House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) struggled to maintain control over his conference during a lively State of the Union address on Tuesday night. During the speech, Donald Trump provoked Democrats, leading to numerous outbursts and taunts from the audience.
Prior to the event, Jeffries had instructed his caucus to either remain in “silent defiance” or to skip the speech entirely. However, as soon as Trump began speaking, House Democrats quickly disregarded Jeffries’ directive.
Rep. Al Green (D-TX) started the event by getting himself removed from the well of the chamber for holding a sign that read, “Black people aren’t apes!” It was in response to a widely condemned video posted by Trump on Truth Social, which depicted the Obamas as monkeys. It’s important to note that the video was not edited or created by Trump or his team.
The incident echoed last year’s events when Representative Green was reprimanded for a confrontation with Trump, during which he waved a cane. As before, Trump chose to ignore Green, letting the disruption become a spectacle in itself.
Other Democrats also gave Trump some political ammunition as his address stretched nearly two hours. Representatives Lauren Underwood (D-IL), Bill Foster (D-IL), and Madeline Dean (D-PA) stood up and left the chamber midway through Trump’s speech in protest, the Washington Examiner reported.
Trump received the strongest reactions when he asked the entire chamber to stand if they believed the U.S. government’s priority should be placing American citizens ahead of illegal aliens. When Democrats did not stand, Trump quickly capitalized on the moment.
“You should be ashamed of yourself for not standing up. You should be ashamed of yourself,” Trump said.
The comments prompted a strong reaction from Representatives Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN). They accused the president of being responsible for the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, two U.S. citizens who were shot by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis earlier this year.
Omar repeatedly shouted “liar” and “you have killed Americans.”
Advertisement
Tlaib, meanwhile, shouted, “You killed Alex!”
WATCH:
Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib unravel into screeching rage as Trump declares US government should put Americans first before illegals pic.twitter.com/qVTzHcjXRh
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) February 25, 2026
Is Rashida Tlaib chanting “KKK” while everyone else chants “USA”? Sure looks like it pic.twitter.com/5nnp0or3Xn
— Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) February 25, 2026
Before the speech, Jeffries advised his conference, both publicly and privately, to skip it if they wanted to express their protest. He also urged members to sit quietly if they chose to attend, to avoid any distractions that Republicans might use as political ammunition. His instructions, however, largely went unheeded, the outlet noted.
During Trump’s speech, Democrats did occasionally applaud, mainly in response to references to the military or when he introduced bipartisan guests. However, Trump adopted a combative tone, which contributed to an atmosphere of confrontation.
Democrats used their attire and guests to criticize the president, particularly regarding disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Members wore “Release the Files” pins or brought sexual abuse survivors to highlight the Epstein controversy.
Trump signed the bipartisan Epstein Transparency Act earlier this year. The Justice Department has since released millions of files related to various investigations into the late financier and convicted pedophile. Democrats, notably, did not demand the release of the files during the Biden administration, nor did they mention Epstein much, if at all.
For his part, Jeffries released a statement after Trump’s address, calling the State of the Union a “complete disaster.”
“For nearly two hours tonight, Donald Trump spewed lies, propaganda, and hatred,” Jeffries said, despite the fact that Trump regularly praised the country, all Americans, and touted the economic and policy successes of his term thus far.
Senate Republicans, meanwhile, moved closer to a historic slate of confirmations on Wednesday after clearing another procedural hurdle toward approving nearly 100 nominees put forward by Trump.
Senate Republicans have advanced a group of 97 nominees in a 53–47 party-line vote. The action positions Republicans one step away from final confirmation of the nominees. A final confirmation vote is expected Thursday, unless Senate Democrats agree to accelerate the process through a time-limiting agreement.
