REWRITE THIS - At least a dozen House and Senate Democrats will skip President Donald Trump's State of the Union address next week to instead attend a rally on the National Mall organized to protest the first year of his second term. Several progressiv

At least a dozen Democrats from both the House and Senate will be absent from President Donald Trump's State of the Union address next week, opting instead to participate in a rally on the National Mall that is organized to protest the first year of his second term. The event, titled the “People’s State of the Union” and hosted by MoveOn and the progressive media outlet MeidasTouch, aims to offer an alternative vision for the nation while Trump delivers his second address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night. Among those attending the rally are Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), who is viewed as a potential presidential candidate for 2028, and Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Former MSNBC anchors Joy Reid and Katie Phang will co-host the event, which will be streamed online just before Trump’s speech begins. “Donald Trump has made a mockery of the State of the Union speech—transforming a moment meant to unite the country into a campaign rally filled with hostility and division,” Murphy stated. “Democrats should not feel obliged to grant him an audience while he spreads lies and attacks those who dissent.” The National Mall rally presents House Democrats with an alternative location to counter the State of the Union address. Last year, Democrats faced criticism for their disruption of Trump’s speech to Congress, leading House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) to encourage his caucus to either remain silent in “quiet defiance” or not attend at all. While Senate Democrats are contemplating their own boycott, most are still undecided. Initially, four senators are set to attend the counter-rally according to a MoveOn press release: Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), in addition to Murphy. In the House, at least six more Democrats are slated to attend alongside Casar: Reps. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ), Becca Balint (D-VT), Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ). Jayapal previously served as the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. The rally is one of the many strategies Democrats are employing to counter the State of the Union, which provides Trump with a platform to promote his domestic and foreign policy agenda. The opposition party usually selects a rising official to deliver a rebuttal address. This year's State of the Union will occur amidst a partial government shutdown, with Republicans urging Trump to use the opportunity to blame Democrats for the lack of funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which has led to the shutdown.