WASHINGTON, D.C. — The House chamber was the scene of high drama on February 24, 2026, as Texas Representative Al Green was once again escorted out during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address. With a silent but unmistakably pointed protest, Green unfurled a sign reading, “Black people aren’t apes,” directly referencing a controversial and widely condemned video posted to Trump’s social media earlier in the month. The video, which depicted former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, was later deleted after it drew bipartisan outrage.
Green’s protest was not his first. Just a year ago, he was removed from the House chamber for shouting responses at President Trump during another address, an act that led the House to formally censure him. This year, however, his method was silent: as Trump approached the podium, Green stood in the center aisle, holding his sign aloft for all to see. The moment was brief—barely two minutes into the address—before the House Sergeant at Arms, along with staffers, escorted him from the chamber. Several Republican lawmakers, including Texas Representative Troy Nehls and Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin, attempted to block the sign from cameras or engaged with Green as he passed, with some Republicans erupting into chants of “USA! USA!” as he exited.
Speaking to reporters outside the chamber, Green explained the motivation behind his protest. “Tonight, I wanted him to have a person confront him and let him know that Black people aren’t apes,” Green said. “He seems to think he can do these dastardly things with impunity. Tonight I wanted him to have a person confront him and let him know that Black people aren’t apes, that Black people are not going to tolerate this kind of behavior.” According to CNN, Green added, “I wanted the president to see it, and he saw it, and 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 in the public that we know it.”
The sign and protest were a direct response to a video posted on Trump’s Truth Social account, which, in its final moments, depicted the Obamas as primates. The video was largely about election conspiracy theories, but its ending drew swift condemnation from both sides of the aisle. According to The Associated Press, Trump claimed he had not seen the offensive part of the video before it was posted, attributing its appearance to a staffer: “I didn’t see the whole thing. I guess during the end of it, there was some kind of a picture that people don’t like. I wouldn’t like it either, but I didn’t see it. I just looked at the first part, and it was really about voter fraud and the machines.”
Green’s removal from the chamber was met with mixed reactions. Some Republican members cheered, shouting “Get out!” and “Goodbye!” while others attempted to physically block the sign. Green, undeterred, left his seat empty except for a handwritten cardboard sign that read “Al Green.” He later told reporters that being removed was “of no consequence,” adding, “You have to take a stand. I am just a person who has done it – but there are many others, I believe, who would.”
This incident comes at a politically sensitive time for Green. The 78-year-old congressman, a longtime representative of Texas’s 9th Congressional District, is now seeking reelection in the newly redrawn 18th Congressional District. The redistricting, orchestrated by Texas Republicans at Trump’s urging, is an attempt to secure more GOP seats in the upcoming midterms. Green faces a primary challenge from U.S. Rep. Christian Menefee, a 37-year-old who recently won a special election to complete the late Rep. Sylvester Turner’s term. Menefee, who did not attend the State of the Union, instead remained in Houston for community meetings, according to his office.
Green’s history of vocal opposition to Trump is well documented. He was the first member of Congress to call for Trump’s impeachment, dating back to 2017, and has filed articles of impeachment multiple times. Last June, he took this step again after the U.S. launched military strikes on Iran without congressional authorization. His district, which includes southwestern Houston and part of Fort Bend County, is predominantly African American—a fact that has shaped his legislative priorities and his willingness to confront racism in the public arena.
The State of the Union address itself was marked by sharp partisan divides. While several Democrats chose to boycott the event altogether, those who attended often made their opposition clear. As Trump spoke, many Democratic members sat solemnly, refusing to join in the frequent Republican standing ovations. Some, like Senator Mark Warner of Virginia and Representative Bill Foster of Illinois, walked out early in protest. Warner later posted on social media that he “couldn’t sit through an hour of Trump’s lies,” while Foster wrote, “Less than one hour into his speech, I’m out.”
Other moments of protest punctuated the night. Representative Rashida Tlaib, wearing a pin that read “release the files,” shouted about the killing of Alex Pretti, a Minneapolis nurse, by federal agents. Representative Ilhan Omar admonished Trump, yelling, “You should be ashamed,” and “you have killed Americans,” before leaving the chamber alongside Tlaib.
Despite the disruptions, President Trump pressed on with his address, highlighting several Texas-related stories. He spoke of Raysall Wiggins, a Houston mother of two who struggled to buy a home in the face of competition from investment firms. Trump touted his recent executive order aimed at curbing such practices and encouraged Congress to codify the measure. “Good luck with your home,” Trump said, addressing Wiggins. “You’ll get one soon.” He also referenced the devastating July 4, 2025, flooding in the Texas Hill Country, which claimed at least 138 lives, and praised Petty Officer Scott Ruskan, a Texas-based Coast Guard rescue swimmer credited with saving more than 160 children. Ruskan, Trump noted, would serve as grand marshal for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s upcoming downtown parade.
As the dust settles from another tumultuous State of the Union, the divide in Washington appears as stark as ever. For Representative Al Green, the cost of protest is outweighed by the conviction to speak out—no matter how many times he’s shown the door.