Speaker of the House Mike Johnson criticized Democrats for holding five separate events aimed at countering President Trump’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday. He argued that the party is relying on “the same tired playbook they’ve run for a decade,” offering Americans nothing beyond opposition to the president. Johnson went on to laud the Trump administration’s progress on issues ranging from illegal immigration to the economy, contrasting the Democrats’ spectacles with what he described as genuine “Republican progress.”
🚨 BREAKING: Speaker Johnson EVISCERATES the Democrats for pathetically hosting *5* counter-events to BOYCOTT President Trump's SOTU address tonight
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) February 24, 2026
"They have NOTHING to offer! All they do is SHUT DOWN the government and OBSTRUCT!" 🔥
"It doesn't matter how many little… pic.twitter.com/dxvTXTrmT7
"Meanwhile, they're going to host, count them, five separate counter-events, rallies of some sort they call them, in lieu of tonight's address," Johnson told a crowd of reporters. "For all of these theatrics, it doesn't matter how many little gatherings they have or where they stand or how high the volume is on the microphones, they have nothing to offer, nothing but their TDS agenda, the Trump Derangement Syndrome, and it's on full display."
All they can say, all they can tell you about is how they oppose President Trump and thwart his agenda and shut down the government and protest everything, from the president's joint address to basic immigration enforcement, and they obstruct any meaningful progress for the sake of obstruction.
"It's the same tired playbook that they've run for a decade now," the Speaker added. "It's shameful that they would boycott an address. We don't do that. Republicans don't do that. It doesn't matter if there's a president from the opposing party. We don't skip out."
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Speaker Johnson went on to explain that members of Congress owe it to their constituents to be responsible lawmakers and to carry out their duties with respect and dignity. He called the Democrats’ boycott “shameful” and insisted that Americans deserve better.
"Our constituents want and need us to be here. Every member of this House represents over 750,000 people. They're disenfranchised if you're not sitting in the seat to be a part of the role and the responsibility of Congress," Johnson said. "I think it's shameful."
Unlike the Democrats with TDS, he said Republicans have over a year of progress to be proud of, supplying real Americans with real results.
"Republicans have a far simpler and far superior message for Americans watching at home," Johnson said. "We're putting more money back in your pockets. We're restoring peace through strength. We're defending our border and deporting criminal, illegal aliens. We're standing up for American industry and manufacturing, and we're making American workers, not foreign countries, the clear winners in this American economy. Those are not talking points. That is what we have delivered. It's called Republican results."
We are proud to run on that message in this fateful midterm election year. So tonight, President Trump will demonstrate that Republicans are the only team working seriously to bring common sense back to our broken system. It's promises made, promises kept. And he's working, and we're all working together to make the country stronger, safer, and more affordable and more prosperous for all Americans. And many of them will be represented in that big, beautiful gallery tonight. The American people will see that.
Editor's Note: With President Trump back in the White House, the state of our Union is strong once again.
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