Democrat Announces Trump Boycott

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, announced that he will be boycotting President Trump’s upcoming speech to Congress. Connolly, who represents a district filled with government employees and federal contractors, stated that his absence is a form of protest in solidarity with those workers who have lost their jobs due to the sweeping federal workforce cuts initiated by Trump’s administration.

However, this protest goes beyond just those affected workers. Connolly indicated that his boycott is a stance against numerous policies that, in his view, harm various groups both at home and abroad. He pointed to the military veterans fired under Trump’s administration, the people who are at risk of losing vital social services such as healthcare due to Republican Medicaid cuts, and even those abroad suffering from the reduction of U.S. aid under Trump’s decision to slash funding to the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Connolly also expressed concern over the treatment of law enforcement officers who were attacked on January 6, 2021, and later saw Trump pardon violent individuals involved in that assault. He framed his boycott as a demonstration against what he perceives as the President’s disregard for the American people in favor of billionaires and his pursuit of chaos.

Although this is the most high-profile boycott thus far, other Democrats have been hesitant to take such a strong stance. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) made clear that while attending the speech was a personal decision, he encourages Democratic attendance to assert a strong opposition to the administration. However, Connolly made it clear that for him, it’s not just about disagreeing with Trump—it’s about standing up for the values he believes the President is undermining.

In a letter to his colleagues, Connolly emphasized that this is not business as usual. He has attended every State of the Union during his 16 years in Congress, but he said these are not normal times. For him, sitting through the speech would be an endorsement of the turmoil that has taken a toll on the country.