GOP launches first ad hitting Democrats for sitting during State of the Union
A conservative group, American Sovereignty, is launching a nationwide, seven-figure ad campaign designed to capitalize on the State of the Union moment by attacking Democrats over immigration policy. The 30-second spot highlights Democrats’ refusal to stand during president Trump’s address and ties it to his call that the government’s first duty is to protect american citizens, not illegal aliens. The campaign aims to run throughout 2026, with emphasis on battleground states Michigan, North Carolina, and Georgia to defend vulnerable GOP incumbents and pursue potential pickups in both the house and Senate. The ad’s messaging—“Democrats are for illegal immigrant criminals. Republicans are for you”—is supported by a video of Trump’s remarks.GOP strategists say the moment practically writes itself as a tool for fundraising and campaigning ahead of the midterms. democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have pushed back, defending their immigration policies and criticizing enforcement actions by ICE, while arguing for a broader political framing beyond the single moment.
Republicans roll out first ad pinning Democrats for not standing during State of the Union
A conservative group is launching a sweeping ad campaign on Thursday, seeking to capitalize on Democrats‘ refusal to stand during a portion of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address centered on illegal immigration.
American Sovereignty created a message highlighting a segment of Trump’s Tuesday address to Congress, when he asked lawmakers to stand if they agreed with the statement, “the first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.”
The camera swings from the Republican side of the aisle, where cheering members rose to their feet, to the Democratic side, where nearly all lawmakers remained in their seats. “These people are crazy,” Trump continues in the ad, jabbing his finger at Democrats.
The television ad marks the GOP’s first effort to use the moment to build momentum for Republicans campaigning across the country ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The 30-second video is set to play all year nationally as part of a seven-figure ad campaign focused on immigration, according to Politico. It will particularly target key states Michigan, North Carolina, and Georgia, where Republicans are defending vulnerable incumbents, and eying possible pickup opportunities to hold on to their narrow majority in the House and Senate.
“Democrats are for illegal immigrant criminals. Republicans are for you,” the ad states.
The quote plays off a successful ad strategy during the 2024 election, when Republican Political Action Committees commissioned an ad that read “Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you.”
Republicans running with the moment was expected, as a spokesperson for the House-GOP campaign arm told the Washington Examiner previously: “Every single vulnerable House Democrat should get comfortable re-watching the moment they revealed they’re nothing more than America-hating scums who stayed glued to their seats while President Trump called on protecting American citizens over criminal illegal immigrants. The ads write themselves.”
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has sought to ward off criticism of his party by pointing to concerns about tactics used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The agency attracted sweeping scrutiny earlier this year after federal officers killed two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, during ICE-related operations in Minnesota.
“No other police department in America run by Americans has done what ICE has done,” Schumer told CNN. “So, yes, we want to protect Americans. He’s not doing it. And that’s why the American people are against what ICE is doing. So it was legitimate and right not to stand.”
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