These Are the Guests Democrats and Republicans Are Bringing to Trump’s Speech Tonight

Fired federal workers. Medicaid recipients who could lose their health care under proposed budget cuts. A small business owner who may be affected by new tariffs.

These are some of the people who will attend President Donald Trump’s address to Congress on Tuesday night, brought as guests by Democratic lawmakers seeking to highlight the human cost of the administration’s sweeping policy changes.

For decades, lawmakers have used invited guests to put a human face on policy debates, underscoring the real-world consequences of decisions made in Washington. This year, as Trump touts what he calls a “historic transformation” of the federal government, Democrats are countering with stories of disruption and hardship—stories they hope will resonate beyond the chamber’s walls.

Read More: Why Trump’s Speech Is Technically Not a State of the Union

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D, N.Y.) and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries have urged Democrats to invite fired federal employees and average Americans who have been negatively affected by DOGE’s cuts, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Since taking office, Trump has moved aggressively to reshape the federal bureaucracy, slashing jobs, consolidating agencies, and asserting unprecedented executive control. With Republicans in control of both chambers of Congress, Democrats have few legislative tools at their disposal. But by elevating the voices of those affected, they are aiming to use Trump’s speech to focus on the impacts of his second-term policies.

Republicans will also utilize guests to send a message about their priorities. First Lady Melania Trump announced she would bring January Littlejohn, a Florida mother and parents’ right advocate who sued her school board after her child socially transitioned to a different gender identity. The First Lady also invited recently released prisoner Marc Fogel, an American history teacher who was held hostage by Russia and whose release came thanks to President Trump. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) shared a partial list of his invitees, including ‘border czar’ Tom Homan and natural gas executive Ben Dell.

Here are some of the notable guests who will be in attendance.

Fired federal workers

Alissa Ellman, a disabled veteran who was recently fired from her position at the Buffalo Veterans Affairs Office, and Tiffany Ramos, who was fired from her position at the Department of Agriculture, will be attending as guests of Schumer.

Michael Missal, the former Inspector General for the Department of Veterans Affairs who was dismissed by Trump (along with 16 other inspectors generals), will be attending as a guest of Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D, Conn.), the ranking member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

Jason King, a disabled veteran recently fired from the Federal Aviation Administration’s safety division, will be a guest of Sen. Tim Kaine (D, Va.).

Andrew Lennox, a Marine veteran and former administrator officer at a VA hospital in Ann Arbor who was fired as part of the Trump Administration’s cuts, was invited by Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D, Mich.), who will be delivering the Democratic rebuttal to Trump’s speech.

Doug Kowalewski, a program director who lost his job at the National Science Foundation last month, will be a guest of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D, Mass.).

Ashley Ranalli, a National Park Service ranger who lost her job, will be a guest of Sen. Mark Warner (D, Va.).

Kyle Rahn, a disabled Army veteran who was recently let go from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, will be a guest of Sen. Ruben Gallego (D, Ariz.).

Jamie Werner, who was recently dismissed from the U.S. Forest Service, was invited by Sen. Michael Bennet (D, Colo.).

Medicaid recipients

Jessica Martinez and Ana Medina Garcia, cancer survivors and recipients of Medicaid, and Emma Larson, who received a lifesaving treatment for her spinal muscular atrophy due to a reimbursement from the National Institutes of Health, were also invited by Schumer.

Cheri Byer, a Medicaid recipient who previously battled addiction and was able to access residential addiction treatment in part because she was eligible for Medicaid, will be a guest of Sen. Maggie Hassan (D, N.H.).

Dominic Rampa, a Las Vegas teenager who has relied on Medicaid to help cover treatments for nine genetic disorders, including two immunodeficiencies and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, will be attending as a guest of Sen. Jacky Rosen (D, Nev.).

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D, Calif.) will also bring a Medicaid recipient as her invited guest.

Firefighters and other first responders

Frank Lima, a Los Angeles City fire captain and firefighter union leader who was on the front lines and helped defend the Pacific Palisades wildfire in January, will be a guest of Sen. Alex Padilla (D, Calif.).

Vincent Culliver, the captain of the Vandenberg Fire Department who was also on the front lines and helped fight the January wildfires, will be a guest of Sen. Adam Schiff (D, Calif.).

Dave Williams, the fire chief of Chino Valley Fire District, will be a guest of Rep. Norma Torres (D, Calif.), to highlight planned cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Jeff Denard, a steel plant worker from Alabama who also works as a volunteer firefighter, will be a guest of the First Lady. Denard is an organizer who, along with his fellow steelworkers, helped the community during the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. 

Small business owners impacted by Trump’s tariffs

Allison Hope, the executive director of the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association, will be a guest of Sen. Peter Welch (D, Vt.). Hope says that Vermont’s maple industry is bracing for the economic fallout of Trump’s 25% tariff on Canada, which goes into effect on Tuesday.

Rebecca Hamilton, a small business owner who runs a manufacturer of natural personal care products and can’t afford to budget for Trump’s tariffs, will be a guest of Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D, N.H.).

Israel-Hamas war victims

Orna Neutra and Ruby Chen, the parents of two Israeli-American hostages from New York who were murdered by Hamas, will be guests of Schumer. Omer Neutra, 22, and Itay Chen, 19, were both taken hostage during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack.

Noa Argamani, who was taken hostage by Hamas and rescued by Israeli forces in June, will be a guest of Speaker Johnson.

Keith Siegel, the first American to be freed form Hamas captivity, will attend as a guest of Rep. Lisa McClain (R, Mich.).

Victims of illegal immigration

Olivia Hayes, a young widow from Louisiana whose husband Wesley was killed by an undocumented immigrant in a drunk driving accident, will also be a guest of Speaker Johnson.

Scott Root, the father of Sarah Root, who was killed the night of her college graduation by an undocumented immigrant in a drunk driving accident, will be a guest of Sen. Joni Ernst (R, Iowa).

Allyson and Lauren Phillips, the mother and sister of Laken Riley. Riley, 22, was murdered by an undocumented immigrant. Her name is on the first immigration bill Trump signed this year. They will be guests of the First Lady.  

Alexis Nungaray, a Texas mother whose 12-year-old daughter was killed by two undocumented immigrants who were released from Border Patrol custody before their attack. She will be a guest of the First Lady. 

Roberto Ortiz, a Border Patrol worker who has been shot by cartel members in Texas. Ortiz will also be a guest of the First Lady. 

Conservative personalities

Ben Shapiro and Matt Walsh, conservative political commentators with the Daily Wire, are expected to attend as guests of Speaker Johnson.

Riley Gaines, a conservative activist and former swimmer who has advocated against allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sports, will be a guest of Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R, Iowa). Trump recently signed an executive order banning transgender women from participating in women’s sports.

Ross Ulbricht, who operated Silk Road, the dark web marketplace where illegal drugs were sold, was invited by Rep. Thomas Massie (R, Ky.), according to Semafor. Ulbricht was pardoned by Trump last month after he was sentenced in 2015 to life in prison.

Victims of violence

The Comperatore Family, the family of the firefighter who was fatally shot by the gunman during the assassination attempt against President Trump in July 2024. Corey Comperatore is survived by his wife and two daughters, who will be a guest of the First Lady.

Stephanie Diller, the widow of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller, who was killed at a traffic stop in Queens, will be a guest of the First Lady. 

Students

Haley Ferguson, a senior at Middle Tennessee State University who was the recipient of the Fostering the Future scholarship. The educational funds come from the First Lady’s Be Best initiative. Ferguson will be a guest of the First Lady. 

Elliston Berry, a 15-year-old victim of deepfakes from Texas. She will be a guest of the First Lady, who on Monday called on the House to pass the Take it Down Act—which aims to protect against non-consensual intimate images. 

Payton McNabb, a high school athlete who suffered from a brain injury due to an accident during a volleyball match. The blow that caused McNabb’s injury came from a transgender athlete. McNabb is a guest of the First Lady. 

Skipping the address

While there does not appear to be a widespread push among Democrats to boycott Trump’s address, a few Democratic members are planning to skip it. Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, and Patty Murray of Washington will not be in attendance.

Wyden will instead host an online town hall for his constituents to ask questions, share their ideas and offer their views. Murray said in a statement that she will be “meeting with constituents who have been harmed by this administration’s reckless firings and its illegal and ongoing funding freeze across government.”

A handful of House Democrats, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Don Beyer and Gerry Connolly of Virginia, Becca Balint of Vermont, Kweisi Mfume of Maryland and Diana DeGette of Colorado, announced that they would skip the address.

Democratic Sens. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Brian Schatz of Hawaii, Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland are planning to join other Democratic officials and progressive media figures for a “prebuttal” and live watch-along hosted by Democratic advocacy group MoveOn.

—With reporting by Eric Cortellessa.