NC Democrat boycotts Trump’s speech to Congress. Here’s why
A North Carolina Democrat boycotted President Donald Trump’s address to Congress on Tuesday night.
Rep. Valerie Foushee, of Hillsborough, announced her plans in a video posted to social media, saying that she made the decision after hearing from her constituents and that she also didn’t believe she could maintain decorum.
“I refuse to give Trump an audience to spew his lies and will be boycotting tonight’s joint address,” Foushee wrote on the post with her video.
A president speaks to a joint session of Congress annually to give a State of the Union address. But during the first year of a president’s term, it is not called by that name.
Several Democrats planned to skip the speech Tuesday night, though their party’s leadership discouraged doing so. Instead, Democrats wanted lawmakers to bring people impacted by Trump’s actions as their guests.
Some Democrats wore shirts that said “resist.” They held signs that called for saving Medicaid and stopping billionaire Elon Musk, who is leading the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. The signs also called out Trump when he said something untrue.
Democratic Reps. Deborah Ross, of Raleigh, Rep. Alma Adams, of Charlotte, and Don Davis, of Snow Hill, attended the speech.
They watched as Rep. Al Green, a Democrat from Texas, was escorted off the floor for shouting at Trump to save Medicaid.
And during Trump’s speech, Adams announced she would wear her hat on the House floor, a violation of the chamber’s rules. She made the statement after she said the Sergeant at Arms refused to enforce the rule for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, who wore a hat that said, “Trump was right about everything.”
Adams is known for her extensive hat collection, but she is unable to wear them when she enters the chamber.
“Marjorie Taylor Greene violated House rules by wearing a MAGA hat tonight and the Sergeant at Arms refused to (enforce the rules),” Adams wrote. “My hat is back on. We will not let them play by different rules than us.”
The Republican response
The other 12 members of the North Carolina delegation are Republican.
Rep. Virginia Foxx, a Republican from Banner Elk, was chosen to gavel out the session after Trump’s nearly two-hour speech concluded.
Before Trump’s speech, Sen. Ted Budd, a Republican from Davie County, released a video to the media to address what he believed Trump would say in his speech. His take was different than Foushee’s, saying that Trump would focus on the accomplishments he’s made in the past weeks and his vision.
“Everyone should remember that the president was elected with a clear mandate to make America safe and prosperous again,” Budd said. “So far he’s keeping his promise to do just that.”
Budd’s video delved further into Trump’s accomplishments, but didn’t shy away from addressing the cost of living and concerns of North Carolinians about sweeping changes Trump is making, with input from Musk. Some of those changes, like cuts to federal jobs, have had to be quickly walked back because of the fallout.
Foushee’s concerns
Foushee elaborated on her boycott, saying, “Since the first day of this administration, Trump has created unprecedented chaos and confusion, causing harm across our communities through mass firings of federal workers, attempting to slash vital services and benefits that countless Americans rely on and bending a knee to dictators and billionaires.”
In the past two weeks, Trump has sided with Russian President Vladimir Putin on his war against Ukraine, calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “a dictator” and wrongly asserting Ukraine started the war. A meeting at the White House between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Zelenskyy erupted into chaos Friday on live television after Vance told Zelenskyy he should be more grateful.
The incident left most Republicans siding with Trump and some, like Sen. Lindsey Graham, who had supported Zelenskyy, to call for his resignation.
Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican from Huntersville, told reporters Monday night he would not get into a discussion like that about a foreign leader. But he maintained that he believes the United States could still help the two warring countries reach a peace agreement.
Foushee said she finds it difficult to be present in a space where she believes “truth is not what we’ll hear.”
She promised to continue to resist “what we’re seeing from this president.”
In a reply to Foushee on social media, one woman who identified herself as a constituent said it didn’t sit well with her that Foushee would skip the address and reminded her that she represents all of her constituents, not just Democrats.
This story was originally published March 4, 2025 at 6:39 PM.
