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Who will — and won't — be guests at the State of the Union address

NPR | By Ayana Archie

Published February 24, 2026 at 5:24 PM MST

President Trump is seen during a visit to the Fort Bragg U.S. Army base earlier this month in Fort Bragg, N.C.

President Trump's guests for his State of the Union address on Tuesday night include a Virginia teen at the center of a legal case involving parental rights and schooling, the U.S. men's hockey team and Erika Kirk, the widow of activist Charlie Kirk.

While the White House kept Trump's full guest list under wraps for now, presidents traditionally extend invites to people who align with issues they support. First lady Melania Trump has picked her own attendees to highlight her platforms on AI education and foster care.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has invited the daughter of a Uyghur doctor who went missing in 2018. Several Democratic lawmakers are bringing survivors of alleged sexual abuse by Jeffrey Epstein.

Traditionally, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle attend the address. However, this year at least five Democratic senators and 14 members of the House are choosing to skip over their opposition to Trump's agenda, and planning to attend an alternate event staged by MoveOn.org called "The People's State of the Union."

Here's who will, and won't, be there.

Who's coming

Among Trump's guests is Saige Blair. Blair is at the center of a lawsuit involving allegations that Virginia school officials made decisions about Blair's well-being and gender identity without informing the then-14-year-old's parents.
Erika Kirk will be there. She's the widow of Charlie Kirk and the new CEO and board chair of Turning Point USA, her late husband's right-wing youth organization. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that, with Kirk in the chamber, Trump "will call on Congress to 'firmly reject political violence against our fellow citizens.'" Kirk was named to succeed her husband as CEO after he was assassinated in September.
First lady Melania Trump is bringing Sierra Burns, a participant in the Melania Trump Foster Youth to Independence Program, and Everest Nevraumont, a 10-year-old public speaker and advocate of artificial intelligence education. "Sierra and Everest embody my ongoing mission to uplift America's foster youth and expand opportunity for our next generation through education and technology," the first lady said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson is bringing Ziba Murat. Murat is the daughter of Gulshan Abbas, a retired medical doctor who went missing in China in 2018, after her sister criticized the Chinese government's treatment of Uyghur people, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom says.
The U.S. men's hockey team, which brought home the gold medal after defeating Canada at this year's Winter Olympics, is expected to attend, House Speaker Johnson told CBS News.
Democratic California Rep. Mark Takano will be attending with George Retes. Retes is a U.S. citizen who was on his way to work in Ventura, Calif., in July, when he said federal immigration agents pepper sprayed him, pulled him out of his car and detained him for three days with no explanation and no judicial hearing.
Republican Rep. Pete Stauber of Minnesota is bringing conservative Youtuber Nick Shirley, according to The Minnesota Star Tribune. "Nick played a significant role in showing the nation the crisis level of fraud and corruption happening in our own state government that's cost taxpayers $9 billion," Stauber said on X.
Democratic Rep. Suhas Subramanyam of Virginia has invited the brother and sister-in-law of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, one of the most visible victims of abuse by late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Other Epstein survivors were also invited: Jess Michaels was invited by Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., invited Haley Robson.

Who's not coming

The U.S. women's Olympic hockey team, also fresh off its Olympic gold-medal win, has reportedly declined President Trump's invitation due to scheduling conflicts. "We are sincerely grateful for the invitation … and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement," a USA Hockey spokesperson said, according to NBC News.

Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen, of Maryland, said he won't be at the State of the Union. His name appears on the flier for The People's State of the Union. "Trump is marching America towards fascism, and I refuse to normalize his shredding of our Constitution & democracy," he said last week.
Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts said in a statement he's also going to the alternative event.
Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California said in a video that, for the first time, he's not attending the State of the Union. He said he'll be outside the Capitol at The People's State of the Union. "I will not give him the audience he craves for the lies that he tells," he said.
Democratic Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts said she's missing the traditional address to attend the alternative event because she refuses "to sit and listen to that man spew lies and hate."
Other politicians expected to attend The People's State of the Union include Sens. Ruben Gallego, Tina Smith and Jeff Merkley; as well as House Reps. Yassamin Ansari, Becca Balint, Greg Casar, Teresa Leger Fernandez, Maxwell Frost, Robert Garcia, Jim Himes, Sara Jacobs, Pramila Jayapal, John Larson, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Summer Lee, Chellie Pingree, Emily Randall, Mary Gay Scanlon, Delia Ramirez and Bonnie Watson Coleman, according to the event's organizers.