Congress and Trump Era Protests

Sen. Adam Schiff, D‑Calif., says he will skip President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday for the first time in his congressional career, accusing Trump in a video message of 'ignoring court orders,' 'weaponizing' the Justice Department against his enemies, and 'letting loose ICE troops in our streets that are getting people killed.' Schiff, who served in the House from 2001 before winning a Senate seat in 2024, said he has 'never missed' an inauguration or State of the Union but argued 'we cannot treat this as normal' and vowed not to give Trump 'the audience he craves for the lies that he tells.' Instead, he plans to take part in a parallel 'People's State of the Union' event organized by liberal groups MeidasTouch and MoveOn, which multiple other Democratic lawmakers also intend to attend. The move illustrates how opposition to Trump’s handling of the Justice Department and aggressive ICE tactics is shaping Democratic protest tactics around the high‑profile address, even as party leaders debate whether to boycott, attend in 'silent defiance,' or stage smaller demonstrations inside the chamber.