Justice Samuel Alito’s discreet mouthing of the words “that’s not true” during President Barack Obama’s 2010 State of the Union was a “jarring scene” 15 years ago. But when a leftist House member interrupted President Donald Trump to the point of being kicked out of the chamber, just 10 lawmakers from the Democrat caucus voted to censure him.
“You have no mandate!” shouted Rep. Al Green from Texas as Trump opened his first joint address to Congress of a second term.
Green was surrounded by reporters after the cane-wielding circus performance but said he stood by his actions.
“I’ll accept the punishment,” he said after being escorted out of the House chamber Tuesday night.
Green was formally censured by the House of Representatives Thursday morning 224 to 198, with the reprimanded lawmaker voting “present.” House Speaker Mike Johnson called the “expeditious vote” an “appropriate remedy” just before the resolution passed.
“Rep. Al Green’s shameful and egregious behavior during President Trump’s Joint Address disgraced the institution of Congress and the constituents he serves,” Johnson said on X. “Any Democrat who is concerned about regaining the trust and respect of the American people should join House Republicans in this effort.”
American politics might have become polarized to the point of expecting the kind of fake pre-planned spectacles demonstrated Tuesday. But Democrats have previously condemned Republican heckling of Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
“14 Years After ‘You Lie’ Shocked Congress, Yelling at the President Becomes a New Norm,” ran a 2023 headline from Time Magazine. The article opened with a reference to Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., shouting “you lie” during President Obama’s first joint congressional address in 2009.
“Members of both parties condemned the outburst, which was a response to the President’s claim that his health care plan would not apply to undocumented immigrants,” Time reported. “Fourteen years later, heckling, booing, and yelling at the President has become the norm.”
When Reps. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., both heckled Biden in his 2022 State of the Union speech, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi offered a two-word admonishment.
“Shut up,” she said at a press conference.
Pelosi, however, joined Democrats in refusing to censure one of their own colleagues who interrupted the president’s speech Tuesday night to the point of removal from the chamber.
Tristan Justice is a national correspondent for The Federalist and the co-author of "Fat and Unhappy: How 'Body Positivity' Is Killing Us (and How to Save Yourself)." He has also written for The Washington Examiner and The Daily Signal. His work has also been featured in Real Clear Politics and Fox News. Tristan graduated from George Washington University where he majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow him on Twitter at @JusticeTristan or contact him at Tristan@thefederalist.com. Sign up for Tristan's email newsletter here. Buy "Fat and Unhappy" here.