Dozens of Democrats Plan to Skip Trump's 2026 State of the Union, Host Counter-Events

Daily Caller Right

Dozen Democrats Plot To Go AWOL For Trump State Of Union, Host Leftist Pep Rally Instead

1d ago

Bias Score

75%

Headline Bait

65%

This article uses overtly hostile framing throughout: 'Go AWOL,' 'Leftist Pep Rally,' 'left-wing group,' and repeatedly links boycotting lawmakers to unrelated controversies (Kilmar Abrego Garcia, Epstein files) to discredit them. This is a clear use of context-stripping and narrative framing to portray the boycott as illegitimate while embedding partisan talking points as news reporting.

New York Post Right

Democrats plot boycott of Trump's State of the Union address with...

1d ago

Bias Score

62%

Headline Bait

45%

This article uses consistent loaded language to frame Democrats negatively: 'plotting,' 'widely panned for rowdy behavior,' 'Lefty media outlet,' 'State of the Union knockoff,' and 'sniped' for a Democrat's quote. The framing presents the boycott as political theater driven by bad behavior rather than principled opposition, and characterizes organizers dismissively throughout.

Daily Wire Right

At Least 12 Dems To Skip Trump's State Of The Union As Leftist Groups Plan Rival Event

1d ago

Bias Score

58%

Headline Bait

40%

This article uses the Van Hollen 'fascism' quote as a subheadline to front-load inflammatory rhetoric, framing Democratic opposition in its most extreme terms. It describes organizers as 'leftist' and 'liberal,' uses those labels consistently as editorial framing, and provides a White House rebuttal. The historical context of protests is included but selectively applied to normalize past Democratic disruption as precedent.

Raw Story Center-Left

Democrats to boycott Trump's State of the Union

23h ago

Bias Score

42%

Headline Bait

20%

This article frames the boycott as 'unprecedented' and 'historic' without sufficient qualification — only about a dozen of hundreds of Democratic lawmakers are participating. It heavily quotes Democratic senators' characterizations of Trump without providing any Republican or White House response, creating an asymmetric sourcing issue. The phrase 'shreds our Constitution' is presented as political context rather than flagged as partisan rhetoric.

MSNOW Center-Left

Some Democrats plan to ditch Trump's State of the Union address for National Mall rally

By Ebony Davis · 1d ago

Bias Score

35%

Headline Bait

15%

This article accurately reports the facts of the boycott while including the MoveOn characterization of Trump's speech as 'a night full of lies' in the lede without attribution tags that distance the outlet from the claim. It notes internal Democratic divisions over strategy, which is a valuable addition. Murphy's quote calling Trump a liar is presented without balancing Republican perspective.

The New York Times Center-Left

HUD opens discrimination investigation into a Muslim development in Texas.

1d ago

Bias Score

35%

Headline Bait

70%

This article provides some of the most detailed quotes from Democratic participants and includes the notable concern that a mass boycott could leave Trump with a 'purely sycophantic audience' — a self-critical Democratic perspective most outlets omit. However, it relies almost entirely on Democratic sources and the MoveOn framing, with no Republican or White House voice included.

NBC News Center-Left

At least 12 Democratic lawmakers plan to boycott Trump's State of the Union address

1d ago

Bias Score

32%

Headline Bait

12%

This article provides strong historical context on SOTU protests across Trump's terms and includes detailed lawmaker statements. It uses organizer language ('Trump's dangerous agenda') without sufficient attribution distance in the lede. The inclusion of Pelosi's explanation for tearing up the speech and historical boycott patterns adds genuine context that many pieces omit.

TIME Center-Left

How Democrats Plan to Protest Trump's State of the Union

By Connor Greene · 1d ago

Bias Score

30%

Headline Bait

15%

This article provides solid historical context about past Democratic protest tactics and frames the boycott as a more 'cohesive' approach compared to 2025. It notes Trump faces 'mounting disapproval from voters' as factual context without sourcing, which represents a mild editorial choice. Overall, it is one of the more contextually balanced pieces.

Washington Examiner Center-Left

Democrats to skip Trump State of the Union for National Mall rally

By David Sivak · 1d ago

Bias Score

30%

Headline Bait

12%

This article provides relevant political context — noting Murphy as a 2028 presidential hopeful and Casar as Progressive Caucus chair — that adds depth to understanding participant motivations. It covers both counter-events and includes Republican framing (using the DHS shutdown as a 'bully pulpit'). Minor lean through uncritical relay of Democratic rhetoric without White House response.

Politico Center

Some Democrats plan boycott of Trump's State of the Union

By Finya Swai · 1d ago

Bias Score

28%

Headline Bait

12%

This article stands out by including the White House's dismissive response to the boycott and noting Republican political calculations around the address (using it to shift from negative headlines including the Minnesota shootings and Epstein files). This context is largely absent from other pieces. It presents both sides' strategic motivations without strongly favoring either.

The Hill Center-Left

Here are the Democrats who plan to skip Trump's State of the Union address

By Sudiksha Kochi · 23h ago

Bias Score

28%

Headline Bait

10%

This article provides a detailed, structured rundown of Democratic plans with notable balance — it includes Jeffries' decision to attend, lists multiple counter-events, and quotes Democrats explaining their reasoning. The phrase 'progressive firebrand' applied to Ocasio-Cortez introduces mild editorial coloring, and the event description as featuring those impacted by Trump's 'dangerous agenda' is quoted from organizers without challenge.

USA Today Center

'People's State of the Union': What Democrats plan for Trump's speech

1d ago

Bias Score

25%

Headline Bait

18%

This article offers good contextual balance, noting both the boycott rationale and the bipartisan tradition being broken. It includes the White House statement that the address will proceed, mentions Murphy's potential 2028 ambitions as relevant context, and provides historical perspective on SOTU protests. The framing of the boycott as a 'sign of fading bipartisanship' is editorial but not overtly partisan.

Newsweek Center

List of celebrities speaking at Trump SOTU rebuttal

1d ago

Bias Score

22%

Headline Bait

30%

This article focuses on the 'State of the Swamp' counter-event with factual detail, providing logistics, speaker lists, and context about the frog protest symbolism. It is primarily informational and includes context about the government shutdown and midterms. The article quotes both a Republican (Speaker Johnson) and Democrats, maintaining reasonable balance for a preview piece.

Reuters Center

Some Democrats to boycott Trump State of the Union for rally

By Richard Cowan · 1d ago

Bias Score

22%

Headline Bait

10%

This wire-service style report is among the most factually balanced, including historical context dating to Washington's first SOTU, Republican perspectives (Rep. Pocan's soybean guest), and noting Trump's expected messaging. It avoids loaded language and attributes all characterizations to named sources. Minor framing issue: describing the boycott as underscoring 'deepened partisan fissures' editorializes slightly.

The Dispatch Center-Right

Dispatch Live: State of the Union 2026

1d ago

Bias Score

20%

Headline Bait

55%

This is a promotional announcement for a live event covering the State of the Union rather than a news article. It poses questions about Trump's approach and mentions international reception, which reflects a slight center-right framing in its language ('steamroll his opponents,' 'olive branch'). As a preview/promo piece, it has minimal substantive content to analyze for spin.

Fox News Right

How to watch President Trump's 2026 State of the Union address to Congress live

By Charles Creitz · 1d ago

Bias Score

18%

Headline Bait

60%

This is a viewing guide/promotional article rather than a news report on the boycott story, focused entirely on how to watch the address on one network's platforms. It contains minimal substantive coverage of the Democratic boycott. The slight right lean comes from the promotional framing of the address and embedded network branding throughout the piece.