Rep. Mike Thompson of California’s 4th District was named the Democratic Party’s Designated Survivor for President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address scheduled for later on February 25, 2026, in Washington, D.C., by Trump’s administration, according to an X post by Sent Defender within the 29-minute reporting window from 12:45:58 AM to 1:15:43 AM UTC. Secretary of State Marco Rubio returned to the U.S. Capitol for the address after conducting a Gang of 8 briefing on Iran earlier that afternoon, as reported by Craig Caplan on X during this period. Rep. Thomas Massie shared a view from the Republican side of the aisle at the Capitol ahead of the event, per his X post. These developments follow the arrival of four ATF Special Agent Bomb Technicians and four ATF Explosives Detection K-9 teams between 12:16 AM and 12:45 AM UTC to secure the premises, according to an official ATF statement. Rep. Robert Garcia called for the release of remaining Epstein files, accusing the President and DOJ of a coverup in an X post within the window. Endless lines of U.S. military equipment and personnel arrived at the Capitol during the prior 29-minute period, as reported by journalist Nick Sortor. TV screens were set up in the Capitol briefing room, per journalist Kellie Meyer News, and Team USA Men's Hockey entered the building, according to reporter Leah Vredenbregt. Additional guests announced previously include Rep. Andy Ogles hosting Andrew Kolvet, Rep. Ro Khanna bringing Epstein files advocate Haley Robson, and House Speaker Mike Johnson selecting the Artemis II astronaut crew and Jimmy Lai's daughter Claire Lai. Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy stated he will skip the chamber speech to appear on MSNOWNews.
