WASHINGTON, D.C. February 25, 2026 – House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) revealed late Tuesday that he chose not to remove several Democratic lawmakers from the House chamber during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address the previous evening, despite their repeated disruptions, so Americans could witness their behavior firsthand.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Speaker Johnson wrote: “While several Democrats deserved to be ejected from the chamber last night, I decided it was better for the nation to see their shameful antics on full display.”
The statement was accompanied by a video clip highlighting moments from the address.
According to multiple reports and footage from the Feb. 24, 2026, joint session of Congress, Democratic members engaged in several forms of protest:
– Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) was ejected after holding up a sign reading “BLACK PEOPLE AREN’T APES!” in apparent reference to a video previously posted by President Trump.
– Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) were among those shouting interruptions, including phrases such as “You killed Americans!” during remarks on immigration and border security.
– Numerous Democrats remained seated and refused to applaud during key moments, including tributes to American citizens killed by illegal immigrants and other policy highlights.
– Some lawmakers wore protest-themed clothing or held signs, while others participated in counter-events or boycotted the address entirely.
Johnson, who presides over the joint session as Speaker, told Newsmax in post-address interviews that he came “about this close” to banging the gavel and ordering members removed. However, he ultimately allowed the proceedings to continue uninterrupted by security removals.
“It was a very shameful display,” Johnson said. “There was a couple of times, there’s a couple of House members that I probably could have ejected from the chamber because of their behavior, but the president handled it so well, and I decided not to do that because… I thought it would be better for the American people to see that, to see the shame that they were bringing upon themselves.”
The Speaker added that the Democrats’ actions “brought shame upon their party and upon themselves,” and emphasized that the American public now has a clear view of the opposition’s approach.
President Trump, during the address, directly addressed the lack of standing and applause from the Democratic side, stating at one point, “Isn’t that a shame?”
The episode comes amid heightened partisan tensions following Trump’s return to the White House. Dozens of Democrats had signaled in advance they would either skip the speech or attend counter-rallies labeled as a “People’s State of the Union.”
Speaker Johnson’s decision not to clear the chamber has drawn praise from Republicans, who view it as a strategic move to let voters judge the behavior for themselves ahead of future elections.
As of Wednesday morning, Johnson’s X post had garnered thousands of likes, reposts, and comments, with supporters calling the move “masterful” and critics accusing Republicans of politicizing the traditionally ceremonial event.
Life News Agency will continue to monitor reactions from both sides of the aisle as Congress returns to regular business this week.
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