Many Democrats plan to protest President Trump’s address by skipping it, wearing dissent messages, or bringing guests impacted by his administration’s actions. “Many Democrats are taking guests who they say have been hurt by Elon Musk’s gutting of the federal bureaucracy.”

Senator Patty Murray criticized the administration, saying, “The state of the union is that the president is spitting in the face of the law and he is letting an unelected billionaire fire cancer researchers and wreck federal agencies like the Social Security Administration at will.” Murray will not attend the speech, choosing to meet with affected constituents instead.

Over a dozen Democrats will bring fired federal workers as guests, aiming to highlight the administration’s impact on public employees. Some invited veterans, arguing they have been unfairly targeted.

Others plan to distribute stickers accusing Musk of “stealing Social Security” to emphasize the administration’s cuts.

A few Democrats will boycott the event entirely, opting to host live fact-checking sessions or other counterprogramming instead.