Disruptive Rep. Al Green was ejected from the House chamber for the second year in a row during President Trump’s State of the Union on Tuesday.
Green (D-Texas), 78, had waved around a sign that said “Black people aren’t apes” as he was escorted out of the chamber. He also declined to sit as Trump began speaking.
The sign was in response to Trump posting a since-deleted video on his Truth Social that raised doubts about the legitimacy of the 2020 election and ended with a clip depicting former President Barack Obama as an ape.
It appears that the post came from a screen recording of the election video and that a meme video showing Trump as the king of the jungle with top pols portrayed as characters in the “Lion King” began playing automatically afterwards.
US Representative Al Green holds a sign reading “Black people aren’t apes” as he exits the House Chamber during the State of the Union address. AFP via Getty Images
The White House claimed that a staffer erroneously posted the video, and Trump denied seeing the ape clip beforehand, telling reporters that “of course” he condemns it.
That incident had sparked backlash from multiple Republican lawmakers in Congress.
Republican lawmakers cheered as Green was kicked out of Trump’s State of the Union on Tuesday evening.
Troy Nehls (R-TX ) grabs a sign from ejected Rep. Al Green (D-TX) as Trump delivers his State of the Union address during a Joint Session of Congress at the US Capitol on Feb. 24, 2026, in Washington, DC. Getty ImagesGreen was also booted last year during Trump’s joint address to Congress, wielding a cane and shouting, “You don’t have a mandate.”
At the time, the Lone Star State Democrat pointed his finger at Trump and was quieted down on a few occasions before interjecting again.
Over a dozen Democrats boycotted Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday as party leadership urged reps to behave themselves.
