Jeffries Calls Democrats’ State of the Union Protests 'Appropriately Restrained' and Defends Al Green’s 'BLACK PEOPLE AREN’T APES' Sign
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who urged Democrats in a closed‑door meeting to either attend President Trump’s Feb. 24 State of the Union in “silent defiance” or skip it, defended the party’s disparate protests — calling the response “appropriately restrained and forceful,” explicitly backing Rep. Al Green’s “BLACK PEOPLE AREN’T APES” sign and condemning Trump’s Truth Social attacks on Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. About half of House and Senate Democrats skipped the address, while others staged individualized protests or walked out mid‑speech (with Omar and Tlaib loudly heckling and Tlaib wearing an anti‑ICE pin), some Democrats were escorted out, and party leaders say this year’s actions were more disciplined and less choreographed than last year’s disruptions.
📌 Key Facts
- Before the Feb. 24 State of the Union, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries urged Democrats in a closed‑door meeting and publicly to either attend in “silent defiance” or skip the address, saying the president was “coming to our House” and Democrats should not be “run off” their block and noting frustration over last year’s disruptions.
- Roughly half of House and Senate Democrats did not attend the address — Axios counted about 20 Senate Democrats and just under 110 House Democrats in the chamber at the start — with senior Democrats including Katherine Clark and Ted Lieu explicitly boycotting; some who attended later walked out mid‑speech (including Reps. Bill Foster, Lauren Underwood and Madeleine Dean).
- Democratic protests took multiple forms: some lawmakers and guests participated in a “People’s State of the Union” on the National Mall, others displayed signs or pins on the House floor — Rep. Al Green held a sign reading “BLACK PEOPLE AREN’T APES” and was escorted out, Rep. Norma Torres held up photos of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and Rep. Rashida Tlaib wore a “F--- ICE” pin plus a “STAND WITH SURVIVORS RELEASE THE FILES” pin.
- The Democratic caucus remained divided on tactics: progressive leaders including Congressional Progressive Caucus chair Greg Casar and some senior progressives said last year’s disruptions were ineffective and warned there would be no choreographed mass protest, while other Democrats (e.g., Reps. Jared Huffman and Shri Thanedar) signaled they planned to walk out or press more confrontational positions on immigration.
- During the speech Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib loudly heckled President Trump — Omar repeatedly accused him of killing Americans and called him a liar, and Tlaib shouted that Alex Pretti “wasn’t a criminal” — with Fox reporting these outbursts occurred during his remarks on DHS funding, sanctuary cities and deportations; both left the chamber early.
- Afterward Jeffries defended Democrats’ response as “appropriately restrained and forceful,” called Al Green’s sign “appropriate and restrained” and “on point,” said Democrats were “disciplined and focused” with minimal internal fallout compared with last year, and condemned Trump’s Truth Social posts attacking Omar and Tlaib as “disgraceful, unpresidential, unpatriotic and un‑American.”
- President Trump posted on Truth Social attacking Omar and Tlaib as “lunatics” who “should be institutionalized” and writing “we should send them back,” also attacking Robert De Niro; outlets noted a now‑deleted Trump War Room post that used anti‑immigrant language and was edited afterward.
- Separately, Jeffries pushed back against calls to personally lead an “abolish ICE” campaign in a joint interview, saying he would not adopt that slogan, would “use the language that I want to use,” and instead emphasized alternatives such as funding affordability measures and reforms (including enabling state attorneys general to prosecute ICE agents).
- NPR cited polling (NPR/PBS/Marist) showing public skepticism about the moment: 57% of respondents said the state of the union is not strong and 60% said the country is worse off than a year ago, including large majorities of Democrats and independents.
📊 Analysis & Commentary (1)
Can Stephen A. Smith Fix the Democrats—by Breaking Them?
"A City Journal opinion piece critiques Stephen A. Smith’s high‑profile push as an outside, media‑driven attempt to force Democrats to change (potentially by breaking the party), reading it against the backdrop of internal disputes over whether to protest or attend President Trump’s State of the Union and broader tensions over the party’s direction."
📰 Source Timeline (11)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
February 25, 2026
9:27 PM
Jeffries defends Democratic outbursts at State of the Union
New information:
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries publicly said Democrats’ response to Trump’s State of the Union was 'appropriately restrained and forceful.'
- Jeffries explicitly defended Rep. Al Green’s 'BLACK PEOPLE AREN’T APES' sign as 'appropriate and restrained' and 'on point.'
- Jeffries said his own reaction to Trump’s racist video was 'far less profane' than Green’s sign, pointing to his 'f*** Donald Trump' video.
- Jeffries condemned Trump’s Truth Social post calling Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib 'lunatics' who should be 'institutionalized' as 'disgraceful, unpresidential, unpatriotic and un-American.'
- He noted that, unlike last year, there has been 'minimal internal fallout' and said Democrats were 'disciplined and focused' and acted 'in a manner consistent with being in the House chamber.'
8:04 PM
‘Send them back’: Trump ramps up rhetoric against Omar, Tlaib
New information:
- Trump’s Truth Social post explicitly said Omar and Tlaib 'look like they should be institutionalized' and described them as having 'bulging, bloodshot eyes of crazy people, LUNATICS, mentally deranged and sick.'
- He added, 'we should send them back from where they came — as fast as possible,' language the piece contextualizes by noting Omar is a naturalized citizen from Somalia and Tlaib was born in Detroit.
- The article details specific heckling moments: Tlaib shouting that Trump is 'killing Americans' and that Alex Pretti 'wasn’t a criminal,' Omar yelling 'You have killed Americans' and repeatedly calling Trump a 'liar' over his Minnesota welfare‑fraud and Somali‑immigrant claims, and Tlaib invoking Epstein files.
- It notes a now‑deleted Trump War Room X post that read, 'Import the 3rd world, become the 3rd world,' quoting Trump’s SOTU line about 'importing these cultures through unrestricted immigration and open borders,' before being edited to remove that phrasing.
6:31 PM
Trump blasts Omar, Tlaib as ‘lunatics,’ says ‘send them back’ after SOTU protests
New information:
- Trump posted on Truth Social the day after the SOTU, calling Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib 'LUNATICS, mentally deranged and sick who, frankly, look like they should be institutionalized.'
- In the same post, he wrote, 'We should send them back from where they came,' reviving his earlier 'go back' rhetoric toward progressive lawmakers.
- Trump also attacked actor Robert De Niro in that post, calling him 'sick and demented' with an 'extremely Low IQ' and suggesting some of his conduct is 'seriously CRIMINAL.'
- The article specifies some of Omar and Tlaib’s shouted lines during the SOTU ('You are a murderer,' 'You’re a liar') and notes Tlaib’s 'F--- ICE' button and 'STAND WITH SURVIVORS RELEASE THE FILES' message referencing Epstein records.
12:39 PM
'Squad' member wears 'F--- ICE' pin on House floor during Trump address
New information:
- Rep. Rashida Tlaib wore a round 'F--- ICE' pin on the House floor during the State of the Union, explicitly calling out the immigration agency.
- Tlaib also wore a 'STAND WITH SURVIVORS RELEASE THE FILES' message tied to calls for more disclosure of Jeffrey Epstein‑related records.
- Fox notes Tlaib and Rep. Ilhan Omar shouted during Trump’s address and left the chamber early, adding detail on their specific form of protest.
- The piece reiterates Tlaib’s recent written statement calling ICE 'an unaccountable and violent agency that terrorizes and brutalizes our communities every day' and asserting that agents 'execute American citizens in broad daylight.'
6:47 AM
Signs, silence, and skipping: How Democrats protested Trump's State of the Union
New information:
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries explicitly urged Democrats before the speech to 'attend with silent defiance' or skip it, framing protest options.
- Rep. Al Green held a sign reading 'Black people aren't apes' referencing a racist Obama ape video Trump posted earlier in the month, and was escorted out of the chamber.
- Dozens of Democrats skipped the address and some addressed a 'People’s State of the Union' rally on the National Mall; others walked out mid‑speech.
- Rep. Norma Torres held up photos of Renee Good and Alex Pretti during Trump’s immigration section, while Ilhan Omar shouted 'you have killed Americans' specifically in response to his enforcement remarks.
- Democrats and invited guests wore pins reading 'stand with survivors, release the files' to highlight the administration’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein records.
- The article cites NPR/PBS/Marist polling showing 57% of respondents say the state of the union is not strong and 60% say the country is worse off than a year ago, including large majorities of Democrats and independents.
4:19 AM
Omar shouts 'you are a murderer' and 'liar' at Trump during State of the Union address
New information:
- Fox details that Rep. Ilhan Omar repeatedly shouted 'you have killed Americans,' 'you are a murderer,' and 'you’re a liar' at President Trump during the State of the Union, specifically during his remarks on DHS funding, sanctuary cities and mass deportations.
- The piece reports that Rep. Rashida Tlaib wore a profane anti‑ICE pin, sat next to Omar, and at one point shouted 'Alex wasn’t a criminal,' referencing Alex Pretti, the armed man killed by federal agents in Minneapolis.
- It notes that Omar and Tlaib left the chamber early while Trump was describing the Caracas raid that captured Nicolás Maduro, adding timing and context to earlier reports that some Democrats walked out mid‑speech.
- The article situates Omar’s outbursts right after Trump accused Democrats of 'cutting off all funding' for DHS and called on members to stand for the proposition that 'the first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.'
3:13 AM
Around half of Democrats skip Trump State of the Union
New information:
- Axios headcount found only about half of House and Senate Democrats were present for Trump’s Feb. 24, 2026 State of the Union, with roughly 20 Senate Democrats and just under 110 House Democrats in the chamber at the start.
- Senior Democratic leaders including House Minority Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus vice chair Ted Lieu explicitly boycotted the address.
- Some Democrats who attended later walked out mid‑speech, including Reps. Bill Foster, Lauren Underwood and Madeleine Dean; Rep. Al Green was escorted out after holding a sign reading "BLACK PEOPLE AREN'T APES" and refusing to sit.
- Democrats organized competing counter‑events such as a "People’s State of the Union" on the National Mall while the address was underway.
February 24, 2026
10:00 AM
‘Silent defiance’ or outright opposition? Democrats split over how to confront Trump
New information:
- Quotes from specific lawmakers (Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Sen. Mark Kelly) explaining why they will attend and remain silent rather than boycott.
- Jeffries’ framing that "the president is coming to our House" and his view that Democrats should not let anyone "run you off of your block."
- Reference to last year’s disruption by Rep. Al Green, his subsequent removal and censure (with 10 Democrats joining Republicans), as context for current leadership discipline.
- Details of prior quiet protest tactics (Progressive Caucus signs like "Save Medicaid" and "Musk Steals") and Speaker Mike Johnson’s warning that disruptions "will not be tolerated" this year.
February 16, 2026
2:03 PM
Jeffries clashes with left-wing podcast host over demand to lead push to 'abolish ICE'
New information:
- Hakeem Jeffries, in a joint interview with Wajahat Ali and Joy Reid, rejected demands that he personally lead an 'abolish ICE' push and instead emphasized using tax dollars for affordability and reforms that include allowing state attorneys general to prosecute ICE agents.
- Ali explicitly framed ICE and CBP as having a history of 'terrorizing Black and Brown communities' and accused Jeffries of backing a 'lawless mass armed agency' if he does not call for abolition.
- Jeffries responded, 'I don’t understand anything that you just said,' then insisted he would 'use the language that I want to use,' underscoring his resistance to adopting the 'abolish ICE' slogan even as some House progressives, like Rep. Shri Thanedar, say the agency is 'beyond reform' and plan abolition bills.
February 12, 2026
9:30 AM
Scoop: Democrats are eyeing protests at Trump's State of the Union address
New information:
- Confirms that in a closed‑door meeting Jeffries told Democrats to either attend the Feb. 24 State of the Union in 'silent defiance' or skip it, and that he remained frustrated by last year’s disruptions.
- Rep. Greg Casar, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, says last year’s protest 'didn’t really work as envisioned' and a senior progressive source says there’s a sense it was ineffective.
- Rep. Shri Thanedar says he will attend and 'would love to show some resistance,' citing his impeachment articles and committee protests as examples and saying Trump 'needs to know that this is not normal.'
- Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez says the Democratic Women’s Caucus will 'be doing a lot of stuff around the State of the Union' and will make sure their views on Trump are understood.
- Rep. Jared Huffman says he plans to walk out at some point and is only deciding 'which of his disgusting lines prompts me to get up and leave.'
- Rep. Ilhan Omar and a second senior progressive stress there will not be an organized, choreographed protest on the scale of last year’s demonstrations.
- Reps. Al Green and Rashida Tlaib say they have not yet decided whether they will attend, with Tlaib noting she plans to invite a guest and doesn’t want to leave them alone.
- A centrist Democrat, speaking anonymously, calls last year’s disruptions 'completely counterproductive and made us look like children,' underscoring internal backlash.
- Lawmakers quoted expect smaller‑scale, more individualized acts of protest this year, with no coordinated choreographed action.
February 11, 2026