Massachusetts senators and representatives slammed President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress Tuesday night, taking to social media to critique what he said and with one congressperson walking out before the 100-minute speech was over.
The president took credit for a series of actions his administration has undertaken in the less than two months since he began his second term. Trump’s speech covered a wide array of subjects, from foreign aid to tariffs to immigration to culture war talking points.
Trump at one point declared that the United States “will be woke no longer.”
U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-7th District, walked out of Trump’s speech after she attended to honor a friend of hers at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, she wrote in a statement on X captioned with “I walked out.” Her friend was part of the swath of layoffs conducted by the Department of Government Efficiency, headed by Trump advisor and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
“I could not in good conscience sit through this speech and give an audience to someone who operates with lawless disregard to Congress and the people of this nation,” Pressley wrote. “Donald Trump has used his bully pulpit to spread lies, demonize vulnerable communities and double down on the hurt, hate and harm in his first 43 days in office.”
She also slammed Musk, who Pressley called “an un-elected, unaccountable billionaire” whom the administration has let “ransack our federal agencies and gut the essential services our families depend on – all to enrich themselves and their billionaire friends.”
“Mr. President,” Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, posted on X, “we would all applaud if you found cures to horrific diseases. But how do you expect to accomplish that when you’re cutting funding from the [National Institutes of Health]?”
Neal later posted on X that “laying off the individuals responding to the spread of bird flu will help.”
Rep. Jim McGovern, D-2nd District, posted that 30 minutes into the president’s speech was “complaining about Biden.”
“He hasn’t said a single word about lowering food prices or helping regular people,” his post continued. “Do you get it yet?”
“Our country is now run by a child,” McGovern later posted. “And not a good child. A spoiled rotten brat. And Republicans in Congress enable him.”
“The Founding Fathers are rolling in their graves,“ Rep. Seth Moulton, D-6th District, posted on X.
Massachusetts Democrats also condemned the administration’s moves to cut Medicaid and Social Security.
“Donald Trump is lying about Social Security for one reason: So he has an excuse to CUT Social Security,“ Rep. Katharine Clark, D-5th District, posted on X. ”That’s always been the GOP’s plan.”
“Nothing Donald Trump has said tonight is new,“ Sen. Ed Markey posted on X. ”But he laid bare the Republican agenda: Cut Medicare. Cut Medicaid. Cut Social Security. Cut food assistance. And line the pockets of the ultra-wealthy.”
“He’s completely full of s**t and will use his lies as the excuse to take away your parents’ and grandparents’ social security checks,” McGovern posted.
Markey also went after Trump’s proposal to build a “Golden Dome” defense system over the United States, referencing Israel’s Iron Dome defense system.
“Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’ missile plan is pure fantasy and a defense contractor giveaway,” Markey posted. “It has been 40 years and $400 billion spent, and the system still does not work. ‘Star Wars’ is the definition of government waste, and not worth another dime of taxpayer money.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who Trump referred to using a slur during his speech, slammed Trump and Musk over the federal worker layoffs conducted by DOGE.
“I agree with Donald Trump that an unelected bureaucrat should be fired,” she posted on X. “Let’s start with Elon Musk.”
Democrats largely remained seated throughout the joint address, except Rep. Al Greene, D-Texas, who was escorted from the chamber after shouting at Trump. Other Democrats occasionally held up signs that read “Lies” and “Musk steals.”
Trump’s speech was not a “State of the Union” in the traditional sense. He addressed lawmakers at the invitation of U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
