robert de niro and Mark Ruffalo to Attend 'Drain the Swamp' Rebuttal at National Press Club
Event overview
Actors robert de niro and Mark Ruffalo are scheduled to appear at a live counter-programming event titled "Drain the Swamp" on February 24 at the National Press Club in Washington, D. C. The event, timed to coincide with the State of the Union address, is promoted as a rebuttal and alternative forum featuring a mix of elected officials, journalists, legal experts and cultural figures.
Purpose and tone
Organizers describe the evening as a night of "bold" and "unfiltered" responses to what they characterize as historic abuses of power. The program will include counter addresses, analysis from opposition figures and former insiders, and a mix of satire, strategy and testimony intended to clarify concerns about threats to democratic norms. Promoters say the event will combine "satire, seriousness, anger, laughter, and strategy" and promise the audience "We will laugh. We will defy. We will be impossible to ignore. "
Organizers and venue
The event is hosted by DEFIANCE. org in partnership with the Portland Frog Brigade and COURIER and will be held at the National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW. The conveners cast the lineup as a deliberate effort to disrupt political indifference by bringing together celebrities who "pull cameras, " journalists who "pull receipts, " and former insiders who "pull back the curtain. " The Portland Frog Brigade, known for using costumes and satire in protests, is listed among the participants as a symbolic element intended to challenge conventional political messaging.
Speakers and participants
Alongside robert de niro and Mark Ruffalo, the announced lineup includes Stacey Abrams and journalist Jim Acosta. Organizers have also named Rep. Jason Crow and author Ruth Ben-Ghiat as speakers; Ben-Ghiat has written on authoritarian movements and Crow is noted in promotional material for publicly warning U. S. troops about illegal orders. The event announcement lists a wide roster of journalists, legal experts and political figures including Mehdi Hasan, Brian Karem, Charlie Sykes, Wajahat Ali, Joyce Vance, Glenn Kirschner, Norm Eisen, Ron Wyden, Steve Bullock, Seth Moulton, Dan Goldman and Joe Walsh.
Additional expected attendees cited in promotional material include Miles Taylor, Olivia Troye, Stephanie Grisham, Sue Gordon, Latosha Brown, Tara McGowan, George Conway, Tom Arnold, Marianne Williamson, Rashad Robinson, Abbe Lowell, Asha Rangappa, Steve Schmidt and Robby Roadsteamer. New media personalities Joanne Carducci and Lisandra Vazquez are also listed as part of the effort to spotlight contemporary U. S. politics.
Access, fundraising and format
Tickets are available through the host organization’s site, and the main event will be livestreamed free to the public. Promoters say 100% of net proceeds from ticket sales will support efforts they describe as countering abuses of power. The program is scheduled to run that evening and is being positioned as both in-person civic engagement and an accessible virtual event.
Public profile and context
De Niro’s participation reflects a pattern of high-profile entertainers taking public stands; coverage of his film career in recent years notes episodes in which studio or production changes affected projects he was attached to. One account recalls casting shifts on an earlier HBO crime drama in which De Niro was reported to have been involved before the role ultimately was recast. For news consumers, the presence of prominent cultural figures alongside elected officials and journalists signals a deliberate blending of celebrity visibility and political messaging in the organizers’ strategy.
What to expect
Organizers frame the event as a corrective and performative counterweight to the State of the Union, combining testimony, analysis and theatrical elements intended to challenge official narratives. Those interested in attending in person should note limited space at the National Press Club; others can view the free livestream through the host organization. The lineup and promotional material emphasize a mix of legal, journalistic and cultural responses to perceived threats to constitutional norms.
