Trump's State of the Union Descends Into Chaos
Donald Trump's State of the Union address descended into chaos in the US Congress, with a Democratic representative ejected and multiple walkouts, marking a record-breaking 108-minute speech filled with heckling and political division.
Donald Trump’s State of the Union address last night in the US Congress was marked by widespread dissent, with one representative being ejected just minutes into the speech. The US President delivered his 108-minute address, the longest ever State of the Union in at least 60 years. The nearly two-hour speech was packed with drama, including continuous heckling and a unified protest by Democratic members of Congress.
Even before Trump took to the podium, tension was palpable as over 70 Democrats announced they would boycott the speech altogether.
Divisive Remarks and Congressional Protests
Around a dozen representatives walked out in the middle of the message, which the President delivers at the start of the year. Trump began his speech with the declaration: ‘Our nation is back.’ However, instead of fostering unity in the United States, Trump’s words appeared to sow further division as he criticised immigrants.
At one point, Trump claimed the Somali community in the US had ‘pillaged an estimated $19 billion from the American taxpayer,’ which sparked a protest from Democratic Minnesota lawmaker Ilhan Omar. ‘That’s a lie! You’re a liar,’ she shouted from the bench.
One lawmaker, Democrat Al Green from Texas, a vocal opponent of Trump, was escorted out just minutes into the speech after holding a sign stating ‘Black people aren’t apes’ following the President’s racist social media post depicting Barack Obama and Michelle Obama as apes. The speech quickly descended into a shouting match between the US President and Democrats protesting his inflammatory remarks.
Trump accused those attempting to block controversial immigration deportations of being ‘murderers’ and stated that they ‘should be ashamed of yourselves,’ leading to an uproar among the Democrats. Both Omar and Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan Representative, shouted ‘You’re killing Americans’ at the President, whilst Republicans vociferously supported Trump’s immigration policies.
A Divided House
Green told CNN after his ejection: ‘I wanted the President to see it, and he did. I told him, Black people are not apes, and for him to do what he did was racist, and he knows it. But sometimes we have to let him know publicly that we know it.’
Trump was left seething when Democrats refused to stand after the President asked everyone to rise if they agreed with his statement that ‘the first duty of the American government is to protect citizens, not illegal aliens.’ ‘You should be ashamed of yourself,’ Trump shouted at those refusing his request, adding that he also wants to ‘end deadly sanctuary cities,’ referring to US cities where people are not asked about their immigration status, such as Chicago.