JD Vance tears into 'coward' Dems for inaction during SOTU address: 'Didn't have courage to stand'
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Vice President JD Vance sharply criticized congressional Democrats on Wednesday, February 25, accusing them of displaying “cowardice” during a pivotal moment in President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday.
Appearing on Fox News' 'America's Newsroom' with anchor Bill Hemmer, Vance reacted to footage from the previous night in which Trump urged lawmakers to stand in agreement with a statement prioritizing American citizens over undocumented immigrants.
Hemmer aired the clip just as Vance joined the program.
🚨 BREAKING: JD Vance reveals he watched Congressional Democrats COWARDLY look around for cues about whether to stand up and clap for common sense statements like — "Americans before illegals"
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) February 25, 2026
"The COWARDICE. A few Democrats politely clapped, were WORRIED about being primaried!"… pic.twitter.com/a4HD1BAReh
JD Vance calls out Democrats for lacking courage and conviction
For Vance, the issue was not simply partisan disagreement but what he characterized as a failure of conviction.
“What a sad commentary on the Democratic Party,” Vance told Hemmer. “That the idea the American government should stand for American citizens, not illegal aliens, that shouldn’t be controversial, but apparently it was to the Democrats.”
One of the most profound moments of a truly historic speech. While some in Washington prioritize the needs of illegal immigrants, President Trump and this administration will always put American citizens first. https://t.co/lNAFVh45Fe
— JD Vance (@JDVance) February 25, 2026
He argued that the reluctance to stand revealed internal political fear rather than principled opposition.
“Something that I saw that probably most TV viewers didn’t see was really the cowardice, because there were a few Democrats who sort of politely clapped. They didn’t want to stand up, I guess maybe they were worried about being primaried by the far left fringe of their party,” he added.
Vance continued, "But they were all looking around. They weren’t actually saying, ‘You know what, I will stand and support this because it is a common-sense, obvious statement.’"
.@POTUS: "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."
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 25, 2026
*DEMOCRATS REMAIN SEATED*
SICK! pic.twitter.com/u76p44tUad
"They were all looking around for cues from their colleagues because they didn’t have the courage to stand on their own," he stated.
The moment that drew JD Vance's ire
During the address, Trump issued a direct challenge to lawmakers in the chamber.
“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,” Trump said.
“The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens,” he added.
After observing that many Democrats remained seated, Trump added: “You should be ashamed of yourselves for not standing up.”
