Illinois congressman says he will skip Trump’s State of Union address

• Illinois Congressman Eric Sorensen is declining to attend President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address.
• Sorensen stated he already knows the state of the union, citing economic issues and immigration fears in his district.
• Sorensen is one of several Democratic members of Congress planning to skip the address.

An Illinois congressman who represents much of Peoria is declining to attend Tuesday’s State of the Union address, saying that he already knows how bad things have gotten over a year into President Donald Trump’s second term.

Eric Sorensen, a Democrat from Moline who represents Illinois’ 17th congressional district, said Monday he would not be attending Trump’s address, saying that he already knows the state of the union early in Trump’s tenure, with the economy, people scared of potential actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and continued inflation all key issues in his district.

More: Trump’s approval rating sinks nationally and in Illinois. See latest polls

"I already know the state of our union — families across Illinois are hurting," Sorensen said. "Neighbors are scared of ICE violence. Farmers are going bankrupt. Costs are too high, and this administration is failing to deliver an economy that works for us in the middle."

Sorensen said that he would spend much of the day focusing on his job to help cut costs and get things done for the people of the 17th district.

"Instead of playing politics, I will devote the day working to lower costs, providing real results, and staying true to the people I serve," Sorensen said.

Sorensen is one of many House and Senate Democrats who are planning to skip Trump’s address, including four other Illinois Congressmen – Delia Ramirez of the 3rd district, Mike Quigley of the 5th district, Sean Casten of the 6th district and Jan Schakowsky of the 9th district.

The 17th district includes a large chunk of the city of Peoria along with parts of Bloomington-Normal, the Quad Cities and Rockford. Sorensen worked as a meteorologist in both his native Moline and Rockford before being elected to the House in 2022.