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Texas Rep. Al Green speaks out after being removed from State of the Union speech for sign protesting Trump's 'racist' apes post
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Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) has spoken out after he was removed from the House chamber on Tuesday shortly after President Donald Trump began his State of the Union speech.
As Trump entered the House of Representatives, Green unfurled a sign displaying the words “BLACK PEOPLE AREN’T APES.” Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) quickly approached him to discuss the message, and Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) attempted to snatch the sign from Green’s grasp, but the Democratic representative resisted.
Security eventually escorted Green out of the 435-seater auditorium, with some Republicans applauding his removal, including Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas), who restrained Nehls as Green was being led away.
Green defends decision to protest
Speaking afterwards to The Hill, Green said the sign was a direct response to a since-deleted clip the divisive Trump had shared that depicted former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes.
Green said the portrayal of two prominent Black figures in that manner should not be overlooked. He argued that Trump’s actions and rhetoric often go unchallenged because attention is quickly diverted to other controversies, and he refused to allow this instance to pass without protest.
Calling it an insult to the former president, the former first lady, and to himself as a Black man, Green said he wanted to confront Trump personally: “I wanted the president to see it, and he saw it. I told him Black people are not apes,” he told Ellis.
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Green's longstanding disdain for the U.S. President
He refuted claims that he had gone against House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ request for Democrats to practice “silent defiance” at this year’s State of the Union.
This was not the first time Green had been removed during a Trump address. During a speech to Congress in March 2025, he stood up and declared that Trump had no mandate, raising his cane toward the president. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) then directed the sergeant-at-arms to restore order by removing the protesting Green from the room.
On that occasion, Green, speaking to the White House press pool, said his actions were intended to show that some individuals are willing to oppose the outspoken, and often controversial President. He added that he did not know whether his protest would result in any official disciplinary action, but declared: “It’s worth it to let people know that there are some people who are going to stand up” to Trump.