The State of the Union, delivered annually by the President of the United States, is designed to instill hope, bring the country together and inform the nation of the President’s goals. However, this year, Democrats decided to make their message heard as well.
In the eight weeks since President Donald Trump took office, unrest has been growing over his slew of executive orders and the near-unchecked power being given to Elon Musk along with his Department of Government Efficiency. Democrats have made it clear that a response is necessary, but up until now, they have been unsure of what it should look like and have largely been uncoordinated. The Democratic protest at the State of the Union may reveal the beginning of their strategy to block Trump’s goals; however, more significant action needs to be taken.
Despite Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer affirming that Trump’s presidency is a threat to democracy that invites chaos and can lead to “damage that is irreversible,” an equally unprecedented response from Democrats seeking to thwart the Trump administration has yet to be seen. Further, according to CBS News, not a single Democratic senator voted “no” on all of Trump’s cabinet appointees; many approved upwards of 10 members.
As a result, pressure has been mounting for Democrats to take a stronger stance against Trump and Musk. According to USA Today, grassroots activists have rallied to pressure Democratic leaders in the House and Senate to halt the Trump administration or “risk a primary challenge from the left next year.”
The State of the Union, delivered on March 5 by Trump, may be our first glimpse at what a protest from Democratic leadership could look like. In a silent protest, many congresswomen from the Democratic Women’s Caucus dressed in pink to symbolize the feminist movement and women’s march. Other members wore blue and yellow clothes and accessories to show their support for Ukraine after President Trump and Vice President Vance’s “diplomatic” meeting with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy.
Not so silently, many Democrats held up signs reading “MUSK STEALS,” “SAVE MEDICAID,” “FALSE” and “PROTECT VETERANS” throughout the speech. They also shouted at Trump, particularly when he made misleading or egregious statements. Some Democrats chose not to attend or walked out during the speech. Most notably, Rep. Al Green (TX-9) took a stand at the start of the speech to shut down and wave his cane at the President. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson ordered Green’s removal.
While these actions do not move to shift policy or make an effort to block the president’s agenda, they may represent a new, unified Democratic Party. Even though Democrats may want to maintain formal decorum by protesting silently on Capitol Hill, their actions outside of events like the State of the Union need to show the same level of unison and bring the level of disruptions their constituents demand.
Without a strong dissent, protests like these are only a continuation of the Democratic Party’s inability to fight back against Republicans they believe seek to upend government and the U.S.’s democracy. The protest at the State of the Union is only acceptable if Democrats in Congress follow through with their demands. Otherwise, they will have a hard time justifying why voters should not support an alternate party that will fight for them.
