State of the Union address: Trump to speak to Congress as dozens of Democrats plan boycott – live updates

US president signaled a ‘long speech’, expected to start at 9pm ET, which will double as pitch to voters ahead of midterms later this year

State of the Union speech: when is it and how can you watch?

Several Democratic lawmakers will boycott Donald Trump’s State of the Union address tonight. Instead, many will rally on the National Mall.

So far, at least 30 Democratic members of Congress will skip the State of the Union. These include senators Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Ruben Gallego of Arizona, and Adam Schiff of California, as well as progressive representatives Pramila Jayapal, Maxwell Frost, and Greg Casar.

The event, dubbed the “People’s State of the Union”, is being coordinated by progressive media network MeidasTouch and the liberal advocacy group MoveOn. Attorney and commentator Katie Phang and former anchor Joy Reid will co-host the rally. The event’s organizers say it will spotlight federal workers, immigrants and Americans affected by the Trump administration’s policies.