Congressman Al Green was removed from Donald Trump’s joint address of Congress after heckling the president that he ‘has no mandate’.
Before US president Donald Trump embarked on his record-breakingly long speech, Vice President JD Vance and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson had a little outfit check and joke, however, the drama really kicked off when the 47th president ended up getting heckled by lawmaker Al Green.
Trump began his speech by stating ‘America is back’, reflecting on his electoral win six weeks prior when he stood underneath the Capitol’s dome and ‘proclaimed the dawn of the golden age of America’.
Trump continued by boasting of ‘accomplishing more in 43 days than most administrations accomplish in four years or eight years’ given its ‘swift and unrelenting action to usher in the greatest and most successful era in the history of our country’
“I return to this chamber tonight to report that America’s momentum is back. Our spirit is back. Our pride is back. Our confidence is back. And the American dream is surging – bigger and better than ever before,” he continued.
“The American dream is unstoppable, and our country is on the verge of a comeback the likes of which the world has never witnessed, and perhaps will never witness again. Never been anything like it.”
While some of the chamber’s crowd chanted ‘USA’ in response to Trump’s opening of the speech, not long after while the president delved into reflecting on his ‘astonishing record’ winning the vote, Democrat Green stood up, pointed his cane and shouted: “You have no mandate to cut Medicaid.”
Green’s comment follows Trump revoking predecessor Joe Biden’s Executive Order 14009 within days of being sworn in as the 47th president of the US.
Biden’s order sought to protect and strengthen Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to ensure everyone in the US had access to affordable and high-quality healthcare.
Upon hearing Green’s interruption, House Speaker Mike Johnson then jumped in, stating: “Members are directed to uphold and maintain decorum in the house, and to cease any further disruptions. That’s your warning. Members are engaging in willful and continuing breach of decorum, and the chair is prepared to direct the sergeant-at-arms to restore order to the joint session.”
Johnson ordered Green to take his seat, however, when the Democrat didn’t comply – ‘finding that members continue to engage in wilful and concerted disruption of proper decorum’ – Johnson directed the ‘sergeant-at-arms to restore order’ by ‘removing’ Green ‘from the chamber’
Johnson emphasized: “Members are directed to uphold and maintain decorum in the house. Mr. President, you continue.”
Trump thanked Johnson before continuing with his speech – for a record-breaking total of almost 100 minutes.
While Johnson reflected the ‘spectacle’ of Green’s interruption was ‘not necessary’ and argued he ‘made history in a terrible way,’ Green argued he was ‘following the wishes of conscience’.
Green resolved to ABC News: “There are times when it’s better to stand alone than not stand at all.”
