Sen. Chuck Schumer Defends Democrats’ Decision to Sit During SOTU, After Trump Invited Them to Stand if They Support Americans Over Illegals
This article from The Western Journal discusses the reaction to President trump’s State of the Union address and argues that Democrats refused to stand for his call to prioritize protecting American citizens, using that moment to portray Democrats as unconcerned with American safety and victims of crime.
– The piece says Trump asked lawmakers to stand if they agree the government’s first duty is to protect Americans, not illegal aliens, and claims many Democrats remained seated while Republicans stood and cheered.
– Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is quoted as offering a defensive reply, suggesting Democrats do want to protect Americans but implying Trump’s framing is flawed; the article also cites the deaths of two individuals (Renee Good and Alex Pretti) to bolster its point.
– The author contends Democrats have frequently “gaslit” voters about ICE tactics and asserts trump’s question was about a straightforward duty of government, not about ICE per se.
– The article highlights social-media reactions, suggesting viral clips and tweets will be used in campaign ads to portray Democrats as out of touch with American concerns.
– it references other moments from the same speech and previous addresses where Democrats allegedly did not stand for victims or grieving families, framing these actions as evidence of a pattern.
– The piece concludes by arguing that Democrats’ behavior in these moments reveals deep-seated disdain for American citizens and predicts continued political advantage for Republicans in future elections.
note: This is a summary of the article’s content and framing,which presents a strongly pro-Trump perspective.
One would think that elected Democrats, at least for appearances’ sake, would work harder to conceal their most repellent qualities.
It seems, however, that on rare occasions when President Donald Trump speaks to Congress, those Democrats cannot help themselves.
According to Politico, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer defended — sort of — Democrats’ mind-boggling decision to remain seated when Trump, during Tuesday’s State of the Union address, called on lawmakers to stand if they believed that the government had a primary duty to protect American citizens rather than illegal aliens.
“We agree we need to protect Americans,” Schumer said on Wednesday. “He’s not.”
The senator then referred to the deaths of anti-ICE activists Renee Good and Alex Pretti last month in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“By his reckless ICE agency in Minnesota, two Americans were killed. Americans are being pulled out of their cars and beaten. Americans’ houses, the doors are being knocked down, you know, without a warrant,” Schumer added.
Democrats have so often gaslit their own voters about Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents’ tactics that they have started to believe their own propaganda.
In any event, Schumer had not yet finished his anti-ICE rant.
“No other police department in America run by Americans has done what ICE has done,” the career politician said. “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.”
Note the slick sleight-of-hand in Schumer’s dishonest response. The senator cited ICE to justify Democrats’ refusal to stand. But Trump never mentioned ICE. Instead, the president posed a simple question to which 100 percent of U.S. legislators must answer in the affirmative. Otherwise, they qualify as traitors.
“If you agree with this statement,” Trump said in a clip posted to the social media platform X, “then stand up and show your support: The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.”
At that point, Republicans stood and gave the president a raucous, two-minute standing ovation.
Meanwhile, as the camera zoomed out to show a panoramic view of the House chamber, Democrats sat stone-faced.
HOLY SH*T. The Democrats REFUSED to stand when Trump said that the duty of the American government was to protect American citizens, NOT illegal aliens.
Democrats OFFICIALLY hate America. pic.twitter.com/M4GN26P8Dg
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 25, 2026
After the address, in another clip posted to X, CNN conservative commentator Scott Jennings called that moment “the part of the speech that’s probably gonna live on for most Republicans” and predicted that “you’re gonna see this in a lot of campaign ads” for the 2026 midterm elections.
When President Trump asked the Congress to stand up if they believe their duty is to American citizens FIRST, and Democrats refused to stand… that’s a moment people aren’t going to forget.
You’re going to see this in a lot of campaign ads. #SOTU pic.twitter.com/knSHuozYMq
— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) February 25, 2026
Indeed, one hopes that the dissemination of such clips will help ordinary Americans recognize the Democrats as unhinged. Those Democrats certainly provided enough evidence of their cold-hearted lunacy.
For instance, in another moment that went viral on X, Democrats refused to stand when Trump introduced the grieving, teary-eyed mother of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, the Ukrainian refugee slain in August, allegedly by a violent repeat offender on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“How do you not stand?” an exasperated Trump twice asked the disrespectful Democrats.
Democrats REFUSED to stand when Trump called for JUSTICE for Iryna Zarutska after she was needlessly m*rdered by a career criminal in North Carolina.
Why do Democrats love criminals so much? pic.twitter.com/t5jBkaUwyb
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 25, 2026
Of course, veteran observers recognize such behavior as par for the course.
When Trump last spoke to Congress in March 2025, for instance, Democrats also refused to stand for the families of Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungary, two of many young American females brutally assaulted and murdered by illegal aliens.
In short, Democrats have long since removed their masks. When it comes to Trump, they cannot help themselves. Their ugliness and deep-seated disdain for American citizens burst forth like a demon summoned to destroy everything true and beautiful.
Good luck to Schumer and anyone else who tries to spin this behavior.
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