House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., scolded Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, for engaging in ‘shameful and egregious behavior’ during President Donald Trump’s Tuesday night address to a joint session of Congress. The speaker, who booted Green from the House chamber, accused the lawmaker of violating House rules ‘deliberately.’
The speaker’s post on X condemning Green’s behavior comes just hours after a resolution to censure the Texas Democrat survived an attempt by his party to table it.
Speaker Johnson wrote in a post on X that Green ‘disgraced the institution of Congress’ with his protest during Trump’s address. He also urged Democrats to join in voting for the censure.
Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., introduced the resolution punishing Green on Wednesday. Now that it has survived the Democrats’ push to table it, the resolution will likely be headed for a House-wide vote today.
The resolution likely did not come as a surprise to Green, who, upon his expulsion from the speech, told the press he would be ‘willing to suffer whatever punishment’ came about from the incident. In fact, Green tweeted on Thursday reminding his followers on X about the upcoming censure vote.
While there were multiple resolutions to censure Green, Fox News Digital was told that Newhouse had been in contact with House GOP leadership about his resolution since Trump’s speech ended.
‘I think [Green’s protest is] unprecedented. Certainly in the modern era. It wasn’t an excited utterance. It was a, you know, planned, prolonged protest,’ Speaker Johnson told reporters on Wednesday.
On Tuesday night, Green began shouting after President Trump called the 2024 election ‘a mandate like has not been seen in many decades,’ and touting the GOP’s victories.
Johnson issued Green a warning and asked him to take his seat. When Green refused and continued protesting, the speaker asked the Sergeant at Arms to remove the Texas Democrat from the room.
‘The president said he had a mandate, and I was making it clear to the president that he no mandate to cut Medicaid,’ Green told press in the hallway outside of Trump’s address. He then called on President Trump to ‘save Medicaid,’ something that was written on several paddles used in the Democrats’ silent protest of the speech.
Rep. Green was the first and only Democrat to actively disrupt the president’s speech on Tuesday night. Other Democrats held up signs and many walked out of the speech early.
The resolution to censure, if it passes, does not carry any consequences, rather it serves as a formal condemnation of Green by the House. Other lawmakers who have faced censure include former Rep. Adam Schiff, former Rep. Jamaal Bowman and Rep. Rashida Tlaib.
Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind and Aishah Hasnie contributed to this report.
