Senator Gallego Draws Online Backlash After Announcing State of the Union Boycott

U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) announced Friday that he will not attend the upcoming State of the Union address on Tuesday, opting instead to deliver a video message explaining his protest — a move that quickly generated substantial online backlash. The move appears unprecedented in modern Arizona political history, with no recent record of a U.S. senator from the state boycotting the annual address amid partisan differences.

In a post to X that has drawn more than 792,000 views, Gallego wrote, “I’m not going to State of the Union,” alongside a 26-second video elaborating on his decision. As of Friday afternoon, the post had accumulated roughly 11,000 replies compared to approximately 2,400 likes — a reply-to-like ratio of more than four to one — indicating significant pushback in the comment thread.

I’m not going to State of the Union. pic.twitter.com/xNxu6An06p

— Senator Ruben Gallego (@SenRubenGallego) February 20, 2026

In the video, Gallego stated in part, “I am not going to the State of the Union, but there are more productive things I could do with my time than just sitting there for two hours and clapping on cue.”

While boycotts of the annual presidential address are not unprecedented, particularly from the House of Representatives, they remain relatively uncommon in the U.S. Senate. Historically, senators from both parties have attended the constitutionally mandated address even when sharply opposed to the sitting president’s policies, choosing instead to voice dissent through statements, rebuttals, or legislative action.

Gallego’s decision comes as national Democrats have already designated an official response to the State of the Union. The party will have a formal platform to counter the president’s remarks to be delivered by Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, according to The New York Post. Against that backdrop, some critics questioned whether skipping the joint session amplifies a message or sidelines it.

Commenters responding to Gallego’s post characterized the boycott as political theater and argued that attendance does not constitute endorsement but participation in a longstanding constitutional tradition.

Voter registration organizer Scott Pressler wrote, “You won’t support the SAVE America Act, which has support from 84% of Americans & 82% of Latinos. We’re used to you defying the popular vote of the American people.”

You won’t support the SAVE America Act, which has support from 84% of Americans & 82% of Latinos.

We’re used to you defying the popular vote of the American people.

— ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) February 21, 2026

Others, including Turning Point Action COO Tyler Bowyer, and Surprise, AZ free speech advocate Rebekah Massie openly mocked Gallego in the comments.

As reported by Politico, Sens. Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Reps. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ), Becca Balint (D-VT), Greg Casar (D-TX), Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), will also be skipping the State of the Union in favor of attending a rally in opposition to the president’s policies, billed as the “People’s State of the Union,” on the National Mall.

Gallego has not indicated whether he plans to attend the Democratic Party function or future State of the Union addresses by President Trump.