What Next | Daily News and Analysis She's Skipping the State of the Union
Feb 24, 2026
Veronica Escobar, congresswoman from El Paso who focuses on immigration and border oversight, explains why she is skipping the State of the Union. She discusses protest versus solidarity, harsh conditions and profiteering at detention facilities, and debates over anonymous federal agents and DHS reform. Short, direct reflections on policy priorities and strategic funding choices.
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Escobar Explains Her State Of The Union Boycott
- Veronica Escobar announced she will boycott the State of the Union rather than sit through what she calls repeated lies from President Trump.
- She described feeling unable to stomach hours of falsehoods and preferring to join a separate people's State of the Union protest.
The Symbolism Versus Legitimacy Dilemma
- Escobar feels conflicted because House chamber is symbolic territory and many Democrats, like Hakeem Jeffries, choose to attend to assert that it belongs to the American people.
- Yet she believes attendance would legitimize applause for a president she sees as lying and inciting division.
On The Ground At Camp East Montana
- Escobar recounts visiting Camp East Montana and seeing poor conditions, including people forced to do their own laundry and a man with a forearm bone visible through his skin.
- She noted the facility had multiple deaths and one ruled a homicide, underscoring abusive conditions in privately run detention centers.