 "New Mexico Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, who chairs the Democratic Women’s Caucus wears pink along with a few fellow Democrats during US President Donald Trump's speech to a joint session of Congress, in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, March 4, 2025. File Image/X-RepTeresaLF")
United States President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday was met with vocal and symbolic opposition from Democrats, who used various forms of protest to express their dissent.
The 100-minute speech, the longest in modern US history, highlighted Trump’s stance on economic policies, immigration, and foreign affairs. However, the reaction from the Democratic side of the aisle was far from receptive.
Some Democrats, including Texas Representative Al Green, directly disrupted the speech. Green stood up during Trump’s remarks and declared that the president lacked a mandate, prompting Republican Representative Nancy Mace to shout, “Sit your ass down!”
Green refused, leading House Speaker Mike Johnson to order the sergeant at arms to remove him from the chamber. As he was escorted out, some Republican lawmakers sang, “Nah, nah, nah, nah, hey, hey, goodbye.”
The atmosphere in the chamber remained tense throughout the night. Many Democratic lawmakers refrained from clapping or making eye contact with Trump as he entered.
Throughout the address, interruptions and protests punctuated the proceedings, with Johnson repeatedly calling for decorum as Republicans countered with chants of “USA” to drown out dissenting voices.
Democrats wear pink
In a coordinated effort, numerous Democratic women in Congress chose to wear pink as a subtle yet pointed act of defiance.
Representative Teresa Leger Fernández, head of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, stated that the colour symbolised resistance to Trump’s policies, particularly those affecting women and families. “Pink is a colour of power and protest,” she told Time magazine.
The move echoed a similar demonstration during Trump’s 2019 State of the Union address when Democratic women dressed in white to commemorate 100 years of women’s suffrage.
Despite the shift in colour, the message remained clear — opposition to the Trump administration’s policies. Before the address, members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus gathered outside the Capitol, where Fernández declared, “Women cannot afford Trump. He costs us too much in terms of money, health, lives, and safety.”
‘That’s a lie’, ‘Save Medicaid’, ‘NO MORE KINGS’
The protest extended beyond dress choices. Several Democratic lawmakers staged a walkout mid-speech, removing their jackets to reveal T-shirts with messages such as “RESIST” and “NO MORE KINGS.” Representatives Maxwell Frost of Florida and Jasmine Crockett of Texas were among those who participated in this act of defiance.
Other lawmakers, including members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, held up placards with statements such as “That’s a lie,” “Musk Steals,” “Save Medicaid,” and “Protect Veterans.”
These messages were intended to highlight concerns about Trump’s policies, particularly regarding healthcare, veteran services, and his administration’s ties to billionaire Elon Musk, who has played a prominent role in government efficiency reforms.
Signs printed with the word “False” in white lettering were also displayed each time Trump made a contentious claim.
Some Democrats sought to make their protest even more personal by inviting guests affected by Trump’s policies.
Among those in attendance were a disabled veteran from Arizona, a Maryland healthcare worker, and a former forestry employee from California who worked on wildfire prevention. Their presence served as a pointed critique of Trump’s workforce reductions and budget cuts that affected federal employees.
How Trump reacted to the Democrats
Far from being unsettled by the protests, Trump appeared to revel in the confrontations . As Democrats staged walkouts and held up protest signs, the president took a moment to address them directly.
“I look at the Democrats in front of me, and I realise there is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy or to make them stand or smile or applaud,” he remarked. He went on to suggest that even if he cured a devastating disease or achieved historic economic success, his critics would remain unmoved.
“Nothing I can do. I could find a cure to the most devastating disease, a disease that would wipe out entire nations or announce the answers to the greatest economy in history, or the stoppage of crime to the lowest levels ever recorded. And these people sitting right here will not clap, will not stand, and certainly will not cheer for these astronomical achievements.”
Trump also took the opportunity to praise Elon Musk, whose Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) has led efforts to reduce federal spending and eliminate government waste.
“Musk has helped identify hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud,” Trump claimed, though his statement exceeded even the administration’s official estimates. Musk, who was seated in the gallery, received ovations from Republican lawmakers.
The events of the night highlighted the stark partisan divide that has defined Trump’s presidency.
With inputs from agencies