U.S. Rep. Al Green is removed from the chamber as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 04, 2025 in Washington, DC.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Democratic congressman Rep. Al Green was ejected from the chamber within minutes for disrupting Donald Trump’s first major speech to the U.S. Congress on Tuesday (March 4, 2025).
While the right looked jubilant, the left only looked distressed as Mr. Trump walked into the chamber to cheers from the Republicans.
As the President passed, Democrat Melanie Stansbury, the New Mexico congresswoman held up a sheet of paper reading “This is not normal.” The sign was snatched out of her hands by a Republican politician.
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When Mr. Trump arrived at the podium, the Republican half of the chamber chanted “USA! USA!”. The Democratic members remain seated on the other side of the room.
Within minutes of Mr. Trump beginning his speech, Democrat congressman Al Green stood up and yelled at the President: “You don’t have a mandate” to dismantle healthcare programs.
His protest was drowned out by the uproarious Republicans, who ordered him to take a seat as they dived into another stirring round of patriotic chants. After several interruptions, House Speaker Mike Johnson jumped in and called for decorum to be restored in the chamber as Republicans shouted “USA” to drown out the cries from the other side of the aisle.
Mr. Johnson ordered the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove Mr. Green from the chamber, and Republicans cheered as Mr. Green was led out.
Mr. Green told reporters afterward, “It’s worth it to let people know that there are some of us who are going to stand up against this president’s desire to cut Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security.”
Mr. Johnson said afterward that Mr. Green should be censured by the House — among the more severe reprimands his colleagues could mete out.
“He’s made history in a terrible way,” Mr. Johnson told reporters afterward.
“If they want to make a 77-year-old heckling congressman the face of their resistance, if that’s the Democrat Party, so be it,” Mr. Johnson said. “But we will not tolerate it on the House floor.”
Democrats walk out of chamber
Dozens of Democrats walked out in the first hour of the speech. Mr. Trump dismissed their concerns.
“I look at the Democrats in front of me, and I realize there is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy or to make them stand or smile or applaud, nothing I can do,” Mr. Trump said. “These people sitting right here will not clap, will not stand, and certainly will not cheer for these astronomical achievements.”
Many Democrats in the House were wearing scarves, striped ties, or lapel ribbons in the yellow and blue colours of the Ukrainian flag, as a sign of solidarity for a war-torn ally just days after an ugly spat between the President and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The U.S. has also paused their military aid to the Ukraine.
Who is Al Green?
Representative Alexander Green is a Democrat representing Texas’ 9th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives who plans to introduce articles of impeachment against Mr. Trump.
Born in New Orleans, Mr. Green has a Juris Doctor degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law. He did not receive a degree from Florida A&M University and Tuskegee University. After graduating, he co-founded and co-managed the law firm of Green, Wilson, Dewberry, and Fitch.
A veteran civil rights advocate, Mr. Green has served in Congress since 2005. He is currently serving on the Financial Services Committee as well as the Committee on Homeland Security. He won an election to the U.S. House of Representatives from the Houston area Ninth District in 2004.
Mr. Green, in 2017, had presented articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, citing his firing of FBI Director James Comey.
(with inputs from agencies)
Published – March 05, 2025 11:48 am IST