This marks the first time Schiff, who has been in office for over two decades, has ever skipped the annual event.
Schiff, a vocal critic of Trump who played a prominent role in the former president’s impeachments during his first term, made the announcement in a video statement.
“Donald Trump is violating the law and the Constitution. He is ignoring court orders, he is weaponizing the Justice Department to go after his enemies, he is letting loose ICE troops in our streets that are getting people killed,” Schiff said. “I will not be attending the State of the Union. I’ve never missed one. I have always gone, both to inaugurations and to States of the Union, but we cannot treat this as normal.”
He added, “I won’t give him the audience he craves for the lies that he tells.”
I won’t attend Trump’s State of the Union on Tuesday.
Here’s what I’ll be doing instead:pic.twitter.com/54GcZdvApP
— Adam Schiff (@SenAdamSchiff)February 22, 2026
Instead of attending the address, Schiff plans to participate in an alternative event called the “People’s State of the Union,” organized by the progressive media outlet MeidasTouch and the advocacy group MoveOn Civic Action.
The rally is set to take place on the National Mall outside the Capitol at 8 p.m. Eastern Time that evening.
According to reports, Schiff will speak at the event, joining other Democrats in what organizers describe as a “counter-narrative” to Trump’s speech.
Source: The Gateway Pundit
