Almost from the moment Trump entered the House chamber Tuesday night to deliver his State of the Union address, Democrats began to disrupt. It only deteriorated from there.
Why it matters: It's the new normal for presidential speeches to Congress, with Republicans heckling Democratic presidents and vice versa.
Tuesday's disruptions came despite House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) repeatedly telling his members behind closed doors not to repeat the widespread disruptions that Trump faced last year during his speech to a joint session of Congress. Ahead of Tuesday's speech, Jeffries sternly dismissed Axios' reporting that protests were still likely to occur despite his instructions to the contrary. A Jeffries spokesperson did not immediately respond on Tuesday night to a request for comment. What happened: As Trump entered the chamber, Rep. Al Green (D-Texas), who was notoriously escorted out of Trump's address last year for repeated heckling, mounted yet another protest.
Green held up a sign reading "BLACK PEOPLE AREN'T APES" — a reference to a racist video Trump's account posted this month. Green refused to sit as Trump began his speech. Several Republicans verbally confronted Green, with a few trying to wrench the sign out of Green's hands. Eventually, Green was escorted out of the chamber by a House sergeant-at-arms staffer. Zoom in: The broader heckling began in earnest shortly after Trump goaded Democrats by pointing out they didn't applaud a line about banning gender transition surgery for minors.
"Look, nobody stands up. These people are crazy. I'm telling you, they're crazy," Trump said. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) began to heckle, yelling "lies!" and — when Trump began to discuss immigration — "you're killing Americans." Tlaib and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), who were sitting next to each other, repeatedly heckled Trump, shouting over lines about immigration, crime and foreign policy. Between the lines: At one point in the speech, Tlaib yelled at Trump, "How are those Epstein files? How are those Epstein files? Release them! ... Release the Epstein files!"
Well said. I wish they'd ALL used this excellent opportunity to protest.
And frankly, Rep. Green is the only one I ALWAYS see doing the right thing, and usually doing it alone. For example, when there are articles of impeachment brought against the worst of Trump's excesses, Al Green is behind them, even though they never come to a vote because the rest of Congress acts to suppress them. Last night was no different. As an individual representative, he keeps on doing the right thing, regardless.
Green should NOT have been the only one carrying that sign. There should have been more just like it, and an entire room full of signs. (While any signage at SotU is not permitted, Green very clearly brought in his sign ~~folded in half~~ rolled up under his jacket, something anyone could have joined him in doing.) Those opposed to the current regime ALL had an opportunity to do a great thing, and they passed on it.
EDITED to correct myself after I saw a better picture of him holding it up on a roller