A costumed circus is the best they can do.
As President Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address Tuesday night, activists and public figures gathered for a separate counter-program billed as a live rebuttal to the president.
The event — titled “State of the Swamp: A Night of Defiance” — took place at the National Press Club and streamed online during Trump’s speech. Organizers promoted it as a program bringing together voices who “refuse to stay silent,” featuring speeches, panels, and real-time reaction centered on the message to “stand up and defy.”
One of the most visible moments came from activist Robby Roadsteamer, who told attendees he had been detained multiple times by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and appeared on stage in a giraffe costume with a fanny pack while playing harmonica and criticizing federal immigration enforcement and President Trump.
This is not a Babylon Bee story.
“I’m fresh out of an ICE prison in Minneapolis. I’ve been arrested three times by ICE over absurdity — over us being ourselves, over me singing songs like, ‘Hey, Mr. Tangerine Man, get rid of brown people for me. I’m merry and white. There ain’t no place I’m going to.’ And then, all of a sudden, he’s not ready for prime-time player ICE agents with two weeks of training. Come after me!” Roadsteamer said.
“I got arrested in Portland. I got arrested in Minneapolis in the last three weeks — twice. But they can’t erase a movement, all right? What I went through is one one-thousandth of what a lot of marginalized people have to go through in those ICE detention centers.”
“And I want to tell you something right now: there’s an announcement — Pumpkin Spice Satan is making his way to the State of the Union. So you know what we’re going to do? We’re going to rev up the show right now. We’re giving out prizes. We’re going to have bingo. We’re going to storm the White House with love and compassion.”
The counter-event featured a lineup of political figures and celebrities, including actor Robert De Niro, former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, former CNN host Don Lemon, actor Mark Ruffalo, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D), commentator Mehdi Hasan, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), and former Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson.
Organizers positioned the program as a cultural and political response running in parallel with Trump’s address.
There were also frogs.
Republicans are the big-tent party. Democrats are the big top circus.
Watch the clips below:
This is what Democrats are doing instead of attending President Trump's State of the Union speech.
Democrats are literally hanging out with deranged Leftists dressed in giraffe costumes bragging about getting arrested by ICE. pic.twitter.com/hMIUHrmrHy
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 25, 2026
Rep. Maxine Dexter took the stage alongside Antifa blow-up frogs and described the Portland “protesters’” actions as peaceful dancing.
This is how House Democrats are protesting the State of the Union. pic.twitter.com/GV2p7JydXE
— Loomer Unleashed (@LoomerUnleashed) February 25, 2026
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