Democrats Protest During Trump’s Congressional Speech

Democratic lawmakers’ bold protests during President Trump’s congressional address turned tense as Rep. Al Green was removed and signs were taken away in an evening that revealed the deepening political divide in Washington.

Key Takeaways

Democratic lawmakers protested with signs bearing messages like “Save Medicaid,” “Musk Steals,” and “This is not normal,” with some signs being forcibly removed by Republican colleagues.
Rep. Al Green was escorted from the chamber for heckling the president and reportedly has plans to file articles of impeachment against Trump.
Female Democratic lawmakers wore white and pink as symbols of protest, while some Congressional Black Caucus members wore black, and Ukraine supporters displayed blue and gold colors.
Multiple Democrats either walked out during the speech or turned their backs to reveal “RESIST” shirts in coordinated displays of opposition.
Trump dismissed the protests, arguing that there’s nothing he can do or say to make them happy.

Dramatic Protests and Ejection from the Chamber

The high-profile joint session of Congress quickly devolved into a display of partisan hostility as Democratic lawmakers employed various methods to protest President Trump’s address. The most dramatic moment came when Texas Representative Al Green was removed from the chamber after interrupting Trump’s speech by shouting, “You don’t have a mandate.” Green has also stated his intent to file articles of impeachment against the president.

Green was unrepentant after his ejection, telling reporters, “I’ll accept the punishment. It’s worth it to let people know that there’s some of us who are going to stand up against this president’s desire to cut Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.”

Democrats disrupt, protest and wear pained expressions for Trump’s speech https://t.co/TAqpCMNojg

— KSN News Wichita (@KSNNews) March 5, 2025

Visual Protests and Symbolic Attire

Beyond verbal interruptions, Democrats deployed visual symbols of dissent throughout the chamber. Representatives displayed an array of protest signs with messages like “False,” “Protect Veterans,” and “Musk Steals” – the latter held aloft by Rep. Maxwell Frost specifically during Trump’s comments about the billionaire tech entrepreneur. These displays provoked a an incident in which Republican Rep. Lance Gooden forcibly removed a sign reading “This is not normal” from the hands of Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury and then threw it.

Female Democratic lawmakers coordinated their attire, wearing white and pink as symbols of protest, while some members of the Congressional Black Caucus chose to wear black. In a separate statement, several lawmakers wore blue and gold colors in solidarity with Ukraine, signaling opposition to Trump’s approach to Ukraine and Russia.

Coordinated Democratic Response

The protests extended beyond individual actions to include coordinated demonstrations. Several Democrats turned their backs on Trump during his address, revealing t-shirts with “RESIST” printed on them. Michigan Representative Rashida Tlaib took a creative approach by using a dry erase board throughout the speech to display messages including “no king!” and “that’s a LIE!” in real-time responses to Trump’s statements.

The protests weren’t limited to visual displays. Some Democrats shouted references to the January 6 Capitol riot during relevant portions of Trump’s speech. Others simply chose to exit the chamber entirely rather than listen to the president’s remarks. The collective demonstrations underscored the deep divisions in Congress, with Republicans enthusiastically applauding Trump’s “America First” agenda while Democrats engaged in unprecedented levels of protest for a Joint Session.

Trump Brushes Off Protests

Trump appeared to dismiss the demonstrations from Democrats, giving no indication that he was concerned about them. His speech covered everything from immigration and economy to foreign policy and government efficiency, and he showed no signs of offering concessions to Democrats. “I realize there is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy or make them stand and smile or applause,” Trump said during his remarks.