Texas Rep. Al Green was removed from Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech after holding up a sign protesting the president’s social media post that depicted Barack and Michelle Obama as apes. Now he has spoken out.
Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Monday drew attention not only for the president’s remarks but also for an incident involving Rep. Al Green. As Trump entered the House chamber, Green held up a sign reading, “Black People Arent Apes,” referencing the president’s post. Rep. Troy Nehls (R‑Texas) quickly approached him while Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin tried to grab the sign.
Green resisted and was eventually escorted out of the auditorium amid applause from some Republicans. After leaving the chamber, he told The Hill about the sign: “The President has depicted Black people, two prominent black people, the President and the First Lady, as apes. That cannot go unnoticed. For too long now, we have allowed all of his dastardly deeds to go unnoticed because he’ll get engaged with another dastardly deed. I refuse to let this go unnoticed,” Al Green said.
“It’s an insult, not only to the President and the First Lady, but to me as a Black person… and I wanted him to know that somebody has the courage to tell him to his face, and that’s what I did,” he added.
Green said it wasn’t a surprise that he was escorted out, stressing the importance of taking a stand against what he called invidious discrimination. “But, you know, on some issues, it’s better to stand alone than not stand at all,” he said.
This is not the first time Green has been removed during a Trump address. In March last year, he raised his cane and said the president had no mandate; the House later voted to censure him. “I understand that they’ve been using this mandate to do things that can be harmful to poor people. And I told him in no uncertain terms that he didn’t have a mandate to cut Medicaid,” Green told Fox at the time. “This wasn’t about anything that would benefit people other than constituents who are sick and need health care in the richest country in the world, and they are about to cut Medicaid.”
“I know that if you are breaching the rules, the law, and you are approached by a proper officer, you don’t resist. I was prepared to accept the consequences for my behavior,” Green continued. “I tell young people it’s okay to protest. It’s okay to be disruptive. It’s okay to block the streets, but if you do it, be prepared for the consequences because it’s only peaceful protest that can be successful.”
After he was escorted out on Monday, Republican Rep. Mike Rulli of Ohio told Fox that his office was seeking lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to support a second censure resolution against Green.
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