Al Green escorted out during Trump’s State of the Union

Rep. Al Green was escorted from the House chamber minutes into President Donald Trump’s State of the Union on Tuesday night after holding a protest sign reading, “Black people aren’t apes!”

The 78-year-old Texas Democrat said he wanted the president to see the message and described Trump’s past conduct as racist. Green is a longtime critic of Trump and has previously attempted to impeach him, as well as disrupted a prior speech at the U.S. Capitol, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Democratic leaders had urged members to remain quiet during the address or skip it altogether, aiming to avoid a spectacle that could distract from the president at a politically vulnerable moment. Lawmakers were specifically asked not to bring signs into the chamber, according to members familiar with the discussions.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said earlier Tuesday that members would either attend quietly or boycott the speech to express opposition outside the chamber. After the incident, Green said he was not defying leadership but making a point directly to the president.

The protest followed controversy earlier this month when Trump shared and later deleted a racist video depicting former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes. Trump declined to apologize, saying he had not seen the offensive content and blaming a staffer for the post.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada