Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, was removed from the House chamber Tuesday night after he disrupted President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress.
Green, who has long pushed to impeach Trump dating to his previous term in office, stood and shook his cane toward the president in the opening minutes of his speech.
Other lawmakers cheered and booed Green, causing further chaos on the House floor as Trump paused. The uproar prompted House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to read aloud from House rules.
“Members are directed to uphold and maintain decorum in the House and to cease any further disruptions,” Johnson said, an admonishment aimed at Green.
After Green refused to sit and allow Trump to continue, Johnson called for the House sergeant at arms to remove him from the chamber.
“Nah nah nah nah, goodbye,” Republicans chanted as Green was escorted from the room.
Outside the chamber, Green told NBC News that as “a person of conscience,” he believes Trump “has done things that I think we cannot allow to continue.”
“This whole budget that he has is one that is going to cause Medicaid to be cut, and when he said he had a mandate, it triggered something. It really did. Because he doesn’t have a mandate, and he doesn’t have a mandate to cut health care from poor people,” Green said.
The chamber was filled with other signs of protest and pushback.
Members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus wore pink to protest Trump’s policies on women and families. Other Democrats wore blue and yellow ties in support of Ukraine, days after Trump and Vice President JD Vance tangled with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an unexpectedly hostile Oval Office meeting.
Also visible on some Democratic members: stickers accusing Elon Musk of “stealing Social Security.” Musk, a billionaire whose government efficiency initiative is scrutinizing Social Security finances, has called the program a “Ponzi scheme.”
Some Democrats also held black paddles that read “SAVE MEDICAID,” “PROTECT VETERANS” and “MUSK STEALS.” Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., held a white board that read “THAT’S A LIE.”
A group of House Democrats also took off their jackets and revealed black shirts with writing on the back. Reps. Jasmine Crockett of Texas and Andrea Salinas of Oregon had shirts reading “Resist,” and Rep. Maxwell Frost of Florida had one saying, “No more kings.”
Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Calif., posted on X that she walked out of the speech because she found the president’s remarks “shameful.”
“There’s only so much bulls— a person can tolerate,” she wrote.
House Democratic leaders had urged members during a closed-door party meeting earlier Tuesday to show proper decorum ahead of Trump’s joint address, according to three House Democrats who attended the meeting.
Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., specifically asked members not to use “props” to protest the speech, while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., encouraged members to stay on message and keep the spotlight focused on the people affected by Trump’s policies — not make the story about themselves.
Melanie Zanona, Julie Tsirkin and Kate Santaliz contributed.
