Response to the State of the Union address

In American politics, the response to the State of the Union address is a rebuttal speech, often brief, delivered by a representative (or representatives) of an opposition party following a presidential State of the Union address. When the president is a Democrat, the rebuttal is typically given by a Republican, and vice versa.

The practice began in 1966 when Republican Sen. Everett Dirksen (Illinois) and Rep. Gerald Ford (Michigan) appeared on TV to offer a response to the address by Democratic President Lyndon Johnson.[1] The opposition party's response has varied in format, ranging from a prerecorded 45-minute TV program in 1970[2] to a call-in show in 1972 where a panel of congressmen answered unrehearsed questions from callers.[1] Since the late 1980s, it usually has been a televised speech given soon after the State of the Union address.[1]

Four presidents have given both a State of the Union address and an opposition response: Gerald Ford, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Joe Biden.[1][3]

List of responses

Unless otherwise noted, the response was broadcast live the same night as the State of the Union address and given in English.

Year Responding Party/Group Response given by[1] Notes
President Lyndon Johnson (D)
1966 Republican Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen (IL) and House Minority Leader Gerald Ford (MI) Response given five days later and recorded live and broadcast that evening
1967 Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen (IL) and House Minority Leader Gerald Ford (MI) Formatted as a news conference
1968 Sens. Howard Baker (TN), Peter Dominick (CO), Robert Griffin (MI), Thomas Kuchel (CA), George Murphy (CA), Chuck Percy (IL), Hugh Scott (PA), and John Tower (TX) and Reps. George Bush (TX), Gerald Ford (MI), Mel Laird (WI), Bob Mathias (CA), Dick Poff (VA), Al Quie (MN), Charlotte Reid (IL), and Bill Steiger (WI) Response given six days later
1969 No response given due to the address occurring in the final week of Johnson's term
President Richard Nixon (R)
1970 Democratic Sens. Albert Gore (TN), Philip Hart (MI), Scoop Jackson (WA), Mike Mansfield (MT), Ed Muskie (ME), and Bill Proxmire (WI), and Ralph Yardborough (TX), and Reps. Speaker Carl Albert (OK), Donald Fraser (MN), John McCormack (MA), and Patsy Mink (HI) Prerecorded response given seventeen days later and included discussions with voters
1971 Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield (MT) Response given four days later in an interview format with reporters asking questions
1972 Sens. Lloyd Bentsen (TX), Frank Church (ID), Tom Eagleton (MO), and Bill Proxmire (WI) and Reps. Carl Albert (OK), Hale Boggs (LA), John Brademas (IN), Martha Griffiths (MI), John Melcher (MT), Ralph Metcalfe (IL), and Leonor Sullivan (MO) Response given one day later; panelists answered questions submitted live by voters over the phone
1973 No response given due to Nixon submitting the State of the Union report in writing
1974 Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield (MT) Response given two days later
President Gerald Ford (R)
1975 Democratic Rep. Carl Albert (OK) and Sen. Hubert Humphrey (MN) Response given five to seven days later with Albert's speech airing on the first two nights and Humphrey's speech on the third night
1976 Sen. Ed Muskie (ME) Response given two days later
1977 No response given due to the address occurring in the final week of Ford's term
President Jimmy Carter (D)
1978 Republican Senate Minority Leader Howard Baker (TN) and House Minority Leader John Rhodes (AZ) Response given seven days later in a question-and-answer format
1979 Senate Minority Leader Howard Baker (TN) and House Minority Leader John Rhodes (AZ) Baker and Rhodes gave official response one day later as a news conference; Sen. Bob Dole (KS) and Rep. Barber Conable (NY) joined Baker and Rhodes for an interview on NBC that evening
1980 Acting Senate Minority Leader Ted Stevens (AK) and House Minority Leader John Rhodes (AZ) Prerecorded response given five days later
1981 No response given due to Carter submitting the State of the Union report in writing
President Ronald Reagan (R)
1981[a] Democratic No response given to Reagan's first address to a joint session of Congress
1982 Gov. Jerry Brown (CA); Sens. Robert Byrd (WV), Alan Cranston (CA), Gary Hart (CO), Bennett Johnston (LA), Ted Kennedy (MA), Don Riegle (MI), Paul Sarbanes (MD), and Jim Sasser (TN); Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill (MA); and Rep. Al Gore (TN) Prerecorded, documentary-style response including man-on-the-street interviews
1983 Sens. Joe Biden (DE), Bill Bradley (NJ), Robert Byrd (WV), and Paul Tsongas (MA); Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill (MA); and Reps. Les AuCoin (OR), Tom Daschle (SD), Bill Hefner (NC), Barbara Kennelly (CT), George Miller (CA), Paul Simon (IL), and Tim Wirth (CO) Prerecorded
1984 Moderated by Gov. Michael Dukakis (MA) and included Sens. Max Baucus (MT), Joe Biden (DE), David Boren (OK), Robert Byrd (WV), Dee Huddleston (KY), Carl Levin (MI), and Claiborne Pell (RI); Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill (MA); and Reps. Barbara Boxer (CA), Dante Fascell (FL), Bill Gray (PA), and Tom Harkin (IA) Partially prerecorded
1985 Hosted by Gov. Bill Clinton (AR) and included remarks from Rep. Dick Gephardt (MO), Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill (MA), and Senate Majority Leader Robert Byrd (WV); focus groups moderated by Sens. Chris Dodd (CT) and Sam Nunn (GA), House Majority Leader Jim Wright (TX), Rep. Bill Richardson (NM), Gov. Chuck Robb (VA), Lt. Gov. Nancy Dick (CO), Attorney General Dave Armstrong (KY), and Mayor Wilson Goode (Philadelphia) Prerecorded response featuring excerpts from focus groups with Democratic voters moderated by Democratic politicians[5][b]
1986 Sen. George Mitchell (ME), Reps. Tom Daschle (SD) and Bill Gray (PA), Lt. Gov. Harriett Woods (MO), and Fmr. Gov. Chuck Robb (VA) Last response to be given by more than two people
1987 Senate Majority Leader Robert Byrd (WV) and Speaker of the House Jim Wright (TX)
1988 Senate Majority Leader Robert Byrd (WV) and Speaker of the House Jim Wright (TX)
President George H. W. Bush (R)
1989[a] Democratic Speaker of the House Jim Wright (TX) and Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (TX)[1]
1990 Speaker of the House Tom Foley (WA)
1991 Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell (ME)
1992 Speaker of the House Tom Foley (WA)
President Bill Clinton (D)
1993[a] Republican House Minority Leader Bob Michel (IL)[1]
1994 Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole (KS)
1995 Gov. Christine Todd Whitman (NJ)
1996 Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (KS)
1997 Rep. J. C. Watts (OK)
1998 Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (MS)
1999 Reps. Jennifer Dunn (WA) and Steve Largent (OK)
2000 Sens. Susan Collins (ME) and Bill Frist (TN)
President George W. Bush (R)
2001[a] Democratic Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (SD) and House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt (MO)[6]
2002 House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt (MO)
2003 Gov. Gary Locke (WA)
2004 Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (SD)
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA)
2005 Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (NV)
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA)
2006 Gov. Tim Kaine (VA)
2007 Sen. Jim Webb (VA)
2008 Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (KS)
President Barack Obama (D)
2009[a] Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal (LA)[7]
2010 Gov. Bob McDonnell (VA)[8]
2011 Rep. Paul Ryan (WI)[9]
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL) Response given in Spanish
Tea Party Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)[10]
2012 Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels (IN)[11]
Tea Party Herman Cain, a businessman from Georgia
2013 Republican Sen. Marco Rubio (FL)[12] Response given in English and Spanish
Tea Party Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)
2014 Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA)[13]
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL)[14] Response given in Spanish
Tea Party Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT)
2015 Republican Sen. Joni Ernst (IA)[15]
Rep. Carlos Curbelo (FL) Response given in Spanish
Tea Party Rep. Curt Clawson (R-FL)
2016 Republican Gov. Nikki Haley (SC)[16]
Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart (FL)[17] Response given in Spanish
President Donald Trump (R)
2017[a] Democratic Fmr. Gov. Steve Beshear (KY)[18]
Astrid Silva, an immigration activist from Nevada[18] Response given in Spanish
2018 Rep. Joe Kennedy III (MA)[19]
State Del. Elizabeth Guzmán (VA)[20] Response given in Spanish
2019 Fmr. State Rep. Stacey Abrams (GA)[21]
Attorney General Xavier Becerra (CA)[22] Response given in Spanish
Working Families Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes (D-WI)
2020 Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (MI)[23]
Rep. Veronica Escobar (TX)[24] Response given in Spanish
Working Families Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA)[25]
President Joe Biden (D)
2021[a] Republican Sen. Tim Scott (SC)[26]
Working Families Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY)[27]
2022 Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds (IA)[28]
Working Families Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI)[29]
Congressional Black Caucus Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX)[30]
Problem Solvers Caucus Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA)[31] Organized by No Labels
2023 Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (AR)[32]
Rep. Juan Ciscomani (AZ) Response given in Spanish
Working Families Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL)[33]
2024 Republican Sen. Katie Britt (AL)[34]
Rep. Monica De La Cruz (TX) Response given in Spanish
Working Families Councilmember Nicolas O'Rourke (Philadelphia At-Large)[35]
Independent Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.[36]
President Donald Trump (R)
2025[a] Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin (MI)[37]
Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY)[38] Response given in Spanish
Working Families Rep. Lateefah Simon (CA)[39]
Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT)[40]
2026 Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger (VA)[41]
Sen. Alex Padilla (CA)[42] Response given in Spanish
Working Families Rep. Summer Lee (PA)[43]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Starting in 1981, first-term Presidents have been invited to address a joint session of Congress shortly after their inauguration. These have reflected the style of a State of the Union address but are not officially titled as a "State of the Union." Since 1989 the opposition party has offered a response.[4]
  2. ^ NBC and CBS aired the response on the same night as the State of the Union address while ABC aired it two days later

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Opposition Responses to the State of the Union Messages (1966-Present)". United States Senate. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  2. ^ Frum, David (2000). How We Got Here: The '70s. New York: Basic Books. p. 47. ISBN 0-465-04195-7.
  3. ^ Polus, Sarah (April 28, 2021). "Biden Becomes Just Fourth President to Have Given Both SOTU Rebuttal and Joint Address". The Hill. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  4. ^ The President's State of the Union Address: Tradition, Function, and Policy Implications (PDF). Congressional Research Service. January 24, 2014. p. 2.
  5. ^ Henderson, Nia-Malika (20 January 2015). "This is the best/worst State of the Union response ever. And, yes, Bill Clinton is prominently featured". Washington Post. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  6. ^ "The Democratic Response". PBS.org. February 27, 2001. Archived from the original on November 12, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  7. ^ "Transcript of Gov. Jindal's GOP response to Obama speech". CNN. February 24, 2009. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
  8. ^ "McDonnell to deliver GOP response to Obama". NBC News. 2010-01-21. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  9. ^ Weeks, Linton (2011-01-24). "Why The GOP Chose This Man To Respond To Obama". NPR. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  10. ^ "Bachmann speech raises her conservative profile". NBC News. 2011-01-27. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  11. ^ "Mitch Daniels: Obama has "held back" economy, made debt "radically worse" - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2012-01-25. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  12. ^ "Marco Rubio's State of the Union response: Good at distancing himself, bad at water breaks". The Washington Post. 2013-02-13. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  13. ^ "McMorris Rodgers for GOP response". POLITICO. 2014-01-23. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  14. ^ Weigel, David (2014-01-29). "The Tyranny of Barack Obama". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  15. ^ "Iowa's Sen. Ernst Grabs Spotlight That's Often Proven Too Hot | WNYC | New York Public Radio, Podcasts, Live Streaming Radio, News". WNYC. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  16. ^ "Nikki Haley to deliver State of the Union response". POLITICO. 2016-01-05. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  17. ^ Lind, Dara (2016-01-12). "State of the Union: the most interesting speech of the night will be given in Spanish". Vox. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  18. ^ a b "Democrats Pick Ex-Kentucky Governor To Respond To Trump Speech To Congress". NPR. February 24, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  19. ^ Seelye, Katharine Q. (2018-01-30). "Joseph P. Kennedy III Gives Democratic Response to State of the Union". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  20. ^ "'A little fire, a little spice': Elizabeth Guzman promises lively rebuttal to State of the Union". The Washington Post. 2018-01-29. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  21. ^ Burns, Alexander (2019-02-04). "Stacey Abrams, Preparing Her State of the Union Response, Weighs Senate Run". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  22. ^ Shafer, Scott (2019-02-03). "Democrats Tap Leader Of 'Resistance' To Trump For Spanish State Of The Union Response". NPR. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  23. ^ "Michigan governor hits Trump's economic message in Dem response". POLITICO. 2020-02-04. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  24. ^ Manas, Sam (2020-02-04). "Veronica Escobar to deliver a State of the Union response in Spanish". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  25. ^ Krieg, Gregory (2020-01-31). "Pressley to deliver Working Families Party response to State of the Union | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  26. ^ "GOP Sen. Tim Scott to deliver GOP response for Biden address to Congress". CNN.com. April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  27. ^ "Rep. Jamaal Bowman Delivers WFP Response to Biden Joint Address". Working Families Party. 2021-04-29. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
  28. ^ "Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds gives GOP response to Biden's State of the Union address". ABC7 San Francisco. 2022-03-02. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  29. ^ "Squad member to deliver response to Biden SOTU". POLITICO. 23 February 2022. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
  30. ^ "Dallas Rep. Colin Allred to give Congressional Black Caucus response to Biden's State of the Union". Dallas News. 2022-03-01. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
  31. ^ Metzger, Bryan. "Josh Gottheimer says it's 'massively unproductive' for Rashida Tlaib to give a State of the Union response even though he's also giving one". Business Insider. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  32. ^ "Sarah Huckabee Sanders attacks 'left-wing culture war' in SOTU response". POLITICO. 2023-02-07. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  33. ^ "State of the Union 2023: New Illinois congresswoman tapped to give Working Families Party response". ABC7 Chicago. 2023-02-07. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  34. ^ Barclay, Mel Leonor (2024-03-07). "Who is Katie Britt? The youngest woman ever elected to Senate got GOP spotlight". The 19th. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  35. ^ "Philadelphia City Councilmember to deliver response to Pres. Biden's State of the Union". NBC10 Philadelphia. 2024-02-29. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  36. ^ "Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "State Of The Union" Address: 80% Of Americans Don't Want To Choose Between The Lesser Of Two Evils". RealClear Politics. 2024-03-11. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  37. ^ "Sen. Elissa Slotkin will deliver Democrats' response to Trump's joint address". NBC News. 2025-03-04. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  38. ^ "Democrats plan a different kind of response to Trump's big speech". POLITICO. 2025-03-03. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  39. ^ "Progressives tap a rising star to deliver their response to Trump". POLITICO. 2025-02-26. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  40. ^ ""The Oligarchs Can Be Beaten": Bernie Sanders Responds to Trump's Speech". In These Times. 2025-03-05. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  41. ^ Gambino, Lauren (2026-02-19). "Abigail Spanberger to give Democratic response to Trump's State of the Union address". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  42. ^ Medina, Jennifer (23 February 2026). "Senator Handcuffed After Interrupting Noem Will Give Spanish Rebuttal to Trump". New York Times. Retrieved 24 February 2026. Senator Alex Padilla of California will deliver the Democratic Party's Spanish-language rebuttal to President Trump's State of the Union address this week.
  43. ^ "Rep. Summer Lee to Boycott State of the Union, Speak Directly to Working Families" (Press release). Washington, D.C., USA: Summer Lee Press. 23 February 2026. Retrieved 24 February 2026. On Tuesday, February 24th, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) will boycott Donald Trump's State of the Union address and speak at the People's State of the Union hosted by MoveOn and partner organizations. Rep. Lee is also set to deliver the progressive response to the State of the Union later that evening.

Sources

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