Trump's Speech to Congress: Finally, Democrat hero emerges while Trump lies, lies, and lies some more

Rep. Al Green of Texas stands up to Trump.  This guy is intimidating enough to give Kash Patel a run for his money.

And right behind Green was a group of Dems willing to call Trump on the carpet when he lied.

Rep. Al Green joins Liz Cheney in pantheon of progressive heroes.   By James Keyworth Blue Country Gazette Editor 3/5/2025   In case you missed Trump's address to Congress Tuesday night, it was more of the same from the president - only worse.  (A summary of the speech follows below.)   The good news: a number of Democrats, led by Rep. Al Green of Texas, finally registered some tangible opposition to the Republican threat to take down our democracy.   Green got himself booted from the proceedings when, early-on, he stood with his cane and bellowed that the president had no mandate to do the things he's doing. When entreaties from Mike Johnson and JD Vance to cease and desist failed, Green was escorted out of the hall.   At last a Democratic hero to lead the opposition with flair and passion.  (More on Rep. Al Green follows the speech summary below.)   Meanwhile, the speech continued with a small group of Democrats signaling Trump's lies and mistatements by flashing signs with various messages.  Other Democrats walked out of the speech in progress with messages clearly visible on the backs of their shirts.   On an evening that Trump filled with doom and gloom, a number of Democrats finally registered some meaningful opposition.  Al Green has joined Liz Cheney in my small pantheon of progressive heroes.   Now, more about Trump's speech:

Trump's BS just another day at the office Indivisible Team Last night, President Elon Musk allowed Trump to make a joint address to Congress and the nation, and reinforced what we already knew: Trump is a corrupt megalomaniac who is running our country to the ground. He celebrated mass firings in the federal workforce and pledged to destroy agencies that keep our country safe. He spread outrageous lies about Social Security and the war in Ukraine. He continued his hateful tirades targeting immigrants and trans people. And without any trace of irony, he declared that "The days of rule by unelected bureaucrats are over," while Musk looked on from the galley.  And Republicans in Congress cheered him on at every opportunity. They have abandoned their responsibility to uphold our constitution and serve their constituents because they’re all in on the Trump-Musk agenda: looting the government for the ultra-rich and making working families pay the price.  The only moments of hope throughout Trump’s speech were from Democrats who fearlessly disrupted business as usual. From Rep. Melanie Stansbury to Rep. Al Green to all those who joined mass walkouts during the speech, these leaders refused to let his authoritarian agenda go unchallenged.   Their courage must inspire us now. Congress is heading home for recess next week, from March 15 through March 23, and Republicans are already announcing they’ll be hiding from constituents. Our goals: Make every Republican own their complicity and demand accountability, and support every Democrat committed to fighting against the Trump-Musk coup.

 

Who is Al Green, the Democrat removed during Trump’s speech to Congress?  One tough hombre.

Mike Bedigan

in New York

NewsWorldAmericasUS politics

The Independent

Wednesday 05 March 2025 06:05 GMT

 

During the opening moments of Donald Trump’s address to Congress, Democratic representative Al Green got to his feet in protest, pointing his finger at the president while shouting “you have no mandate.”

The congressman, who represents Texas’ 9th District and is currently in his 11th term, was swiftly escorted out, telling reporters outside: "It's worth it to let people know that there are some people who are going to stand up" to the president.

Green, 77, has previously spoken out against Trump, including over his comments about Gaza, and vowed to introduce articles to impeach the president for what would be the third time.

So who is the firebrand Democrat from The Lone Star state?

During the opening moments of Donald Trump’s address to Congress, Democratic representative Al Green protested, pointing his finger at the president while shouting ‘you have no mandate’ (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The congressman, who has previously spoken out against Trump, including over his comments about Gaza, was quickly escorted from the chamber (AP)

Originally from Louisiana, Green earned a law degree from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University in 1974, despite not having an undergraduate degree. After graduating he co founded the law firm Green, Wilson, Dewberry, and Fitch.

In 1977, he was appointed justice of the peace in Harris County, Texas, and served until retiring in 2004, when he successfully ran for Congress. Running on his long record of public service in Houston, he won the election with 72 percent of the vote.

In his first term, Green introduced the Homes for Heroes Act, which created a veterans’ affairs position in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to assist veterans experiencing homelessness to find affordable housing.

Green is currently in his 11th term of representing Texas’ 9th District having first gained the seat in 2004. He has consistently been a vocal critic of Trump (2025 Getty Images)

During his tenure in Congress, Green has continued to focus on issues such as fair housing and fair hiring practices for the poor and minorities.

He has also been a very public and vocal critic of Trump, having previously led multiple attempts to have the president impeached, while the White House has dismissed his protests as “publicity stunts.”

Last month, barely two weeks after Trump returned to office, Green announced he wanted to introduce further impeachment articles against him, also condemning Trump’s call for the U.S. to “take over” Gaza.

“It was unbelievable, when I saw the President and the Prime Minister of Israel standing near each other, and the President was indicating that there would be this takeover of Gaza,” he told The Independent at the time.

Last month, barely two weeks after Trump returned to office, Green announced he wanted to introduce further impeachment articles against him, also condemning Trump’s call for the U.S. to ‘take over’ Gaza. (Getty Images)

In 2017, before Trump was successfully impeached twice, Green forced a vote on whether to open debate on a motion to impeach the president. The effort failed after only 58 other Democrats supported it.

After his threat to introduce further impeachment articles in February,​ the White House dismissed Green’s efforts, with White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields accusing Democrats of continuing to “waste their time on publicity stunts that go against the wishes of the American people.”

“President Trump was elected in a historic landslide to deliver his America First agenda and keep the promises he made on the campaign trail – Democrats can either get on board or keep losing elections,” Fields previously told The Independent.

Green currently serves on the Financial Services Committee as well as the Committee on Homeland Security.