Al Green ejected from State of the Union after holding 'Black people aren't apes!' sign
al green was escorted from the House chamber Tuesday night during the State of the Union after lingering in the center aisle with a sign that read "Black people aren't apes!" — a silent protest tied to a racist video depiction of Barack and Michelle Obama that the president had shared.
Al Green escorted from House chamber
His removal came almost immediately and marked the second year in a row he has been removed from the annual event. After being ordered out by the House speaker, Mike Johnson, during last year’s speech for yelling responses as the president spoke, this year’s protest was silent but pointed. Green lingered in the center aisle as other attendees sat down, brandishing the cardboard sign while he was escorted out.
Republican reaction in the chamber
Multiple Republican representatives tried to grab at the sign or block it from being viewed by cameras. Representative Troy Nehls could be seen aggressively engaging with Green as he passed by, just before a staffer escorted the Democratic lawmaker to the door, and Senator Markwayne Mullin also approached Green menacingly. As Green walked out of the chamber clutching his walking stick and protest sign, there were acrimonious exchanges with Republicans, a few of whom began chanting "USA! USA!"
Green’s stance and background
Green's seat was left empty save for a handwritten cardboard sign that said "Al Green. " He has been among the president’s top critics and was the first member of Congress to call for his impeachment, as early as 2017. He represents a predominantly African American district and has long fought for civil rights. After his removal for the second time, Green told reporters outside the chamber his ejection was "of no consequence, " and he still held his sign for cameras to see. He added, "You have to take a stand, " and said, "I am just a person who has done it – but there are many others, I believe, who would. "
Democrats sit, some walk out
Many Democrats spent much of the speech solemnly sitting while Republican colleagues leapt to their feet to clap at the end of just about every sentence uttered by the president. Several Democrats walked out early. Senator Mark Warner posted on the social platform Bluesky that he "couldn't sit through an hour of Trump's lies" and left while the president inflated his economic achievements. Representative Bill Foster shared on X that he gave himself "5 bald-faced lies" — the same as last year — before he left, writing, "Less than one hour into his speech, I'm out. "
Heated exchanges over immigration and other comments
The president made comments about his immigration enforcement agenda to a standing ovation from Republicans and rebuked Democrats for not joining as he called for Congress to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Representative Rashida Tlaib, sporting a pin that read "release the files", could be heard yelling back about the killing of Alex Pretti, a Minneapolis nurse shot to death by federal agents: "They saw the videos, Mr President, " she yelled, "They saw the videos. " Representative Ilhan Omar shouted, "You should be ashamed, " as the president told Democrats they should be ashamed, and repeatedly yelled, "you have killed Americans. "
What happens next is unclear in the provided context.
