Trump

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger delivered the official Democrat response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on February 24. But lawmakers held at least five rallies reacting to and protesting his remarks, including a “State of the Swamp” rally and a “People’s State of the Union.”

Many speakers reacted unfavorably to immigration and tariff policies, attacked Department of Government Efficiency cuts in spending, or said the president would give a dishonest representation of the country. 

With more than 70 legislators boycotting the president’s address, here are a few memorable moments from the protest rallies they participated in, along with some highlights from Gov. Spanberger’s official response. 

State of the Swamp Rally

At the same time that the president was giving his speech to Congress, a four-hour State of the Swamp rally took place at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Attendees were addressed by Democrat statespersons such as Reps. Eugene Vinman (VA) andJason Crowe (CO), New York congressional candidate George Conway, and former Georgia State Minority Leader Stacey Abrams. 

Miles Taylor, who served for a short time in the first Trump administration as Chief of Staff at the Department of Homeland Security under Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, organized the eventthrough his organization DEFIANCE.org. 

Taylor encouraged the audience, saying, “Laugh … if it’s funny. If it’s not, boo him off the stage.… We’re going to get a lot of energy in this room.” 

He then introduced his co-hosts, the Portland Frog Brigade, explaining their significance to the uninformed: 

Portland Frogs Defy Authoritarianism With Ribbits and Dancing

Portland Congresswoman Maxine Dexter spoke at the State of the Swamp rally, describing the city’s response as the National Guard was deployed there to address violent protests against the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers: 

In a show of solidarity with the Brigade, many attendees wore frog headgear. 

Activists actors like Mark Ruffalo, Robert De Niro and Robby Roadsteamer — dressed in his signature giraffe onesie — also spoke at the rally, calling on citizens to engage in politics and speaking out against the loss of freedom of speech in America. 

Roadsteamer said he was arrested for protesting ICE and singing songs with witty lyrics like, “Hey Mister Tangerine Man, get rid of brown people for me, I’m Aryan white, there ain’t no place I’m going to.” 

People’s State of the Union Rally on the National Mall

Activist groups MoveOn and Meidas Touch News sponsored a second rally with even more legislators attending. 

As reported by Politico, “A few hundred people braved the cold to gather on the National Mall for a ‘People’s State of the Union,’ joining about three dozen Democratic members of Congress who are boycotting Donald Trump’s address.”

MoveOn Executive Director Katie Bethell explained the reason for the rally: 

Bethel went on to describe “the thousands of people who are afraid every day because of ICE roaming their streets” and “the millions of people who’ve lost their healthcare on his watch.” 

Independent journalists Joy Reid, of the Joy Reid Show, and Katie Phang, of the Katie Phang News Channel, hosted the event. Reid told the crowd, “We are both exes of the artist formerly known as MSNBC. We are so excited to be here.” 

The event lasted more than three hours, featuring speakers like Senators Jeff Merkley (OR), Adam Schiff (CA), Chris Murphy (CT) and Ruben Gallego (AZ). 

Murphy was interrupted by a protestor yelling, “Go Trump! Go Trump!” before security rushed him off the stage. 

Sen. Markey (MA) was introduced by Reid as “the author of the Green New Deal.” He thanked the rather subdued crowd and then gave a memorable description of the president’s address to Congress, saying: 

Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA), Yassamin Ansari (AZ), Ayanna Pressley (MA), and Greg Casar (TX) also spoke. 

Governor Abigail Spanberger’s Official Rebuttal

The governor spoke from Colonial Williamsburg, VA, asking Americans three questions: 

• Is the president working to make life more affordable for you and your family? 

• Is the president working to keep Americans safe both at home and abroad? 

• Is the president working for you?

Her speech explained that the answer to all three questions was “No,” adding: 

Like those who spoke at the alternative rallies, she decried the administration’s immigration policies, saying: 

Governor Spanberger attacked the president’s foreign policy and the downsizing of federal agencies. She accused President Trump of “enriching himself, his family, his friends,” adding: 

Spanberger concluded by touting Democrat victories in Virginia, New Jersey and other states and encouraged listeners “to unite in a common cause to move this nation forward.” 

Related articles and resources: 

‘Everyday Americans’ Honored at Address to Congress

First Lady Welcomes Foster and Adoptive Families to the White House

President Trump: “No state can be allowed to rip children from their parents’ arms”

What to Expect From Trump’s State of the Union Address 

Photos from Getty Images and YouTube “State of the Swamp: A Night of Defiance.”

As anticipated, President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday evening eclipsed modern-day records with the address lasting 108 minutes — 9 minutes longer than last’s years presentation.

A CNN poll conducted immediately afterwards found that more than 6 in 10 viewers reported a positive reaction.

Similar to last year, Rep. Al Green (D-TX) was thrown out of the chamber for repeatedly interrupting the speech. Several members also attempted to shout down the president during parts of the address but weren’t nearly as persistent or disruptive.

If you didn’t tune in or stay up to watch, what were the most important takeaways, especially for those of us who espouse a socially conservative Christian worldview?

President Trump called on Congress to ban the surgical mutilation of sexually confused children:

In the gallery tonight are Sage Blair and her mother, Michele. In 2021, Sage was 14 when school officials in Virginia sought to socially transition her to a new gender, treating her as a boy and hiding it from her parents. Hard to believe, isn’t it? 

Before long, a confused Sage ran away from home. After she was found in a horrific situation in Maryland, a left-wing judge refused to return Sage to her parents because they did not immediately state that their daughter was their son. Sage was thrown into an all-boys state home and suffered terribly for a long time. But today, all of that is behind them. Sage is a proud and wonderful young woman with a full ride scholarship to Liberty University.

And who can believe that we’re even speaking about things like this? 15 years ago, if somebody was up here and said that, they’d say, “What’s wrong with him?” But now we have to say it because it’s going on all over numerous states. They’re not even telling the parents. But surely we can all agree, no state can be allowed to rip children from their parents’ arms and transition them to a new gender against the parents’ will. Who would believe that we’re even talking about it? We must ban it, and we must ban it immediately.

President Trump welcomed Erika Kirk, the widow of the slain TPUSA founder, Charlie Kirk:

In Charlie’s memory, we must all come together to reaffirm that America is one nation under God. And we must totally reject political violence of any kind. We love religion, and we love bringing it back. And it’s coming back at levels that nobody actually thought possible. It’s really a beautiful thing to see. Above all, unleashing America’s promise requires keeping our communities safe. We have made incredible strides, yet dangerous repeat offenders continue to be released…

Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, along with his mother, Melanie, were also in the gallery. A member of the Air Force serving with the West Virginia Air National Guard, Staff Sgt. Wolfe was shot in the head last year in Washington, D.C., along with West Virginia Army National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, who died from her injuries. Guardsman Beckstrom’s parents, Gary and Evalea, were also attending the speech and were thanked and honored by the president.

The president acknowledged the pain, grief and unthinkable loss suffered by Jacqueline Medina, whose 16-year-old daughter was murdered by an illegal alien who had been previously arrested and released. Ms. Medina was seated in the gallery, along with Anya Zarutska. You’ll remember it was Anya’s 23-year-old daughter, Iryna, who was stabbed to death on a Charlotte train by a man who had been arrested and released over a dozen time. Mr. Trump declared:

Tonight, I promise you, we will ensure justice for your magnificent daughter, Iryna.

He continued:

So tonight, I’m inviting every legislator to join with my administration and reaffirming a fundamental principle. If you agree with this statement, then stand up and show your support: The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.

Only half the room stood up. 

President Trump then called on Congress to pass the “SAVE America Act” — legislation that would require voters to show identification before casting their ballot:

Both Republicans and Democrats overwhelmingly agree on the policy that we just enunciated, and Congress should unite and enact this common sense, country saving legislation right now. And it should be before anything else happens.

During last night’s address, President Trump also highlighted his administration’s efforts to lower the cost of prescription medication. To illustrate the commitment, he highlighted a woman struggling with long-term infertility and noting that lower prices for certain drugs put IVF within reach. 

Efforts to make IVF more accessible and affordable may represent a good-faith effort with excellent intentions. But Christians should also be aware that many doctors and fertility clinics recklessly and carelessly destroy and dispose of millions of embryos every single year. Focus on the Family has historically urged caution for married couples pursuing such treatment and opposes this destruction of human life and offersguidelines on how they might reduce the ethical concerns surrounding it. 

President Trump honored 99-year-old World War II veteran Buddy Taggart, and also hailed and feted the U.S. Men’s Olympic hockey team. 

Concluding the evening, the president struck an optimistic and forward-looking posture:

The revolution that began in 1776 has not ended. It still continues because the flame of liberty and independence still burns in the heart of every American patriot, and our future will be bigger, better, brighter, bolder, and more glorious than ever before. 

You can count on President Donald Trump delivering a lengthy “State of the Union” address on Tuesday evening before a joint session of Congress, an annual tradition dating back to 1790.

We know it’s going to be a fulsome message because the president himself made that clear on Monday in talking about what to expect.

“It’s going to be a long speech because we have so much to talk about,” President Trump said from the White House.

Reports indicate the 45^th and 47^th chief executive has been working on the message with a host of advisors, including Ross Worthington, the White House director of speechwriting, chief of staff Susie Wiles, deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller, press secretary Karoline Leavitt, communications director Steven Cheung, and director of domestic policy counsel Vince Haley.

Dozens of Democrat lawmakers are planning to skip the speech and attend a counter-event instead. Leadership has encouraged those in the minority party who will be in the historic chamber to refrain from disrupting the presentation. 

In addition to its extensive duration, you can also count on the president delving into some key topics and themes, especially America’s economic standing both at home and abroad. 

“We have the greatest economy we’ve ever had,” President Trump said on Monday. “I’m making a speech [Tuesday] night and you’ll be hearing me say that.”

Simply put, he’ll be saying a lot of bad things are down and a lot of good things are up. 

We’ll hear about tax cuts and the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” as well as a rise in annual earnings, and an historic stock market that continues to grow and rise more than it falls. “Affordability” is the big buzz word these days and you can count on that term coming up numerous times. Expect him to be talking about how to make the “American Dream” more affordable and attainable. 

President Trump will undoubtedly also be talking about tensions in Iran, the fourth anniversary of the Ukraine/Russia war and the hard-won peace in other areas of the Middle East and around the world. 

We’ll likely hear a lot about tariffs, the administration’s successful efforts to secure the southern border, the dramatic drop in fentanyl trafficking, and Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) work to enforce immigration laws within the United States. 

You can expect the president to applaud the largest one-year decline in homicides in U.S. history, as well as a nationwide drop in rapes, robberies, and aggravated assaults. Drug overdoses have also fallen by more than 20%.

It’s also being reported that President Trump will welcome Sage Blair, a 14-year-old girl whose school hid her sexual confusion from her parents, a deception that triggered a cascading series of tragedy. Without parental involvement, Sage ran away from home, was kidnapped, drugged and raped. Sage, who attends Liberty University, has since been healed and reunited with her parents. The president will highlight her story and urge states to ban the sexual mutilation of minors.

Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, is expected to be in attendance. The sober recognition of her unfathomable loss will contrast with the presence of Team USA’s gold-medal winning ice hockey team.

When President George Washington addressed Congress for the first time on January 8, 1790, he used just over 1,000 words to emphasize the young nation was “blessed” and enjoyed “rising credit and respectability.”

He also called for “the cool and deliberate exertion of your patriotism, firmness, and wisdom.” Washington stressed, “A free people ought not only to be armed, but disciplined.” Recognizing the country was growing, he encouraged the building of post offices and roads. 

In that first “State of the Union” address, Washington made clear there was a significant difference between true freedom and recklessness disguised as freedom. He urged lawmakers “to discriminate the spirit of liberty from that of licentiousness – cherishing the first, avoiding the last – and uniting a speedy but temperate vigilance against encroachments, with an inviolable respect to the laws.”

In short, self-government won’t work without self-discipline. Lawlessness inevitably leads to the loss of liberty.

It’s been just over 236 years since President Washington uttered those timeless words. The country has grown exponentially larger in size and citizenry, and much richer, too, but those warnings remain as relevant as ever in 2026. 

President Trump is a president and not a pastor, but it would be good if he were to stress similar and even much larger and far more critical themes on Tuesday night. Politicians historically debate and declare the “state of the union” and often do so in economic, military, and geo-political terms. Yet as Christians, we know it goes much deeper into the spiritual. 

Ultimately, a nation is only as strong as the hearts and minds of its people. It’s measured by how we treat the most vulnerable and fragile. It’s dependent on our relationship with reality — including that there are two sexes, male and female. There’s a correlation between thriving countries and thriving families, the basic and fundamental unit of society. Strong and loving marriages offer the best hope for producing spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically healthy children. 

A truly healthy American Union isn’t obsessed with the digital and the virtual but rather committed to daily and real interactions between real people. 

Two things can be simultaneously true and often are: the State of the Union can be strong on many important measures — but in desperate need of revival and restoration in other key and critical areas.

We are in desperate need of God’s wisdom — and President Trump and all our lawmakers are in desperate need of our prayers.