Washington: More than a dozen female Democratic members of Congress intentionally wore white to President Donald Trump's State of the Union address to Congress to express their political stance through their attire.
According to Thai News Agency, Representative Teresa Leger Fernandez of New Mexico, leading a group of 96 Democratic women, informed the media that the choice of outfit color depended on the situation at the time. This year, there has been a particular focus on women's voting rights, so the group chose to wear white to honor the suffragist struggle that led to women gaining the right to vote in 1920. They aimed to signify that this fight will continue until 2026. Fernandez referred to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives' approval of the Save American Act earlier this month, which requires voters to present proof of American citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate, to register for national elections and to show a photo ID proving their citizenship when voting. This requirement could disqualify many people, including women who changed their last names after marriage. However, she did not attend President Trump's press conference.
Data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that women have consistently voted more often than men in every presidential election since 1984. In the most recent presidential election in 2024, women voted approximately 67 percent more than men.