WASHINGTON — The White House took a victory lap Wednesday after Democrats chose not to applaud for lines such as prioritizing American citizens — saying President Trump “out-played” the opposition during his annual State of the Union address.
About halfway through Trump’s 108-minute speech, the president unleashed a nearly 2-minute standing ovation from Republicans by saying: “If you agree with this statement, then stand up and show your support: The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.”
Trump tore into Democrats, who had awkwardly looked around while glued to their seats, saying, “You should be ashamed of yourself not standing up!” as some heckled back protesting his mass deportation campaign.
Trump’s longtime social media guru Dan Scavino, director of presidential personnel, circulated the clip, which showed Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) biting his nails as the president delivered the call to applaud.
“DEMS clearly do not agree.. This says it all, AMERICA……,” Scavino wrote on X.
White House communications director Steven Cheung circulated the same footage, writing: “The Democrats were out-classed, out-matched, and out-played. They ran into a political buzzsaw in President Trump that showed he’s playing chess while others are playing tic tac toe. Checkmate.”
The Democrats were out-classed, out-matched, and out-played. They ran into a political buzzsaw in President Trump that showed he’s playing chess while others are playing tic tac toe.
Checkmate ✅ https://t.co/ZeDMn68Pgh
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) February 25, 2026
Democrats also largely remained seated when Trump identified in the viewing gallery the mother of Iryna Zarutska, the 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee murdered on a Charlotte, NC, train last April by a repeat offender, as well as National Guardsman Andrew Wolfe, who survived a pre-Thanksgiving DC shooting, and Erika Kirk, whose husband, conservative activist Charlie Kirk, was assassinated last year.
Vice President JD Vance, appearing on Fox News after the speech, said he saw “cowardice, because there were a few Democrats who sort of politely clapped.”
Vance said it was “a sad commentary.”
“They didn’t want to stand up. I guess maybe they were worried about being primaried by the far-left fringe of their party. But they were all looking around,” the VP said.
“They were all looking around for cues from their colleagues because they didn’t have the courage to stand on their own and that more than anything… is the saddest commentary on the Democratic Party.”
Democrats attempted to brush off the viral clips of party members sitting throughout the speech.
“If Trump had his way, Democrats would stand and clap while he blinked and took breaths. Enough is enough,” a senior Democratic congressional staffer said. “The only person more obsessed than Trump with claps and standing is [former New York Democratic Gov.] Andrew Cuomo — let that sink in for people.”
Andrew Bates, a former White House official under President Biden, pointed to two US citizens — Alex Pretti and Renee Good, who were shot by federal agents in Minnesota while protesting deportations of illegal immigrants — as a reason for Democrats to sit.
“Judging from how masked federal officers recently killed innocent Americans for exercising their right to disagree with the government, the GOP don’t have a leg to stand on,” Bates told The Post. “Costs are Americans’ #1 priority and congressional Republicans trapped themselves by spending 2 hours proving they’ll keep rubber-stamping Trump’s inflationary agenda – tariffs, tax cuts for the rich, and higher costs from energy to housing. “
Another Biden White House official said the failure to applaud “will literally change zero voters’ minds, but what will is the cost of groceries.”
