Rashida Tlaib and rashida tlaib at center of State of the Union fallout

Democratic protest in the chamber during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union has become a flashpoint, with rashida tlaib among lawmakers who verbally challenged the president and drew fierce Republican criticism. The moment, and the administration’s immediate policy and legal responses, are shaping the debate in the days that followed the address.

How lawmakers reacted during the address on February 24–25

President Trump challenged every lawmaker to stand if they believed “the first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens. ” As he delivered that invitation, Republicans stood while Democrats remained seated. Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats were right to remain seated when Trump made that call, and said, “Bottom line is very simple, we agree we need to protect Americans. He’s not. ”

The exchange prompted Republican criticism as well: JD Vance called the refusal to stand a “shame” and a “sad commentary” on the Democratic party. Congressional Democrats lined up the night after the address to call the president a liar, while Republicans said the United States had never been greater. The country’s longest-ever State of the Union address ran for nearly two hours and had just ended when the dispute unfolded.

Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar verbally protest; a guest is arrested

Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib vocally protested during the address; Omar shouted “You are a murderer” and “liar” at the president and also said, “Donald Trump killed two of my constituents. He is a liar and should be ashamed of himself. ” A guest invited by Omar, Aliya Rahman, a US citizen and Minneapolis resident, was arrested by Capitol police during the State of the Union.

Rahman had been removed from her car in January and dragged by immigration agents in Minneapolis as part of the administration’s increased efforts to arrest and deport alleged undocumented immigrants; officers had been shouting at her to move. The presence of Rahman in the gallery and her arrest added to the tensions on the House floor.

Social‑media attacks and GOP strategists’ reaction

In a social-media post, the president attacked Omar and Tlaib, calling them “low IQ” and threatening to “send them back from where they came from – as fast as possible. ” Both women are US citizens. Republican strategists celebrated the chamber moment as politically useful: Ryan James Girdusky of 1776 Project PAC wrote that the refusal to stand had created “A billion dollar ad just wrote itself, ” and Tim Murtaugh, a former Trump senior advisor and campaign communications director who runs Line Drive Public Affairs, called it “a huge moment, ” saying it forced Democrats to “self-identify as radicals who would rather defend illegal aliens over law‑abiding American citizens. ” Murtaugh added that Democrats were “embarrassed to be Americans, whether they’re in power or not. ”

Policy moves and legal rulings linked to the fallout

On Wednesday, JD Vance announced the administration would “temporarily halt” more than a quarter of a billion dollars in Medicaid reimbursements to the state of Minnesota as part of what was described as an escalation of a newly announced “war on fraud. ” Separately, a federal judge in Massachusetts, Brian E Murphy, ruled that the administration’s policy of deporting immigrants to “third countries” to which they have no ties is unlawful and must be set aside; he agreed to suspend his decision for 15 days to give the government time to appeal in a case that had already reached the nation’s highest court.

The State of the Union itself covered a wide range of topics: the president touched on tariffs, border security, military recruitment and energy production, and said the economy was booming, inflation was under control and a golden age was at hand—claims that Democrats remained unconvinced by.

Concurrent hearings, allegations and cultural-side notes

Casey Means, the president’s nominee for surgeon general, appeared before the Senate committee for health, labor and pensions on Wednesday; her initial confirmation hearing had been postponed in October when she went into labor hours before she was set to testify. A top Senate Democrat alleged on Tuesday that FBI director Kash Patel’s personal travel and decision-making have undermined high-profile investigations, citing a whistleblower report. Meanwhile, a source close to Mick Jagger cast doubt on a claim by Melania producer Marc Beckman that his team was closely involved with the singer over the use of a Rolling Stones song in the film.

• Key dates: the address took place on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, and the roundup of aftermath items appeared on Wednesday, 25 February.