump’s State of the Union address
We’re now seeing pictures of Donald Trump’s cabinet arriving at the US Capitol before the president’s State of the Union address. They’re walking through Statuary Hall and into the House chamber, where Trump will speak.
Joseph Gedeon
Just hours before the State of the Union address, the mood inside the National Press Club for one of the capital’s bigger counter-events is restless and defiant.
“I got into DC a few hours ago and got to this event just minutes ago,” Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey told the Guardian. “It’s full of people trying to stand up for democracy right now – angry about the trajectory of where our nation is going. They’re frustrated by the lack of abiding to the United States constitution.”
Frey, who will be making a rebuttal tonight, gestured to the range of anxieties animating the ballroom: abortion rights, international tensions with Iran, environmental protections.
Hundreds of people are at the event, which is just getting under way.
In 2025, when Trump made a joint address to Congress, he spoke at length about his efforts to cut the size of the federal workforce, change US foreign policy and implement a risky trade agenda, which included massive tariffs. In the speech lasting an hour and 40 minutes – the longest in US history – he also pointed to executive orders and actions implemented in the first weeks of his second term.
This year, despite facing opinion polls showing growing disapproval on a range of issues, it’s likely Trump will continue to insist he is “making America great again”. Expect the president to address issues of tariffs, which were struck down by the supreme court last week and then implemented again this weekend, alongside a range of other issues including immigration and foreign policy.
This year’s address could also run long. According to the official White House schedule, he is not expected to return to the White House until 11.30pm.
A reminder that major news networks will broadcast Trump’s address live. CBS will broadcast a livestream on its YouTube page, as will PBS. The Guardian will have a live feed of the address to Congress and our team of reporters will be covering and factchecking the president’s speech.
As we noted earlier, Trump’s last address to Congress was the longest in recent history. The second-longest was Bill Clinton in 2000, who spoke for 89 minutes, according to the American Presidency Project. The former Democratic president also holds third-place for his State of the Union address in 1995, which lasted 85 minutes.
Trump, however, claims the remaining spots in the top five. His addresses in 2019 and 2018 ran for 82 and 81 minutes, respectively.
