Handful of Democrats Protest Trump’s State of the Union, With One Getting Kicked Out

For much of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night, most Democrats followed a strategy their leaders had urged for weeks: protest without spectacle and register dissent through silence rather than confrontation.

But midway through the speech, as Trump turned to the ongoing partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security and accused Democrats of endangering Americans, the fragile calm inside the House chamber evaporated, producing some of the most volatile exchanges of the evening.

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Progressive Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar rose repeatedly from their seats and shouted, “You killed Americans!” as the President criticized Democrats for blocking a funding bill to reopen DHS. Later, they shouted at Trump to release all the files connected to Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump pointed toward the Democratic side of the chamber and responded: “These people are crazy,” he said, escalating a tense back-and-forth that unfolded as Republicans applauded and most Democrats sat stone-faced.

The clashes marked a notable departure from the disciplined restraint Democrats had largely maintained earlier in the evening, when Democrats remained largely quiet as Trump spoke.

The first major disruption came just minutes after Trump’s speech began, when Rep. Al Green, a Texas Democrat and longtime Trump critic, rose from his seat holding a sign that read, “Black People Aren’t Apes!” The message was in reference to a social media video shared by Trump earlier this month depicting former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes, which Trump later deleted but declined to apologize for posting. Green shouted toward the lectern as Republicans jeered, some attempting unsuccessfully to pull the sign from his hands. He was quickly escorted out of the chamber by the Sergeant at Arms, the second consecutive year Green had been removed during a Trump address to Congress.

The later confrontation over immigration enforcement stemmed from a weeks-long standoff over funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which has been partially shut down for two weeks after Senate Democrats refused to advance a Republican-backed spending bill without several measures. Those demands include requirements for court-issued warrants before agents enter private property, clear identification and badge numbers for agents, limits on masks, expanded use of body cameras, new use-of-force standards, and ensuring independent investigations of shootings. The White House and many Republicans say the Democrats’ demands would hamper agents carrying out President Donald Trump’s deportation agenda.

The impasse has triggered a shutdown affecting DHS operations, including agencies responsible for immigration enforcement, airport security, and disaster response. Trump used his State of the Union speech to demand Congress restore funding immediately and urged lawmakers to pass legislation banning so-called sanctuary cities.

“They have instituted another Democrat shutdown,” Trump said. “Now they have closed the agency responsible for protecting Americans from terrorists and murderers… The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.”

When Democrats refused to applaud, Trump said they “should be ashamed.”

Rep. Norma Torres, Democrat of California, silently held up a sign displaying the names and photographs of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were killed by federal agents in Minneapolis. 

Even with the disruptions, the evening remained far less chaotic than some recent addresses. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries had privately urged members to stage a silent defiance, which meant a minimal applause, restrained reactions, and symbolic gestures rather than theatrical protests.

Several Democrats chose not to attend at all, opting instead for alternative events outside the Capitol. Yet the chamber showed few visible empty seats, filled by guests and lawmakers from both parties, creating the appearance of a full and attentive audience despite the planned absences.

Many Democratic women wore white outfits honoring suffragists, while dozens of lawmakers displayed white pins reading “Release the Epstein files.” Several survivors connected to Epstein’s crimes attended as guests.

Still, there were a few other periodic moments of confrontation during Trump’s address. Omar shouted that Trump is a “liar” as he alleged that “members of the Somali community have pillaged an estimated $19 billion from the American taxpayers.” Then, when Trump called for the passage of a ban on members of Congress trading stocks, some Democrats shouted back: “What about you?”