Schumer Says It Was ‘Legitimate’ for Democrats to Remain Seated After ICE Fatalities

By Michael Katz | Wednesday, 25 February 2026 05:08 PM EST
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said it was “legitimate” and “right” for Democrat lawmakers to remain seated during portions of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday night, particularly when Trump called for protecting Americans over illegal aliens.

“One of the great things about the State of the Union,” Trump stated, “is how it gives Americans the chance to see clearly what their representatives really believe.” He added: “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.”

After most Democrats in the House chamber remained seated, Trump said, “Isn’t that a shame? You should be ashamed of yourself not standing up. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

Schumer told CNN News Central on Wednesday that Trump “should be ashamed,” citing what he described as immigration enforcement actions that resulted in the fatal shootings of two anti-ICE protesters last month in Minneapolis.

“Bottom line is very simple: We agree we need to protect Americans,” Schumer said. “He’s not. By his reckless ICE agency in Minnesota, two Americans were killed. Americans are being pulled out of their cars and beaten. Americans’ houses, the doors are being knocked down, you know, without a warrant. And no other police department in America, run by Americans, has done what ICE has done.

“So, yes, we want to protect Americans. He’s not doing it. And that’s why the American people are against what ICE is doing. So, it was legitimate and right not to stand.”

Republicans have seized on Democrats for remaining seated during several moments of Trump’s address, including his tribute to the mother of Iryna Zarutska, 23, a Ukrainian refugee killed last year on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina, by a suspected repeat offender released under a no-cash bail policy.

Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News on Wednesday that Democrats “would not stand” for Iryna Zarutska. “It was heartbreaking that Iryna’s mother had to experience that,” Bondi said. “That should be nonpartisan.”

Democrats also remained seated when Trump pointed to Sage Blair and her adoptive mother, Michele Blair, who is also Sage’s paternal grandmother.

In 2023, Michele Blair filed a lawsuit against the Appomattox County School Board in Virginia, alleging school officials concealed information about Sage’s gender identity and bullying. The amended complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, remains active.

According to the complaint, Sage later ran away and was found in Maryland after being trafficked and sexually assaulted. The lawsuit alleges that a Maryland public defender improperly interfered with Michele Blair’s custody and kept Sage “in Maryland to be affirmed in a male identity.”

Trump stated during his address: “We can all agree no state can be allowed to rip children from their parents’ arms and transition them to a new gender against the parents’ will. Who would believe that we’re even talking about it? We must ban it, and we must ban it immediately.”

He then pointed toward Democrats who remained seated and said: “Look, nobody stands up. These people are crazy. I’m telling you. They’re crazy.”

Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.