Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) had an interesting way of expressing how little she’s looking forward to Donald Trump’s State of the Union (SOTU) address, which is scheduled for tonight.

“I would rather stick forks in my eyes than be here tonight to listen to Donald Trump talk about the state of the union,” she said at a press conference earlier today, along with Minnesota Democratic Reps. Betty McCollum and Ilhan Omar. “But this is the people’s house, and I will not abandon the people’s house.”

Related

Democrats plan unprecedented move in response to Trump’s State of the Union

She was referring to how dozens of congressional Democrats are saying that they won’t be attending the SOTU tonight, a major break in tradition since usually all members of Congress from both parties attend.

Insights for the LGBTQ+ community

Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today

“We cannot normalize this moment when Trump is marching our country toward fascism,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-CT), who has been one of the administration’s sharpest critics in Congress, told the New York Times last week. He was one of the first Democrats to say that he would not attend. “I refuse to be a prop in the chamber as Donald Trump shreds our Constitution and attacks our democracy.”

Out Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) has said that he will not be attending the SOTU but that he invited Annie Farmer, a victim of child sex trafficker and Trump associate Jeffrey Epstein, to the SOTU.

“I’ve invited Annie to the State of the Union so she can join other survivors and remind the President of his refusal to release all the Epstein files,” he wrote on X. “I’ll be at the People’s State of the Union and tell her story.”

Out Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT) said that she will also be boycotting the SOTU and will be speaking at the People’s State of the Union on the National Mall, an event organized by the liberal group MoveOn and media outlet MeidasTouch.

“Instead of sitting through what has become President Trump’s annual self-congratulation, misinformation, and division speech,” she said in a statement, “I look forward to a night of standing with colleagues, organizers, advocates, and everyday Americans who are committed to doing the real and honest work of protecting our rights, strengthening our communities, and holding those in power accountable.”

Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.