Donald Trump, the President of the United States, is set to deliver his first State of the Union address of his second term to the U.S. Congress on the evening of the 24th, local time, as the midterm elections approach. President Trump is expected to highlight the achievements of his administration over the past year in economic, diplomatic, and immigration policies during the joint session of Congress attended by both the House and Senate members.
Though President Trump addressed Congress in March last year, it was not considered an official State of the Union address. Amid ongoing conflicts surrounding the immigration policy reform following the incident where two civilians were killed by immigration enforcement agents in Minnesota, the Democratic Party is expected to aim for public opinion ahead of the midterm elections by boycotting the State of the Union address.
The New York Times and The Hill reported that some Democratic lawmakers plan to either not attend the speech at all or walk out during it. Democratic Representatives Dina Titus and Sydney Kamlager-Dove have stated they will not attend the address. Congressman Jared Huffman also indicated he will walk out during Trump’s speech, stating, “The only question for me is which disgusting remark of his will cause me to stand up and leave.”
Many Democratic lawmakers plan to boycott the speech and instead attend a “People’s State of the Union” rally near the Capitol at the National Mall, hosted by the left-wing organization MoveOn and progressive media outlet MeidasTouch. Hakeem Jeffries, the House Majority Leader and a member of the Democratic congressional leadership, announced he plans to attend the State of the Union for now, advising members to maintain silence throughout the speech or not attend at all.