The Democratic Party’s reactions to President Donald Trump’s address to a Joint Session of Congress, typically an orderly series of social media posts and soundbites followed by a
televised rebuttal from a designated speaker, was instead defined more by a series of protests within the joint session itself. Protests which were allegedly in defiance of orders from Democrat leadership.
The discord began before the President even took the Speaker’s Rostrum as cameras panned across the House of Representatives showing Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM) and members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, wearing bright pink as a “color of power and protest”, with Rep. Jill Tokuda’s (D-HI) marked with statements calling for the invocation of the 14th Amendment to remove the president from office.
In a clear break from traditional decorum that was even noted by CNN Commentator Ashley Allison Democrat legislators even failed to acknowledge the entry of President Trump’s cabinet observing, “The Democrats are not even acknowledging the cabinet right now. I just don’t remember that being…at least they would get up and shake their hands.” She added, “This is not a pathway forward to bipartisanship.”
Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) held up a crude hand sign reading “This is not normal” as Trump entered the House Chamber, signaling her displeasure with the president’s policies. The sign was quickly pulled from her hands and tossed away by Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX).
However, the most prominent moment of Democrat response came when Congressman Al Green (D-TX) shouted over and attempted to gainsay the President when Trump called attention to his November election mandate saying, “The presidential election of Nov. 5 was a mandate like has not been seen in many decades.”
Green rose waving his cane angrily and shouted, “You have no mandate.” He was shouted down by Republican members as Speaker Mike Johnson warned him "Mr. Green, take your seat. Take your seat, sir." Green refused and continued according to KTAR shouting “You have no mandate to cut Medicaid!” at Trump.
"Finding that members continue to engage in willful and concerted disruption of proper decorum, the chair now directs the sergeant at arms restore order," Johnson said. "Remove this gentleman from the chamber,” with Vice President JD Vance rising in standing ovation with the Republican members.
Briefly, a few Republican members could be heard singing the 1969 Steam classic ‘Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye.’
Following his ejection from the House Chamber, Green told waiting 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 to against this president's desire to cut Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security."
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries had reportedly instructed Democrats prior to the address to use restraint according to CNN citing two members familiar with the matter. However, freshman Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-IL) appeared to disregard this instruction by staging a one-woman walkout in a post to X writing, “There’s only so much bullshit a person can tolerate,” after she stormed out in the middle of the speech, “on behalf of the people of California’s 37th district.”
The outlet noted that Jeffries and Democrat leaders allegedly had a scripted plan to accompany the address by Trump and that no signs, no props, and no high-profile protests were to be made that could be seized upon by Republicans. This clearly had little effect though and throughout Trump’s speech several Democrat legislators held up signs saying, “Protect Veterans,” “Save Medicaid,” “False,” “Lies” and “Musk Steals.”
Likely, as part of the strategy that the Democrats alluded to with CNN, the minority party in both houses of Congress spoke volumes in what they didn’t do or say. The silence of the Democrats to even apolitical, patriotic highlights from President Trump was deafening.
As noted by commentator Dana Perino on Fox News, "The Democratic Party still has no common sense. They have no ideas and they have no heart. They couldn’t even stand for the most inspiring moments of the speech." Indeed throughout, despite instances of booing and sneering the Democratic legislators largely sat stonily refusing to stand or applaud even the most objectively positive notes.
The White House highlighted in a post-address press release that during Trump’s remarks “Unfortunately, Congressional Democrats were too consumed by their own hatred of President Trump, refusing to show support for lowering taxes, fighting childhood cancer, capturing terrorists, protecting women and girls in sports, or law and order — to name only a few,” adding that they refused to applaud:
The capturing of an ISIS terrorist that masterminded the Abbey Gate attack
A young boy fighting brain cancer
A call to lower taxes for middle-class Americans
Americans joining the military in record numbers
Taking down illegal revenge porn
Protecting women’s sports
Working together to Make America Great Again
Ending the harmful electric vehicle mandate
Cutting regulations to unleash American prosperity
Ending censorship and bringing back free speech
Ending discriminatory “diversity, equity, and inclusion”
Recognizing only two sexes
Unleashing American energy
Ending waste, fraud, and abuse in government
Ending taxes on tips, overtime, and seniors’ Social Security
Bringing manufacturing home to America
Securing historic investments in American chip manufacturing
Removing illegal alien killers, rapists, and drug dealers from our streets
Securing our border
Declaring the brutal Tren de Aragua gang as a Foreign Terrorist Organization
Waging war on the deadly cartels trafficking deadly drugs into our country
Punishing cop killers with the death penalty
Promoting health and wellness among Americans
Protecting our kids from radical gender ideology
Ending the sexual mutilation of America’s youth
The return of American Marc Fogel
Declaring America’s youth are perfect as God made them
Ending wokeness in the U.S. military
Restoring American shipbuilding
A student getting accepted to West Point
Improving America's defenses
Pursuing peace in Ukraine
As President Trump observed during his address, “I look at the Democrats in front of me - I realize, there's nothing I can say to make them happy, stand, or smile or applaud. I could find a cure to the most devastating disease...or announce the answers to the greatest economy in history, or the stoppage of crime to the lowest levels ever. And these people - sitting RIGHT HERE - will not clap, stand or cheer for these achievements. They won't, no matter what. “
The official Democrat response to President Trump’s address was offered by freshman Senator from Michigan Melissa Slotkin who accused the president of “trying to deliver an unprecedented giveaway to his billionaire friends,” claiming, “He's on the hunt to find trillions of dollars to pass along to the wealthiest in America, and to do that, he's going to make you pay in every part of your life.”
She also claimed that “Donald Trump's actions suggests that in his heart he doesn't believe we're an exceptional nation. "He clearly doesn't think we should lead the world," leading Post Millennial Editor Libby Emmons to quip, “I don't think Elissa Slotkin has any idea what she's talking about. She actually said, with a straight face, that Trump is not an American exceptionalist—and that Democrats are.”
The Democrat response was widely panned as lackluster and without gravitas, “boring and forgettable,” by commentator Evan Kilgore, and “totally ineffective at presenting an alternative,” by EarlyVoteAction activist Scott Pressler.
Pressler added, “Democrats had blunder after blunder tonight.”
Matthew Holloway is a contributor for Conservative HQ. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@theconservativefreelancer.com.
2024 Election
Trump address to Congress
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Rep. Al Green
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Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove