Mayors, Stars Host 'Swamp' Rebuttal to Trump's State of the Union

WASHINGTON, D.C. – February 20, 2026 – In an unprecedented move of political counter-programming, a broad coalition of elected officials, Hollywood celebrities, former Trump administration insiders, and journalists are set to host a live, four-hour rebuttal event designed to directly challenge President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address. The event, titled “STATE OF THE SWAMP,” will be broadcast from the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, February 24, running concurrently with the President’s speech.

Organized by the anti-Trump group DEFIANCE.org, the event will feature historic rebuttal addresses from two sitting mayors: Brandon Johnson of Chicago and Jacob Frey of Minneapolis. They will be joined by a sprawling lineup of prominent figures including Robert De Niro, Don Lemon, Stacey Abrams, Mark Ruffalo, and George Conway. The stated goal is not merely to respond to the President’s address after the fact, but to provide a real-time, alternative narrative intended to dominate the conversation.

“We're not going to listen to the lies,” said DEFIANCE.org co-founder Miles Taylor in a statement. “We will be speaking over Donald Trump the entire time – and we will be amplifying the voices he's tried to silence.”

A New Era of Political Rebuttal

While the party out of power traditionally offers a single, televised response to the State of the Union—a role slated to be filled this year by Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger for the Democrats—“STATE OF THE SWAMP” represents a significant escalation in both scale and strategy. The event is a multi-faceted production combining keynote speeches, political analysis, satire, and direct calls to action, all streamed live to a national audience.

The roster of participants is extensive and diverse, featuring current and former elected officials like Senator Ron Wyden and former Governor Steve Bullock; former Trump administration officials-turned-critics such as Stephanie Grisham, Olivia Troye, and Miles Taylor himself; journalists including Jim Acosta and Mehdi Hasan; and cultural figures like Tom Arnold and Marianne Williamson. This diverse coalition aims to challenge the administration from multiple angles, leveraging the credibility and platforms of its many participants.

This format marks a departure from staid political tradition, embracing a more dynamic and confrontational approach that is characteristic of the digital media age. The event's organizers are encouraging attendees, both in-person and virtual, to wear green or frog-themed attire, a nod to co-host the Portland Frog Brigade and a symbol of what they call “peaceful defiance and civic participation.”

Mayors on the National Stage

The participation of Mayors Johnson and Frey places municipal leaders at the forefront of a national political battle. Both mayors lead cities that have had contentious relationships with the Trump administration, particularly over federal immigration policies. Their involvement elevates their roles from local administrators to national figures of the anti-Trump resistance.

“Donald Trump's vision for America runs counter to the hopes and aspirations of the working people who wake up every single day and make our cities run,” stated Mayor Johnson, framing his participation as a defense of his constituents. “We will not allow the threats posed by this administration to stand in the way of work building truly safe and affordable cities.”

Mayor Frey echoed this sentiment, casting the decision as a moral rather than a partisan one. “There are moments in our country's history when leadership is measured not by party loyalty, but by moral clarity. This is one of those moments,” Frey said. “Standing up for constitutional rights and the rule of law should never be a partisan act. It's a patriotic one.”

For both mayors, the high-profile event offers a platform to amplify their political brands on a national scale, which could bolster future ambitions. However, it also opens them to criticism that they are prioritizing national political theater over pressing local issues, a line of attack their political opponents are likely to seize upon.

The Engine of Defiance

At the center of the event is DEFIANCE.org, an organization co-founded by Miles Taylor, the former Department of Homeland Security official who famously authored an anonymous New York Times op-ed criticizing President Trump. Launched in late 2025, the group describes itself as a “club for courageous Americans” and operates as a non-stock corporation rather than a traditional non-profit. This structure, the organization claims, allows it to “move fast, take louder stands, and avoid restrictions” while funding its mission through membership fees that are not tax-deductible.

DEFIANCE.org’s mission is explicitly to counter perceived abuses of power by the Trump administration by supporting legal challenges, independent journalism, and activist groups. The “STATE OF THE SWAMP” event is its most ambitious public undertaking to date.

Co-hosting the event is COURIER, a self-described “pro-democracy news network” founded by Democratic strategist Tara McGowan. While presenting its content as factual news, Courier Newsroom is widely recognized as a partisan media operation funded by prominent liberal donors and organizations. Its network of digital news sites in battleground states is designed to reach voters with messaging favorable to Democratic candidates and causes. Its partnership provides the event with a significant media amplification arm, leveraging its established online reach to promote the counter-narrative.

The third partner, the Portland Frog Brigade, adds a grassroots, activist element, with its name and imagery tying into a theme of creative and absurd protest that has emerged in recent years.