How Democrats reorganized their State of the Union resistance

People hold signs as they attend the "People's State of the Union" at the National Mall in Washington, DC, on February 24, 2026. A group of senators and representatives boycotted the State of the Union by holding their own rally. | Ken Cedeno/AFP via Getty Images

When President Donald Trump addressed Congress a year ago, the Democrats seemed to be, as the meme would have it, “in disarray.” They were lambasted for their disorganized responses to Trump — remember those little ping-pong paddles?