How Many Times Have Democrats Disrupted a Trump State of the Union Address?
24th February 2026
As Americans tune in to President Donald Trump’s fourth official State of the Union address Tuesday, they may expect Democrats to make a scene of one sort or another.
Twelve Democrats have announced they will boycott the speech and instead attend the “People’s State of the Union,” an event organized by the leftist group MoveOn.org.
About 60 Democrats boycotted Trump’s first inauguration in 2017, and Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., boycotted his address to a joint session of Congress that year (Trump’s speeches in 2017 and 2025 did not count as official State of the Union addresses).
Eleven Democrats said they would boycott the State of the Union in 2018, and others boycotted the 2020 speech (including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Al Green, D-Texas).
Many Democrats, however, stayed and disrupted the speeches—as many likely will on Tuesday.
UPDATE: 3 Reasons Democrat State of the Union Stunts Will Likely Fail