Democratic response to Trump's SOTU becomes a crowded affair
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(Left to right) Rep. Summer Lee (Pa.), Gov. Abigail Spanberger (Va.), Sen. Alex Padilla (Calif.), Sen. Chris Murphy (Conn.). Photos: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc; Al Drago/Bloomberg; Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.
Top Democrats instructed members not to interrupt President Trump's State of the Union speech next Tuesday — so instead they're planning individualized responses to show opposition to his agenda.
Why it matters: Fresh off a slew of reassuring election wins, Democrats are trying to mobilize every faction of their coalition before the midterms — but a range of messages could dilute their impact.
State of play: As Axios previously reported, members are tailoring their approaches, though the common thread is to challenge Trump.
- Some plan to deliver direct addresses or attend counter-rallies, including Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).
- Others, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), will likely skip the speech altogether.
- And some, like Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), might attend and cause distractions, defying House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' warning against disruptions.
Worth noting: The varied responses may prevent Democrats from presenting a fully unified front, but it has become common for factions within both parties to deliver separate rebuttals aimed at different constituencies.
- In 2023, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders delivered the official Republican response to President Biden's speech, while Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.) followed with a Spanish-language response aimed at Spanish speakers.
Here's what we know about Democrat-led responses:
The official Democrat response
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger will give the parties' official response Tuesday night, according to a joint statement from Jeffries and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D- N.Y.)
- Members of the opposition party have consistently delivered responses shortly after the president's speech since 1982.
- While the official response is typically televised, more members in recent years have turned to social media to get their words out.
Zoom in: Spanberger is the first woman to hold the commonwealth's governorship, and was a national security professional before flipping a red seat blue in 2018.
- She's thought of as a moderate politician who can appeal to broad swaths of voters.
Case in point: Last year, she won the governorship by the largest margin for a Democrat in the state in six decades, according to the announcement.
The Democratic response in Spanish
California's first Latino U.S. Senator, Sen. Alex Padilla, will deliver the party's response in Spanish.
- Padilla drew national headlines in June when a video of him trying to ask questions about the president's immigration agenda went viral before being forcibly removed from a Homeland Security press conference.
- As Democrats fume over federal agents' perceived lack of accountability — particularly after the deaths of two Minneapolis residents — Padilla appeals to Spanish-speaking voters who feel the immigration crackdown targets them.
What they're saying: Jeffries condemned the Trump administration and praised Padilla in a statement, saying he has "consistently fought back and proven Democrats will not bend the knee to this out-of-control administration."
The progressive Democrat response
Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) will be giving the Working Families Party's response, underscoring her rise within the party's left wing.
- In the past, progressive darlings such as Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) have given the address.
Lee has previously supported progressive policies like Medicare-for-All and the Green New Deal.
- When she won her state House seat in 2018, she had the backing of the Democratic Socialists of America.
- Her speech will likely resonate with voters who feel Democrats don't do enough to push back on the Trump administration and who want to push Democrats further to the left.
Democrat-led counter-rallies
The number of Democrats attending counter-rallies is growing too.
- Some are attending an event called "People's State of the Union," and others are attending an event called the "State of the Swamp."
- Both are hosted by liberal groups hoping to resist the Trump administration.
Go deeper: Scoop: Rep. Summer Lee to give the left's State of the Union response
