Donald Trump’s marathon 100-minute address to Congress Tuesday night turned into a battleground as Democrats unleashed a barrage of disruptions, with Texas Rep. Al Green hauled out by the sergeant-at-arms for derailing the U.S. President’s speech.
Since reclaiming the White House 44 days ago, Trump’s been on a tear—slashing diversity programs, gutting health subsidies like Medicaid, axing the Education Department, banning transgender troops, slashing foreign aid, and hammering Canada, Mexico, and China with tariffs that have sparked a trade war and tanked global stocks. Kicking off his speech, Trump touted the levies: “Tariffs will turbocharge America’s comeback—fast. Sure, there’ll be some turbulence.”
Democrats weren’t buying it. Here’s how they fought back:
Early on, Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) leapt up, blasting Trump’s “mandate” to shred social safety nets. House Speaker Mike Johnson demanded silence, but as GOP jeers of “sit down” drowned Green out, he was escorted from the chamber amid applause for “decorum.” Green later told reporters, “I’ll take the hit to spotlight Trump’s war on Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security.”
Democrats flashed signs like “Lies” at Trump’s every fib, plus “Save Medicaid,” “Protect Veterans,” and “Musk Steals”—a dig at Elon Musk’s cost-slashing Department of Government Efficiency. Michigan’s Rep. Rashida Tlaib scribbled real-time rebuttals on a whiteboard, while New Mexico’s Rep. Melanie Stansbury greeted Trump with a bold “This Is Not Normal” placard.
As Republicans roared for Trump’s entrance, Democrats sat stone-faced—many women in pink as a quiet middle finger—refusing to stand or clap. The split was stark.
By the end, a third of Democrats had bailed. Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Florida) stormed out in a “No Kings Live Here” shirt, mirrored by Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett and others flashing “Resist” on their backs. Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley waved a Ukrainian flag during Trump’s foreign policy detour. Others slumped, heads in hands, or doomscrolled phones.
Trump shrugged it off: “I see these Democrats—nothing I say will make them cheer, stand, or even crack a smile. These folks won’t budge for my massive wins.”