Trump speech repeatedly rocked by Democratic disruptions
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Al Green while being ejected from the House chamber. Photo: Win McNamee/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
Even before President Trump took the podium to address a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, Democrats began disrupting the proceedings. Within minutes, a lawmaker was escorted out of the chamber.
Why it matters: The Democratic protests from inside the chamber represent an unprecedented level of coordination that reflects the immense grassroots pressure the party is facing to mount a resistance to Trump.
What happened: As Trump walked down the aisle, Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), the ranking member of the House's DOGE subcommittee, held up a sign reading "This is NOT Normal."
- Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas) reached across the aisle, grabbed Stansbury's sign and yanked it out of her hand. Stansbury later fundraised off the moment.
- Soon after, dozens of Democrats held up signs reading "SAVE MEDICAID," "MUSK STEALS" and "PROTECT VETERANS" — which, when flipped around, also said "FALSE" on the back.
- Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) held up a whiteboard on which she wrote various messages, including: "Cut Elon, NOT Social Security."
Between the lines: The use of signs came despite Democratic leadership urging its members ahead of the speech not to use props or use any tactics that would make them the story.
- Many members of the Democrats' more establishment wing opposed the use of disruptive tactics and opted for silent forms of protest such as outfit coordination and refusal to clap.
- But progressives argued to colleagues privately, and told Axios, that their constituents were demanding to see more vocal resistance to Trump by the party's elected officials.
Zoom in: As Trump began speaking, even more raucous disruptions began. Rep. Al Green (D-Texas), one of Trump's fiercest critics in Congress who plans to try to impeach him, stood up and shouted, "Mr. President, you don't have a mandate."
- Republicans shouted back in an attempt to drown him out. After a back and forth in which Green refused to stop heckling, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) ordered the House sergeant-at-arms to escort him out.
- Other Democrats repeatedly peppered Trump with heckling throughout his speech, often shouting, "Those are lies!"
- As Trump spoke about law enforcement, several House Democrats shouted about the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Several House Democrats — including Reps. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.), Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.), LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.) — walked out of the speech several minutes later.
- Crockett, Salinas and Dexter revealed shirts that read "RESIST" on the back. Frost's shirt said "NO KINGS LIVE HERE," and Kamlager-Dove's said "PRESIDENT MUSK."
- Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), who did not walk out of the speech, wore a shirt that said "NO KING. NO COUP."
- More groups of Democrats gradually walked out throughout the speech, including Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Dave Min (D-Calif.) and Bill Foster (D-Ill.).
What they're saying: After he was ejected, Green told reporters the mandate he was referencing was a mandate to cut Medicaid and other government programs.
- "It's worth it to let people know that there are some people who are going to stand up," the Texas Democrat said of his ejection.
More from Axios:
- In photos: Democrats protest Trump's speech
- lotkin hits at Musk and "gang of 20-year-olds" in rebuttal to Trump address
- 100 minutes of the world according to Trump
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details.
