 "Who is Al Green, Democrat kicked out for disrupting Trump's speech?")
United States President Donald Trump delivered the longest address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday (March 4) night. Beginning his speech in a celebratory mood, the Republican went on to attack Democrats and his predecessor, Joe Biden, besides mentioning tariffs, wokeness and ticking off his accomplishments since returning to power on January 20.
Trump’s address was met by cheers from Republican lawmakers and mostly silent protests from Democrats. However, one Democrat lawmaker – Al Green – could not witness the US president’s address after being ejected from the House chamber.
But why?
Let’s take a closer look.
Who is Al Green?
Al Green is a Democratic Representative from Texas’ 9th Congressional District, comprising mostly an African American population. The 78-year-old is serving his ninth term in the US House of Representatives.
Born in Louisiana, Green comes from a humble background. A veteran civil rights advocate, he has “fought for those in society whose voices, too often, are not heard”, according to his official website.
He studied at Florida A&M University, Howard University, and the Tuskegee Institute, now known as the Tuskegee University.
Green earned a law degree from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law in 1973.
He currently serves on the Financial Services Committee and the Committee on Homeland Security, as per his website. Green served as the Justice of the Peace in Harris County, Texas, and also as president of the Houston branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Green is known for his opposition to Trump . He had called for the Republican’s impeachment during his first term as the US president.
Why was Al Green removed from House?
Texas Congressman Al Green was removed from the House chamber after he interrupted President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress.
At the very beginning of Trump’s speech, Green stood up and shouted ‘Mr President, you don’t have a mandate!’ in reference to Medicaid cuts. He emphasised his mostly inaudible comments with repeated gestures toward Trump with his cane.
Other lawmakers started cheering and booing Green, creating a ruckus in the House as Trump paused his address.
“Sit your a** down!” Representative Nancy Mace, a Republican, yelled back at Green, as per Reuters.
Later, House Speaker Mike Johnson read aloud from House rules. “Members are directed to uphold and maintain decorum in the House and to cease any further disruptions,” he said.
When Green continued to stand, Johnson directed the sergeant-at-arms, in charge of maintaining order in the chamber, to escort the Democratic lawmaker out.
“Hey Hey Hey Goodbye”, Republican members chanted as Green was removed from the House.
A lawmaker’s removal by the sergeant-at-arms during the joint address to Congress is a rare event in modern congressional history.
Rep. Al Green is removed from the House chamber after interrupting President Trump's joint congressional address.
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) March 5, 2025
Watch live: https://t.co/2olQrC34pI pic.twitter.com/p7Dk6hw3dX
Speaking to reporters after being removed from the chamber, the Congressman said he was objecting to the proposed cuts to the government-run Medicaid health insurance for those with limited income and resources.
He told NBC News that as “a person of conscience,” he believes Trump “has done things that I think we cannot allow to continue.”
“This whole budget that he has is one that is going to cause Medicaid to be cut, and when he said he had a mandate, it triggered something. It really did. Because he doesn’t have a mandate, and he doesn’t have a mandate to cut health care from poor people,” Green said.
The Democrat told reporters that Trump has “no mandate to cut Medicaid", adding that he is preparing articles to impeach the president. “This is the richest country in the world, and we have people who don’t have good health care. We’ve got to do better and now we’re about to cut Medicaid, which is for [the] poor,” he was quoted as saying by BBC.
Green also said he was ready to face whatever punishment he is given for his protest.
While Trump has claimed Medicaid would not be affected, it has done little to assuage fears. After Trump’s address, New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez went on Instagram Live and warned that the US president and the Republicans “are coming for Medicaid”.
Other protests
It was not just Green who protested during Trump’s address. Several female Democratic lawmakers wore pink to protest against Trump’s policies on women and families.
Other Democrats were seen in blue and yellow ties in support of Ukraine, following Trump’s ugly spat with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Oval Office last week.
During Trump’s speech, some other Democrats held up signs that read slogans such as “Musk steals”, “false” and “save Medicaid”.
Billionaire Elon Musk is tasked by the US president to reduce federal workforce and slash federal spending.
With inputs from agencies
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