Why Did Trump's Critics Wear Pink To His 2025 Joint Address?

At Donald Trump's address to Congress on March 4, one surprising color flooded the surely tense House chamber: pink. Amidst the dark suits were many Congress members sporting various shades of Barbie's favorite color. With just a quick glance at the room, it was clear that the vibrant wardrobe choice was meant to make a statement. And, as it turns out, there was more significance to the hue than simply being neither red nor blue.

In an interview with Time, Democratic Women's Caucus head, New Mexico Representative Teresa Leger Fernández, put pink's significance simply: "Pink is a color of power and protest. It's time to rev up the opposition and come at Trump loud and clear." 

There have been endless pleas from the American people for Democrats in power to do something to resist Trump's aggressive actions since the beginning of his second presidency. And, while sporting pink certainly isn't much, a sign of resistance is, at least, something. The silent protest during Trump's address to Congress is particularly timely, since it comes just hours after he took to his social media platform Truth Social to attempt to squash protests against him. "All Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests. Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came," he wrote. This comes off as hypocritical yet unsurprising, considering Trump has been clear about what he thought of the January 6 Capitol Riot, pardoning the violent rioters.

Pink is a color that holds a lot of weight, even if most people may not immediately identify it as a signifier of protest. And, according to Teresa Leger Fernández, the societal connection between pink and women is no coincidence here. The hue, in this case, is intended to "signal our protest of [Donald] Trump's policies which are negatively impacting women and families."

In a 2024, Democratic congresswomen released a statement explaining why they wore white to then-president Joe Biden's State of the Union address. "Our message is clear: women must be able to access the health care they need to control their own lives and futures. That means women, not politicians, should be in charge of whether, when, and how to start or grow their families. That includes access to birth control, access to abortion, and access to IVF," they said, per CBS News. It seems pink served a similar purpose this year. 

Trump has started carrying out much of what he warned of in his 2024 presidential campaign. And, evidently, Trump's biggest controversies have earned him more than a bit of animosity. Pink ensembles and signs from the crowd watching Trump's address to Congress can't undo what has been done. But, one thing is for sure: the repeated requests for "decorum" during the address fall short, since the president himself made decorum moot a long, long time ago. And, in the meantime, a symbol of protest certainly holds some meaning.