Trump speech to Congress met with heckles, signs and walkouts: ‘He’s spewing all kinds of bulls***’

It’s only been six weeks into his second term as US president, and Donald Trump continues to court controversy, this time addressing Democrats and Republicans in Congress with a speech which critics walked out of, interrupted and protested in many different forms.

At the start of his address, the Republican and convicted felon declared “America is back” and claimed his administration “has accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplished in four years, eight years”.

“We are just getting started. I return to this chamber tonight to report that America’s momentum is back, our spirit is back, our pride is back, our confidence is back, and the American Dream is surging bigger and better than ever before,” he said.

But not everyone was convinced…

Al Green

In arguably the most high-profile protest during the event, Democrat and Texas representative Al Green stood up while Trump was speaking, prompting House Speaker Mike Johnson to call for “decorum” and direct the Sergeant at Arms to remove Green from the House.

A number of social media users have since pointed out that while Green was kicked out, staunch Trump supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene was not when she heckled Joe Biden during his State of the Union address.

Speaking after his intervention, Green said: “I’ll accept the punishment, but it’s worth it to let people know that there are some of us who are going to stand up against this president’s desire to cut Medicaid, Medicare and social security.”

Bernie Sanders

Vermont senator Bernie Sanders was filmed walking out of Trump’s address early, telling reporters that his speech is “going to be better”.

Jasmine Crockett

And Sanders wasn’t the only one to leave early, as in a clip posted to her Instagram account, Texas representative Jasmine Crockett said: “Listen, he up there, he’s spewing all kinds of nonsense and bulls***, let me just be real. We weren’t just going to sit for that s***.”

She also published a press release online explaining that she walked out because she wanted Trump and her constituents “to know that I’m not going to sit here while you try to shut down the VA [Veterans Affairs] hospital in my district”.

“I’m not going to standby while you shortstaff [sic] the FAA [Federal Aviation Authority] at the same time planes are colliding in the sky left and right,” she wrote.

Elizabeth Warren

The Massachusetts senator, who was a candidate in the Democrats’ presidential primaries for the 2020 election, expressed her disapproval of the whole affair by sarcastically applauding Trump when he referred to her as “Pocahontas”, and scrolling on her phone when the US president talked about Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (Doge).

"Musk steals"

Other Democrats were also critical of the president by holding up signs such as “false”, “save Medicaid” and “Musk steals”.

“This is not normal”

Speaking of signs, following Trump’s address, New Mexico representative Melanie Stansbury was seen holding up a sign next to the president reading “this is not normal”, only for Texas Republican Lance Gooden to snatch it from her and throw it, just missing Trump himself.

Crikey.

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