How celebrities are protesting at Trump's State of the Union

Celebrities and activists gathered in New York City for a “People’s State of the Union” on Monday night – a prebuttal to Donald Trump’s first State of the Union address.



Mark Ruffalo, Cynthia Nixon and Michael Moore spoke at the event, in a fiery rejection of Trump’s first year in office.

Late-night hosts on SOTU: 'Trump thinks he gets to present the award for his favorite state' Read more

On Tuesday night the actor and activist Alyssa Milano is hosting her own response to Trump: a “State of the Dream” initiative which will highlight real people’s hopes and dreams for the US.

A further distraction will come after the State of the Union, when Jimmy Kimmel interviews Stormy Daniels, the porn actor who allegedly had an affair with Trump.

The People’s State of the Union, at the Town Hall Theater in Manhattan, also featured Common and Rosie Perez. It was organized with key activist organizations including the Women’s March, Planned Parenthood, MoveOn and Indivisible.

“We wanted to hear from the people who are actually working really hard for the positive vision of America – marching, rallying, organizing, calling, writing, tweeting, Facebooking, educating and caring for our country,” Ruffalo told the crowd.

“I know you haven’t been at a country club for half a year, huffing down cheeseburgers, sitting on a golden toilet waiting for someone to bring you a chocolate cake.”

Organizers aimed to celebrate the achievements made by the resistance movement in the past year – and to outline a plan of action for the coming year.

“We must fight daily for our democracy, which requires more grunt work from all of us in this auditorium and all of you out there watching online. Because the truth is our democracy is not just under attack from overseas,” Nixon told the audience.

“We also need to fight for it here at home against corporate interests and billionaires that hold our democracy in a ferocious death grip.”

Many of the progressive speakers linked Trump with the wider issue of money in politics. Moore was among the most vehement.

“We must remove and replace the system and the culture that gave us Trump in the first place. He did not just fall out of the sky and land in Queens,” Moore said.

“He is the result of a decades-long corporate takeover of our democracy and of us, never correcting the three original sins of America: a nation founded on genocide, built on the backs of slaves, and maintained by the subjugation of women.”

Q&A What is the State of the Union? Show Hide The State of the Union is the president’s yearly address to Congress and the nation. This is when the president gives his or her view (so far only his) on how the country is doing – and usually how well he is doing – while also outlining the legislation he will focus on in the coming year. The practice was established in article two, section three, clause one of the constitution – the clause states that: “[The president] shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” The first address was given by George Washington in 1790, in the then provisional capital of New York City. Washington and John Adams, his successor, both gave the speech in person, but the third president, Thomas Jefferson, decided to give a written message instead. Subsequent presidents followed suit until Woodrow Wilson personally addressed Congress in 1913. Since then almost all addresses have been given in person, some serving as key historical signposts. • In 1862, Abraham Lincoln used his State of the Union message to call for the abolition of slavery – something he said was integral to the survival of the country. • In his 1972 State of the Union speech Richard Nixon called for an end to the Watergate investigation. Seven months later he had resigned over the scandal. • George Bush introduced the fateful term “axis of evil” in his 2002 address to Congress, four months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Bush used the term to tie together Iraq, Iran and North Korea. Adam Gabbatt

On Tuesday night Milano, one of the most prominent figures in the #MeToo movement, will run her own anti-Trump action during the president’s speech to Congress. Milano plans to share short videos submitted by people from across America – focussing on: “What you hope for. What inspires YOU. (We especially encourage those running for office and those already serving to do so!)”.

Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) Tomorrow (Tuesday)! IM SO EXCITED TO SEE YOUR VIDEOS! ALSO, a toolkit will be made available tomorrow at 12pm EST. Please look out for it and help us spread the word. https://t.co/V0kIC7Bz0w

She elaborated her plans in a post on Twitter and in a Google Document.

“Our digital #StateOfTheDream address will support our dreamers and immigrants, call for a Dream Act, lean into the Senate, fundraise for United We Dream, and express our vision for a more inclusive, progressive America,” Milano said.

Kimmel will sit down with Daniels around an hour after Trump’s speech. InTouch magazine published a 2011 interview with Daniels earlier this month. The interview featured specific claims about the president’s love-making.

Melania Trump cancelled a planned trip to Davos with Trump in the wake of the reporting. Her office cited unspecified scheduling and logistical issues.

“I got a number of emails from a number of very envious fellow late night hosts about this booking,” Kimmel said of the Daniels interview on Monday. “I have a lot of questions for Stormy.”