Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) opened up about the moment he was escorted out of the House chamber Tuesday evening, saying he protested at President Trump’s joint address to Congress because “he needs to save Medicaid.”
Speaking with reporters in the Capitol after being removed from Trump’s speech, Green said he was protesting the president’s sweeping cuts to federal programs — an issue that has left Democrats reeling and threatening to allow a lapse in government funding later this month.
“I was making it clear to the president that he has no mandate to cut Medicaid,” Green said of his outburst. “I have people who are very fearful, these are poor people and they all need Medicaid in their lives when it comes to their health care.”
During Trump’s first major speech to lawmakers, he declared that the results of the 2024 presidential election were a “mandate” from the American people that “has not been seen in many decades,” echoing words he said during his victory speech in November.
Green stood up and asserted that the president had no mandate and did not sit back down.
Then, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) repeatedly told those in attendance to maintain decorum, but Green continued to speak. Johnson then asked the sergeant-at-arms to “restore order” by throwing the Texas Democrat out of the chamber.
The lawmaker told reporters that Trump is cutting safety nets that people in his district rely on.
“This president seems to care less about them and more about the number of people that he can remove from the various programs that have been so helpful,” he said.
Many Democrats protested in their own way from holding up signs reading “false” to walking out during the speech. Green defended his decision to speak out.
“It is the best way to get it across to a person who uses his incivility, who uses his incivility against our civility,” Green said.
He added later that he is “willing to suffer” any consequence he may face from the protest, saying it was “worth it” to show the American people that some members of Congress will stand up to Trump.
“This is about the people who are being punished by virtue of losing their health care,” the Texas lawmaker said. “This is the richest country in the world, and we have people who don’t have good health care.”
“We’ve got to do better,” he added. “Health care has become wealth care for many people and we can’t afford to let that happen.”
Johnson, in response, argued that his Democratic colleague should be “censured” over the protest.
The move came after Green said early last month that he would bring articles of impeachment against Trump after the president suggested the U.S. should take over Gaza.
“This president is unfit. He should not hold the office,” Green said Tuesday, pointing to Trump’s 34-count felony conviction in the New York hush money case — which ended with no punishment — and the two times he was impeached by the House.
