WASHINGTON — Sen. Patty Murray said she will not attend President Donald Trump’s State of the Union Address, joining a growing number of Democrats who have declared they will skip the tradition.
“I’m not attending his State of the Union to listen to him ramble and lie. Instead, I’ll be sharing the ways he’s hurting hardworking Americans,” the senior Democrat from Washington state said in a social media statement on Thursday. She accused him of being “the most corrupt President in American history by a long shot.”
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, of Seattle, has also said she will not attend the State of the Union address, scheduled for Feb. 24. “I do not need to attend the State of the Union address just to listen to more lies. Costs are up, unemployment is up, and millions of people cannot afford food, medicine or rent,” Jayapal said in a statement.
Democrats have sought to register dissent during Trump’s remarks to Congress. Last year, Texas Rep. Al Green stood and shouted at the president — he was removed from the chamber — while other Democrats held signs that condemned Trump’s allies as well, such as “Musk steals.” Jayapal has skipped at least one of Trump’s previous State of the Union addresses as well.
This year, many Democrats are boycotting the event altogether, instead rallying at an alternate “People’s State of the Union” on the National Mall, near the Capitol. It is unclear how many Democratic members of Congress will attend Trump’s address.
The White House said that Democrats have voted against American interests, pointing to issues such as border security and the deportation of undocumented immigrants.
“It’s not a surprise that they refuse to celebrate and honor the Americans who have benefitted from the commonsense policies Republicans have governed with,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement on Thursday.
