Murphy boycotts the SOTU and attends an anti-SOTU circus instead, accompanied by a refugee — and a giraffe

/

First up, the President:

"One of the great things about the State of the Union is how it gives Americans the chance to see clearly what their representatives really believe," Trump said. "So, tonight, I'm inviting every legislator to join with my administration in reaffirming a fundamental principle. 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."

Republicans exploded. They stood, clapped, and whistled for a solid two minutes. It was the kind of raw, spontaneous reaction you can't manufacture.

Democrats didn't move.

Not a shuffle. Not a courtesy clap. Nothing.

Murphy, as noted, wasn’t present. The Nutmeg senator did, however, issue a press release:

Murphy Announces People's State of the Union Guest, Fereshteh Ganjavi, Afghan Refugee And CT Nonprofit Founder

February 24, 2026

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Tuesday announced he has invited Fereshteh Ganjavi as his guest for the People’s State of the Union, a rally on the National Mall counterprogramming President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress.

A refugee from Afghanistan, Ganjavi is the Founder and Executive Director of Elena’s Light, a Connecticut-based nonprofit dedicated to helping refugee women and children integrate into the United States, and whose services include Know Your Rights trainings, ESL and citizenship test classes, legal assistance, and health and wellness programs.

“I could not be prouder to have Fereshteh - a real Connecticut hero - as my guest for the People’s State of the Union,” said Murphy. “We know Trump is going to shamelessly lie to the American people about his cruel, failed policies, so our rally will highlight the people who are directly impacted by Trump’s brutality. That’s why I’m bringing Fereshteh: after coming to this country, she used her experience to support other refugees and has stood on the frontlines against Trump’s terror campaign on immigrant families. As Trump’s immigration crackdown sows chaos in our communities, advocates like Fereshteh show us the path forward through an unwavering commitment to supporting our communities.”

And here’s who entertained Murphy and Ganjavi:

UPDATE

Murphy gives his vision for post-election America circa 2027 — (resumption of) jailings of his party’s political opponents.

Tuesday on MS NOW’s State of the Union preview coverage, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) said if Democrats take back control of Congress in the midterm elections, people in the Trump administration are “going to jail.”

Discussing President Donald Trump, Murphy said, “He decided that his second term was going to be an organized kleptocracy, that he was just going to steal full time and make him and his family as rich as possible, and he was going to make a bunch of his buddies as rich as possible along the way. And that if he, at the same time, destroyed democracy, destroyed dissent, he could get away with it. The problem is, he hasn’t gotten away with it. He’s injured our democracy pretty badly. But the people are not cowed. They are still showing up to special elections to protest rallies in huge numbers. I think they’re going to get their clocks cleaned this November, and a bunch of people are probably gonna end up going to jail.”