As President Donald Trump prepares to deliver his 2026 State of the Union address, the political air in Washington is thick with anticipation, skepticism, and a healthy dose of anxiety on both sides of the aisle. The speech, scheduled for February 24, comes at a pivotal moment: the 2026 midterm elections are looming, the nation remains sharply divided, and lawmakers are openly voicing their hopes and fears about what the president will say—and how he’ll say it.
For some, the annual event is a solemn ritual, a chance to reaffirm the nation’s shared ideals and chart a path forward. But this year, the lead-up to the address has been anything but routine. On February 16, Representative Ami Bera, M.D., a senior Democrat from Sacramento County, announced he would skip the State of the Union altogether, citing deep disapproval of President Trump’s conduct and policies. In a statement published by MeidasTouch, Bera declared, “After watching President Trump run roughshod over the Constitution, display utter disregard for Congress, and openly engage in corruption as he and his family use the office to enrich themselves and tarnish this country that I love, I will not give him the dignity of having my presence at the State of the Union.”
Bera’s decision is more than symbolic. It’s an explicit rebuke of what he calls a “malignant narcissist” in the Oval Office. He expects the president to use the address “to troll both my Democratic and Republican colleagues,” making “outrageous and inflammatory statements” and “outright lies and exaggerations.” Bera urged his colleagues not to fall into what he sees as Trump’s traps, reminding them, “We are the first branch of government. We represent the people of this great nation. We work for our constituents, not this maleficent autocrat.”
Yet Bera’s critique doesn’t stop at Trump’s personality or rhetoric. He lays out a vision for what he believes Americans truly want: secure borders, safe streets, and immigration enforcement focused on violent criminals—not, as he puts it, “masked and armed ICE agents randomly picking up people because of the color of their skin or the language that they speak.” He calls for support for local law enforcement, with National Guard assistance only when specifically requested by governors or mayors. Education, too, is a priority: “They want their schools to better prepare their children for a rapidly changing world and workforce. They do not want to censor books and dismantle the Department of Education.”
Bera also highlights Americans’ concerns over the rising cost of healthcare, groceries, utility bills, and rent, sharply criticizing Trump’s foreign policy moves and his administration’s “random and haphazard implementation of tariffs” that he argues have shifted costs onto already struggling families. Despite these criticisms, Bera ends on a note of hope, invoking the idea of America as a “shining city on a hill” and insisting, “Donald Trump does not define the United States of America. We do.”
While Democrats like Bera are choosing protest and pointed absence, Congressional Republicans are engaged in a different kind of anxiety. According to the Washington Examiner, GOP lawmakers are pleading with President Trump to stay on message, avoid unnecessary provocations, and focus on bread-and-butter issues that matter to voters in an election year. “I think he should avoid being acerbic—kind of taking shots at people—and be aspirational,” Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) said, adding that Trump is “at his best when he’s being aspirational.”
The Republican wish list for the State of the Union is clear: acknowledge the nation’s affordability crisis, address immigration issues with a “softer touch,” and steer clear of gloating about the 2024 election. The party’s legislative record since July has been thin, and some fear that if Trump fails to show discipline and unity, the GOP could pay a steep price at the polls. “Trump ain’t on the ballot, so he’s going to have to get out there and try to pull people across the goal line, because I think people are going to be held accountable for us—we ain’t done anything since July,” Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) admitted.
This tension is heightened by the president’s own instincts. Trump is famous for his defiant, unscripted style—a trait that has energized his base but often left Republican strategists wringing their hands. His 2025 State of the Union address, delivered just months after his return to office, took a “defiant victory lap” on illegal immigration and downplayed expectations that cost-of-living increases could be reversed anytime soon.
Now, as he prepares for another high-profile speech, the White House insists that Trump’s priorities remain unchanged. “Nearly 80 million Americans gave President Trump a resounding Election Day mandate to end Joe Biden’s economic disaster and immigration crisis,” White House spokesman Kush Desai told the Washington Examiner. “The Trump administration remains laser-focused on continuing to cool inflation, accelerate economic growth, secure our border, and mass deport criminal illegal aliens.”
Some Republicans hope for more nuance. Senator Lummis, who is retiring this year, wants Trump to acknowledge that “the lighter touch is doable” when it comes to immigration enforcement, even as he remains committed to removing undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO), known for his populist streak, is hoping Trump will address economic pain points directly: “I just think that his economic agenda that he outlined recently is really good. I hope he’ll talk about that.” Hawley wants to hear about plans to tackle housing costs, limit large investors from buying up homes, promote bipartisan credit card caps, and address the impact of data centers on electricity prices.
Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) predicts a “forward looking, optimistic speech,” but he also notes that the president is unlikely to pivot on his signature immigration enforcement strategy. Tuberville, meanwhile, is blunt in his assessment: “President Trump’s going to be President Trump.” He adds, “Thank God he got elected and we got everything going in the right direction. But now we’re just coming out of the block, so we got three more years. The problem is if [Democrats] win the House and possibly the Senate, I mean, he’s going to be fighting for his life.”
All of this sets the stage for a State of the Union address that is as much about the soul and direction of the Republican Party as it is about Trump himself. Will the president heed calls for unity and discipline, or will he double down on the combative style that has defined his political career? Will Democrats’ visible dissent—like Bera’s empty seat—draw attention to their own vision for the country, or simply fuel the partisan fire?
One thing is certain: as the nation tunes in on February 24, every word, gesture, and applause line will be dissected for clues about the road ahead. In a moment when both parties are searching for their footing, the State of the Union may offer not just a snapshot of where America stands, but a glimpse of where it’s headed.