There’s one question I have after Tuesday night’s State of the Union address: Are Democrats even trying to be a serious party anymore? I assure you that it’s a serious question. More than 70 Democrats skipped the chamber entirely, announcing their boycotts in advance, pretending their pandering to the radical base was some kind of act of courage. But those who showed up didn’t exactly do any better.
Boycotting a State of the Union speech en masse is actually a new thing for the Democrats. As House Speaker Mike Johnson noted, it’s actually quite unprecedented. "I think it's detestable that members would boycott the speech," he told CBS News. "We've never done that."
Some Democrats stayed home, but many participated in counter-events. And this is where things went from embarrassing to genuinely surreal.
Two competing productions actually thought they would steal attention from the president's address. The first was an outdoor rally near the Potomac, sponsored by MoveOn.org and featuring failed MSNBC hosts Joy Reid and Katie Phang serving as emcees. Based on videos posted to social media, it was an absolute trainwreck.
Let’s check in on the Democrats counter protest to President Trump’s State of the Union pic.twitter.com/7slHUt9et9
— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) February 25, 2026
Yeah. That’s Reid and Phang attempting to lead the crowd in a sing-along. The crowd did not participate. Hecklers, it turns out, were more engaged than the attendees.
Ha ha the people heckling host Joy Reid sound like they're about 10 feet away. Big stuff at the HOOK alternate State of the Union from MoveOn and Soros. pic.twitter.com/aJuIUEnRTc
— Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) February 25, 2026
There was another event at the National Press Club, where Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.) took the stage to deliver remarks surrounded by inflatable frogs.
No, I’m not joking.
Democrats Stage Bizarre 'State of the Swamp' Circus with Inflatable Frogs to Counter Trump's SOTU | Cassandra MacDonald, The Gateway Pundit
— Owen Gregorian (@OwenGregorian) February 25, 2026
As President Donald Trump made his way to the Capitol for his State of the Union address, a ragtag group of left-wing activists, Hollywood… pic.twitter.com/S8kcgUpzzh
The Democrats who did show up didn't exactly improve the party's image. Before Trump even reached the podium, Rep. Al Green of Texas had already gotten himself ejected from the chamber — the second year in a row he's been tossed from a Trump address — this time for holding up a protest sign.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, while the rest of the chamber roared "U-S-A" to welcome the gold medal-winning Olympic hockey team, appeared on camera mouthing what some say looked unmistakably like "K-K-K." She also wore an expletive-laced anti-ICE pin and spent the evening screaming at the president about the Epstein files. Rep. Ilhan Omar, not to be outdone, spent the night shouting insults at Trump that reportedly included calling him "a liar and a sick f***."
Real classy.
So let's take stock. On one side, Democrats who attended the State of the Union acted like children, shouting at Trump, refusing to applaud genuinely bipartisan moments. On the other side, you have Democrats with inflatable frogs and other embarrassing displays. Regardless of where they were, their behavior was juvenile and embarrassing.
This is the Democratic Party right now. They’re not a serious party anymore, and I dare say it’s been a while since they’ve been one.
