Fact checking Democrats’ responses to Trump’s 2026 State of the Union address

This article originally appeared on PolitiFact.

In a move that reflects the party’s divisions, Democrats offered a set of responses to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on February 24.

He watches: Highlights from Trump’s 2026 State of the Union address

Some skipped Trump’s speech or attended alternative events. Others spoke out in opposition to Trump’s words.

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger provided the party’s official response, stressing the burden of rising costs on American families and safety concerns about federal immigration enforcement.

Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, was escorted from the chamber after unfurling a large sign that read “Blacks Are Not Apes,” a reference to a video Trump recently posted on Truth Social depicting President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as apes. Greene was similarly removed during Trump’s 2025 address to Congress after protesting the president’s speech.

At another point, Democratic Representative from Minnesota, Ilhan Omar, shouted at Trump and accused him of killing Americans, referring to the killing of two American citizens in her state, Renee Judd and Alex Peretti, at the hands of federal immigration agents.

Several other lawmakers wore pins that said “Release the Files,” a reference to documents related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Many Democrats attended events organized by liberal groups elsewhere in Washington, D.C

The advocacy group MoveOn and left-leaning media outlet MeidasTouch planned a rally they called the “State of the People’s Union.” Attendees gathered on the National Mall talked about immigration policy and the Epstein files. Several US senators and representatives spoke.

He watches: Democratic lawmakers joined the People’s State of the Union rally during Trump’s speech

The pro-democracy, anti-Trump group Defiance.org hosted another event, featuring speakers including lawmakers and mayors whose cities have been targets of Trump’s anti-immigration crackdowns. The event was called “Swamp State,” and many guests wore frog-themed hats and bandanas — a nod to the peaceful protest movement known as the Portland Frog Brigade, whose members were in attendance.

We fact-checked some of the Democrats’ statements on February 24.

Spanberger: Trump’s policies “forced American families to pay more than $1,700 each in tariff costs.”

Estimates vary, but research supports this number.

Spanberger’s office pointed to research by Democrats on the congressional Joint Economic Committee, which estimated that the average American household paid about $1,745 in tariff costs from February 2025 to January.

He watches: “We all know” Trump doesn’t make your life more affordable, Spanberger says

Other groups estimated lower tariff burdens, from $1,000 per household to $1,230 per household.

One group’s number was higher than Spanberger’s: In August, the National Taxpayers Federation estimated that the tariffs added $2,048 to the tax burden on American households.

Spanberger: “Rural health clinics in Virginia and across the country are already closing their doors” due to Trump signing the “Big Beautiful Bill.”

This is accurate.

On September 4, 2025, two months after Trump signed the bill into law, Virginia health care company Augusta Medical Group announced that it would close three rural clinics. The company said its consolidation was part of its “ongoing response to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the resulting realities of health care delivery.”

Other companies have closed consolidated locations or services, saying the changes came in the wake of a doctor shortage and recent congressional cuts to Medicaid.

Trump’s tax and spending law is expected to cut federal Medicaid spending in rural areas by at least $137 billion by 2034, according to an analysis by KFF, a health policy research organization. The Congressional Budget Office expects the law to increase the number of uninsured patients by 10 million by 2034.

Rural health facilities disproportionately rely on Medicaid reimbursement to survive. In 2023, 40.6% of children and 18.3% of adults under age 65 from rural areas and small towns were enrolled in Medicaid.

Trump’s tax and spending bill includes the Rural Health Transformation Program, a one-time, $50 billion investment in rural health funding. But the new funding source will not make up for what rural health facilities lose from Medicaid cuts.

Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy: “Millions of Americans are losing their health care.”

Early data supports Murphy’s number, which he cited while speaking at the People’s State of the Union rally.

On January 1, enhanced tax credits that helped reduce health care costs for most people who buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces expire. KFF estimates that premium costs will more than double in 2026 for Affordable Care Act enrollees. Anecdotal reports show that some people have dropped their insurance, due to rising costs.

Health analysts and the Congressional Budget Office report that expiring subsidies would cause costs to rise that could prompt millions of Americans to abandon health insurance coverage. Early Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data suggests about 1.5 million people may have dropped their insurance in 2026.