By Stacy M. Brown, BlackPressUSA.com Senior National Correspondent
As Donald Trump prepares to address Congress for the first time since reclaiming the White House, Democrats are shifting their approach. Gone are the walkouts and viral protests—this time, they aim to counter Trump’s rhetoric with a more strategic response. “In 2017, a lot of us felt like Donald Trump was an anomaly. In 2025, he won the election. Everybody knows who he is,” said Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.). “I think we have to be very strategic as Democrats.”
Rather than reacting to Trump’s speech in real-time, Democrats plan to highlight the impact of his policies. Lawmakers are bringing guests affected by budget cuts under the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk. A party memo reported by Politico encourages members to frame Trump as favoring billionaires at the expense of working Americans, urging them to “unify around the message that Democrats are on the side of the American people.” Unlike past years, no widespread boycott of Trump’s speech is planned. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) stressed how important it is for her Democratic colleagues to attend. “It’s important for viewers to see a significant presence of us there,” she said. However, some, like Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), are refusing to attend. “The notion of half my colleagues rising and standing and enormous clapping for … things that I think are terrible for the American people every couple of minutes will not be funny,” Beyer said.
The Democratic response will come from Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), whose focus on economic issues signals an effort to reconnect with middle-class voters. Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) will deliver the Spanish-language rebuttal, while Rep. Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.) will provide a progressive response. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is demanding that Trump explain why he has “failed to do anything to lower the high cost of living” and why his administration has “unleashed far-right extremism on the American people.” Beyond the speech, Democrats are grappling with their identity. At a recent retreat, strategists admitted to key failures, including weak messaging and a disconnect with working-class voters. They discussed shifting toward themes of patriotism, community, and economic reform while broadening outreach beyond elite circles. With Trump back in power, Democrats view Tuesday’s speech as a test: Can they effectively challenge his narrative, or will they fall into the same traps? “In the wake of this election, where it became so evident that the things that the left was doing and saying deeply hurt Harris and down-ballot Democrats, a lot of people are looking to us,” said Matt Bennett of Third Way.
