There are moments in politics when party labels should disappear. Monday night was one of them.
During President Donald Trump’s State of the Union, Americans watched something troubling unfold.
While the President honored crime victims and grieving families, most Democrats stayed glued to their seats. No applause. No respect. Just silence.
Trump recognized the mother of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee stabbed to death on a North Carolina commuter train.
He spoke about repeat offenders and public safety. When Democrats refused to stand, he looked their way and asked, “How do you not stand?”
That wasn’t politics. That was a mother who lost her child.
Later, Trump asked lawmakers to stand if they agreed that the first duty of government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.
Republicans rose. Democrats didn’t. Trump called them out again, saying they should be ashamed.
In one of the most iconic moments in State of the Union history, Trump checkmated every Democrat by asking Congress to stand if they agree: The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.
The Democrats stayed seated. pic.twitter.com/INalCK0En6
— Sarah Fields (@SarahisCensored) February 25, 2026
And here’s the part Nevadans need to understand.
Rep. Susie Lee is part of that caucus. She belongs to that party. And whether she heckled, held signs, or simply sat quietly, she owns this behavior just like the rest of them.
Because when your team acts this way, silence is agreement.
Inside the chamber, things only got worse.
Rep. Al Green was escorted out barely two minutes into the speech after holding up a protest sign.
Rep. Ilhan Omar shouted, “You have killed Americans!” during remarks about immigration enforcement.
Rep. Norma Torres waved large photos in another visual protest.
Other Democrats flashed “Save Medicaid” and “False” signs like they were at a pep rally.
This wasn’t civic debate. It was a meltdown. House Speaker Mike Johnson called it “detestable.” He was right.
Some Democrats didn’t even show up.
About 30 skipped the speech to attend a rival rally on the National Mall. Sen. Chris Murphy told the crowd Democrats must “stop behaving normally.” Sen. Chris Van Hollen joined him.
Another group went to a “State of the Swamp” event with actor Robert De Niro. AOC skipped everything, saying she wouldn’t “normalize” the administration.
Let that sink in.
They wouldn’t stand for grieving mothers. They wouldn’t stand for families hurt by violent crime. But they did organize counter-rallies.
Democrats say they were protesting policy. They say they were defending Medicaid or speaking for victims. But here’s what regular folks saw.
They saw lawmakers who couldn’t pause their politics long enough to honor innocent people.
In Nevada, we care about public safety. We care about accountability. We care about common sense spending and secure communities.
When crime rises, families pay the price. When borders fail, neighborhoods feel it. When government grows, freedom shrinks.
Susie Lee keeps telling voters she’s independent and practical. But when her party showed its true colors on national TV, she didn’t stand apart. She stood with them.
And that tells you everything.
Come Election Day, Nevadans should remember who stood for victims. And who sat it out.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. Digital technology was used in the research, writing, and production of this article. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
