(The Center Square) – As President Donald Trump discussed what he said was his mandate from the American people after winning the November presidential election, Democrats jeered and booed and U.S. Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, shouted that he didn’t have a mandate.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., said anyone causing a disruption would be escorted out. Undeterred, Green continued, shaking his cane in the air, and Johnson instructed the Seargent of Arms to remove him.
The only member of Congress forcibly removed from the chamber was the Democrat from Houston.
According to a CNN poll, 80% of speech watchers said congressional Democrats interrupting Trump’s speech was inappropriate.
Johnson later told Fox News that Green’s behavior brought shame on the House and he expected a censure motion to be filed “to discipline him. We have to do that inside the House. We have to maintain decorum.”
On Wednesday morning, U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, said he was filing it. Nehls represents Fort Bend County, southwest of Harris County where Houston is the county seat.
“I’m introducing a resolution to censure Congressman Al Green for his disruptive and disorderly conduct during President Trump’s joint session of Congress,” Nehls said.
In response, U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, said, “Al Green is a DISGRACE and EMBARRASSMENT to the Great State of Texas! This idiot has proven again and again he will do absolutely anything for attention. Al Green is all about HIMSELF! His INAPPROPRIATE behavior has NO PLACE in Congress!”
Others expressed astonishment by Democrats causing disruptions, refusing to even recognize cancer survivors. But it was worse than that, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said.
While the president was “joyful and forward looking, had the promise of America front and center,” Cruz said the contrast was the most “disgraceful display … the Democrats put on” he’d ever seen. Cruz said he’s been to 13 state of the union addresses since he’s been in the Senate.
The disruption started as soon as Trump walked into the chamber, Cruz told Fox News. It started “from the moment he walked in and was introduced as the president of the United States. Not a single Democrat stood. Not a single Democrat applauded, not one. I’ve never seen that happen.”
Cruz also said that he and fellow Republicans stood and clapped when Democratic presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden walked into the chamber.
Cruz said he did so “even when I couldn’t stand their policies, even when I was horrified what they were doing, I respect the office of the president of the United States and I respect the American people.”
“Democrats’ contempt” included not standing for angel moms, including one from Houston, whose daughters were killed by illegal foreign nationals, a “13-year-old kid who survived brain cancer,” and “a young man whose father was a slain police officer who Trump admitted to West Point,” he said. The only thing Democrats applauded for was the U.S. sending hundreds of billions of dollars to Ukraine. “They all stood and cheered that we sent money to Ukraine but they will not applaud for America. I found it horrifying,” he said.
U.S. Rep. Brian Babin, R-Texas, also said of Democrats, “They won’t work with us, they won’t listen to the American people, and they won’t even sit respectfully during this address. Democrats have made it clear, politics over country, every time.”
U.S. Rep. Randy Weber, R-Texas, concurred, saying his response was for them to be removed from the chamber like Green was.
U.S. Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, said it was, “Sad that my Democrat colleagues couldn’t stand for anything last night – not even for Laken Riley’s family. I stood for President Joe Biden – out of respect for the office – he tried to destroy our country, but despite their sad disrespect we will continue to strive for a more perfect union.”
U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, said, “Democrats hate President Trump so much that they won’t stand to support DJ, a 13-year-old cancer survivor who has continued to defy the odds,” she said, referring to Houstonian Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel, who was honored by the president and made an official agent of the U.S. Secret Service.
