Trump State of the Union

Democrats have tapped Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger to deliver the English-language response immediately after President Trump’s Feb. 24, 2026 State of the Union (about 10 p.m. EST) and Sen. Alex Padilla to deliver the Spanish-language rebuttal. Spanberger — a former CIA operations officer and 2018 “blue wave” House winner now cast as a moderate, service‑oriented contrast to Trump — is expected to give a brief, affordability‑focused critique of rising costs and community upheaval ahead of the midterms, while Padilla will challenge Trump’s “everything is fine” rhetoric and spotlight alleged abuses by federal agents and DHS/ICE; Democrats are also planning counterprogramming and urging members to sit in “silent defiance” or skip the address.