Democrats protested President Donald Trump’s speech to Congress on Tuesday, holding signs reading “No King!” and “Save Medicaid,” with some turning their backs on the Republican as he spoke and one legislator being marched out by security.
Representative Al Green of Texas, a Democrat who intends to file articles of impeachment against Trump, interrupted the address in the opening few minutes, saying that Trump did not have a mandate to eliminate safety net programs.
Republicans are attempting to approve a spending measure that would dramatically reduce spending on popular social programs, including as the Medicaid health care plan for low-income people, in order to fund Trump’s preferred tax cut plan.
House Speaker Mike Johnson ordered the sergeant-at-arms to remove Green from the chamber.
With Republicans holding majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate, any impeachment effort against Trump is unlikely to advance.
Around a third of the Democrats’ side of the chamber had emptied as Trump’s address crossed the threshold to become the longest such speech on record at an hour and 30 minutes.
The rest quickly departed as Republicans gave Trump a standing ovation when the speech ended after 100 minutes.
Representative Jasmine Crockett of Texas and others turned their backs as Trump spoke, revealing messages like “Resist” and “No Kings live here” on the backs of their shirts before exiting.
Others held up small round signs that read “Save Medicaid,” “Protect Veterans” and “Musk Steals,” in reference to the drastic cost-cutting actions of billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan carried a white board, on which she scribbled different messages in response to Trump’s words, including “No King!”
Representative Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, the top Democrat on the House DOGE subcommittee who has insisted that Musk testify before lawmakers about his agency’s actions, held up a sign behind Trump as he walked into the chamber
“This is not normal,” it read.
