Democrats have ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ with counter-SOTU events: Johnson

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House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said the Democratic Party’s “Trump Derangement Syndrome” is on “full display” Tuesday as Democrats are planning to attend several counter-State of the Union events.

“This evening, the entire country will hear an update on the full scope of President Trump’s transformational and historic first year back in office. The results speak for themselves. Why does he have so much to talk about? Because inflation is down, wages are up, investment is booming. The GDP is exceeding every expectation,” Johnson said during the House GOP leadership’s weekly press conference.

“Democrats, meanwhile, are going to host — count them — five separate counter events, rallies of some sort, they call them, in lieu of tonight’s address,” Johnson said. “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,” Johnson added.

Vice President JD Vance and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson applaud as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 2025. (Win McNamee/Pool via Reuters)

The House speaker said it’s the “same tired playbook” that Democrats have been running for a decade now.

“It’s shameful that they would boycott an address. We don’t do that. Republicans don’t do that,” Johnson said. “It doesn’t matter if there’s a president from the opposing party. We don’t skip out. Our constituents want and need us to be here.”

One of the counter-events being held Tuesday night is the “People’s State of the Union” near the Lincoln Memorial.

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Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., President Donald Trump and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson attend a bill signing in the Oval Office of the White House on Feb. 3, 2026. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The event, described as a rally, is organized by MeidasTouch and MoveOn Civic Action, a pair of left-leaning media and activist groups, and will focus on criticisms of Trump’s first year back in office.

The event is expected to draw Sens, Ed Markey, D-Mass., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Tina Smith, D-Minn.