Democratic Rep. Al Green of Texas briefly interrupted the president’s State of the Union address Tuesday and was quickly escorted out of the U.S. House of Representatives chamber, with one Republican grabbing at his sign as he exited.
Green held up a banner reading, “Black people aren’t apes,” in reference to a video depicting former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes that was posted to the president’s Truth Social account.
The president later stated he had not seen the video prior to its posting and blamed a staffer for the incident. During his address, the president also exclaimed: “These people are crazy! I am telling you, they’re crazy!” while pointing to Democrats.
Green had previously interrupted the president’s address last year and was similarly escorted out of the chamber. At that time, he yelled, “You have no mandate!” while shaking his cane at the president.
Following Green’s actions, a vote to censure him passed 224-198 in the House, with both Democratic and Republican members participating.
Republicans and Democrats across the aisle condemned the video, including Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina.
In an interview, Green blamed systemic racism for his ejection: “There is invidious discrimination in the House of Representatives. I’m a son of the segregated South. The rights that the Constitution recognized for me — my friends and neighbors deny it. I had to sit in the back of the bus, the balcony of the movie, drink from a colored water fountain.”
“When the speaker decided that I would be removed and then there was this motion,” he added, “this resolution to censure me, it became obvious to me that I was not being treated as others were, and candidly speaking, it is invidious discrimination.”
