Democratic Rep. Al Green was ejected from the House chamber on Tuesday night (US local time) during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address after he unfurled a sign that read “Black people are not monkeys!”, a reference to a racist Obama family video posted on Trump’s social media account.The footage, which was posted and then deleted on Trump’s Truth Social account earlier this month, showed former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, the first black president and first lady in US history, depicted as apes, sparking outrage across the US political spectrum. The White House removed the video, and Trump said a staff member posted it. Trump refused to apologize for this scene.Greene, a veteran congressman from Texas who is black, stood up as Trump arrived to address the joint session of Congress, waving a protest sign.
As Trump walked down the aisle, Greene tried to wave it toward him, but Republican House Majority Leader Steve Scalise blocked the attempt, and someone in the crowd appeared to try to grab it.Greene held his ground and was still displaying the sign when Trump began his prime-time speech. Minutes later, a staff member escorted him out of the hall to chants of “USA! USA! USA!” As he was led toward the door, he continued to wave the sign toward the Republican side, where the Texas Republican was.
Troy Niles tried to grab it. After his firing, CNN quoted Green as saying, “I wanted the president to see it and he saw it. I told him black people aren’t monkeys.”Greene was also impeached during Trump’s joint address to Congress last year after he stood up, shaking his cane and shouting at the president at the start of the speech, drawing jeers from Republicans before aides escorted him outside as Trump looked on. During the campaign, Greene highlighted his ouster from Trump’s joint address to Congress last year, saying in a recent ad: “When I stood up, it wasn’t for attention. It was because some things are worth standing for.”
