House and Senate Dems invite Epstein survivors to Trump’s SOTU address – One America News Network

OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
3:33 PM – Tuesday, February 24, 2026

House and Senate Democrats invited survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking crimes to attend Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday, demanding more “transparency” in the files — despite the fact that Trump himself signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, requiring the Justice Department to release all unclassified Epstein-related documents.

Additionally, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a number of congressional Democrats are planning to “bring illegal aliens as guests” to the address.

“Once again, they are putting illegal aliens above the safety of American citizens. Yesterday alone our officers arrested pedophiles, rapists, and violent criminals from our communities. President Trump and Secretary Noem have made it abundantly clear: if you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will find you, we will arrest you, and you will NEVER return,” the agency added.

Marcelo Gomes da Silva, who was invited to the SOTU address by Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), is a Brazilian national who was briefly detained by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last year due to his expired student visa. ICE agents had also been looking for his father at the time. Despite da Silva’s expired visa, he was released on a $2,000 bond after a judge argued that he was not a danger to the community. His asylum case remains pending.

Caroline Dias Gonçalves, invited by Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), is another Brazilian national and a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient whose immigration status was brought to light after she was pulled over on a highway for committing a traffic violation. Despite not being detained during the first stop, she was pulled over again a few miles later in Grand Junction. This second stop was conducted by ICE agents, who then took her into custody.

The DHS later noted that her “visa expired over a decade ago,” similarly making her subject to removal.

Sources familiar with the matter stated that Democrats’ move to invite both guests to the SOTU is intended as a symbolic rebuke of the GOP administration’s “zero-tolerance” approach toward illegal immigrants with “deep community ties and no criminal records.” Although Democrats cannot rewrite immigration laws, the party aims to garner sympathy and further “humanize the debate” by spotlighting “real-world people,” they added.

Additionally, the presence of Epstein’s victims, and their relatives, is intended to increase pressure on Trump’s Department of Justice. While the DOJ oversaw the recent unsealing of the files, many Americans have still demanded that the agency — as the administration’s primary legal arm — take more aggressive action toward prosecutions.

According to surfacing reports, members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus will also be attending the SOTU address while dressed in all white to “stand in solidarity with Epstein’s survivors.”

“Tonight, when Donald Trump looks out into the chamber, he will see a wall of white. We are not here to be silent background characters; we are here as a visual reminder that justice and transparency are not optional—they are the law,” Representative Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii) said.

The invitations come from high-ranking members of Democrat leadership and authors of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which passed in late 2025 after President Trump signed it. At the time, the president directed the Justice Department to release all documents, files, and images related to Epstein and his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.

Meanwhile, the backdrop for these invitations is a roiling dispute between Congress and the DOJ under Attorney General Pam Bondi.

While the DOJ already released the over 3 million pages of documents related to the investigation, Democrats and some moderate Republicans, like Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), still argue that an equal amount of material remains withheld or heavily redacted.

“The Trump administration is fighting our push for justice at every step with a cover-up,” said Rep. Suhas Subramanyam in a press release. “It is an honor to bring Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s family as a visible reminder to Trump that we’re not giving in.”

In response, the White House reiterated that the DOJ undoubtedly complied with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, adding that certain redactions were necessary to protect ongoing investigations and privacy.

The SOTU comes at a time of friction in the capital for several reasons.

• Government shutdown: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) remains partially closed as Democrats demand dramatic change to immigration enforcement.

• Tariff disputes: The speech follows a Supreme Court ruling that invalidated Trump’s International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs. However, it does not prevent Trump from pursuing tariffs via other statutory means, such as sector-specific tariffs imposed under other laws.

• Midterm posturing: With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, both parties are using the guest list to frame their primary campaign narratives.

President Trump is set to address the United States at 9:00 PM ET.

“You’re going to hear the President share the stories of everyday Americans who have benefited from his policies,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at the White House. “You’re gunna hear the president share tear-jerking stories of American heroes past and present who really exemplify what it means to be a patriotic American.”