Democrats hatch a plan to make Trump squirm at his State of the Union—by inviting up to 12 people he’s been dodging

Democrats in Congress are planning to bring Jeffrey Epstein survivors as their guests to President Trump‘s State of the Union address. Members of Congress are either sending survivors in their place or inviting them as personal guests to sit in the gallery while the president speaks. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, who has worked with Democrats on this issue, estimates that as many as 12 survivors could attend.

Several Democratic members have already confirmed their plans. Reps. Jamie Raskin and Suhas Subramanyam are bringing Sky and Amanda Roberts, the brother and sister-in-law of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, a prominent Epstein victim who died by suicide in April 2025. 

According to The Daily Beast, Rep. Subramanyam stated, “The Trump administration is fighting our push for justice at every step with a cover-up. It is an honor to bring Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s family as our guests for the State of the Union to be a visible reminder to Trump that we’re not giving in or giving up.”

The Epstein files saga reveals a pattern of delays, redactions, and resistance to accountability

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has invited survivor Dani Bensky, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is also bringing a survivor whose name has not yet been made public. Rep. Ro Khanna is bringing Haley Robson, who was trafficked by Epstein when she was 16. Reps. Pramila Jayapal, James Walkinshaw, Teresa Leger Fernández, and Emily Randall are also planning to host survivors.

This move is a direct response to Trump’s long-standing connection to Epstein and his administration’s handling of the case. Trump and Epstein were reportedly close friends for years. Trump has consistently denied knowing about Epstein’s sex trafficking activities. This comes at a time when Trump’s approval ratings have been hitting dangerous lows heading into the State of the Union address.

Survivors and advocates have criticized Trump for resisting the full release of government files on Epstein. He was also criticized for refusing to meet with survivors and for working to discourage Republicans from supporting the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a bipartisan bill co-authored by Rep. Massie and Rep. Khanna aimed at transparency. The bill eventually passed, and Trump was forced to sign it into law. 

However, the Justice Department missed its deadline for releasing the files. When the files were eventually released in stages, the department was accused of redacting the names of Epstein’s associates while failing to redact the names of survivors. Trump has faced similar resistance on other fronts, as seen when the Supreme Court recently blocked his tariff plans, adding to a string of political setbacks.

Haley Robson, who voted for Trump in 2024, has since turned against him after he repeatedly dismissed the Epstein files as a “hoax.” Rep. Khanna spoke about her attendance, saying, “Haley’s courageous fight is proof that this isn’t about politics, it’s about exposing America’s two-tiered system of justice and bringing accountability to the Epstein class involved in the horrific abuse of young girls.”