Rep. Al Green ejected from Trump's State of the Union after holding a 'Black people aren't apes' sign
#State of the Union#Rep. Al Green#Donald Trump#Congressional Ejection#Black Lives Matter#Political Protest#Texas Primary#Obama Video
📌 Key Takeaways
Rep. Al Green ejected from State of Union for holding 'Black People Aren't Apes' sign
Green removed second consecutive year during Trump's address to Congress
Protest referenced controversial video Trump posted depicting Obamas as apes
Green facing competitive primary election in Texas's redrawn 18th District
📖 Full Retelling
Democratic Rep. Al Green of Texas was ejected from President Donald Trump's State of the Union address in Washington D.C. on Tuesday night, February 24, 2026, after waving a sign that read 'Black People Aren't Apes' in response to a controversial video recently posted by Trump. The protest came just weeks after Trump posted a video that depicted former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama with faces superimposed on cartoon apes. As Green displayed the sign on the House floor during Trump's speech, Republican Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas attempted to snatch it before staff members escorted Green out of the chamber. This marks the second consecutive year Green has been removed during a major Trump address to Congress, as he was also ejected last year during Trump's joint address when he stood and shook his cane toward the president. Green, one of Trump's most vocal critics and a prominent advocate for impeachment, is currently facing a competitive primary election in Texas's newly redrawn 18th District against Rep. Christian Menefee. The congressman has highlighted his previous ejection in his campaign, stating in a recent advertisement, 'When I stood up, it wasn't for attention. It was because some things are worth standing for.' Despite facing significant backlash, including from fellow Republicans, Trump has not apologized for the video, though he did condemn its racist elements and later removed it from social media platforms.
🏷️ Themes
Political Protest, Race Relations, Congressional Conduct, Election Campaigns
Annual report by the president of the United States
The State of the Union address (sometimes abbreviated to SOTU) is an annual message delivered by the president of the United States to a joint session of the United States Congress near the beginning of most calendar years on the current condition of the nation. The speech generally includes reports...
Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that aims to highlight racism, discrimination and racial inequality experienced by Black people in the United States, and to promote anti-racism. Its primary concerns are police brutality and racially motivated violence agains...
President of the United States (2017–2021; since 2025)
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021.
Born into a wealthy New York City family, Trump graduated from the...
BREAKING NEWS Updated 13 minutes ago Congress Rep. Al Green ejected from Trump's State of the Union after holding a 'Black People Aren't Apes' sign Green, D-Texas, was also removed last year after he disrupted Trump's joint address to Congress. Add NBC News to Google Democratic Rep. Al Green escorted out during Trump's State of the Union remarks 00:19 Get more news on Share Add NBC News to Google Feb. 24, 2026, 9:28 PM EST / Updated Feb. 24, 2026, 9:32 PM EST By Henry J. Gomez , Kyle Stewart and Bridget Bowman Listen to this article with a free account 00:00 00:00 WASHINGTON — Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, was ejected from President Donald Trump's State of the Union address Tuesday night — the second straight year he has been removed from the House chamber while Trump addressed Congress. Green was seen on the House floor waving a sign that read "Black People Aren't Apes." The gesture was an apparent reference to a video Trump posted on social media this month that depicted former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes. Follow live State of the Union coverage here As a staff member escorted him to the door minutes into the speech, Green waved his sign at the Republican side of the aisle, where Rep. Troy Nehls, a fellow Texan, tried to snatch it. Green was ejected last year during Trump's joint address to Congress — speeches during the first year of a president's term are not labeled as State of the Union addresses — standing and shaking his cane toward Trump during the opening minutes. Green is one of Trump's most vociferous critics and one of the most prominent proponents of impeaching him, dating to Trump's previous term in office. He is in a hotly contested primary in the newly drawn 18th District in Texas, which includes Houston. Green is facing off against Rep. Christian Menefee, who recently won a special election to replace the late Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner. During the campaign, Green has highlighted his expulsion from Trump’s jo...
