GOP Reps Might Not Censure Al Green for State of the Union Antics. Here’s Why That May Not Be a Bad Thing

Two years, two speeches, two ejections. In Donald Trump’s second administration, Texas Democratic Rep. Al Green is perfect in getting tossed out.

This time, the speech was the official State of the Union address on Tuesday. Last year, it wasn’t an official version of the State of the Union, given that an incoming president only speaks before a joint session of Congress in a State of the Union-esque event. But he managed to get kicked out of both, so kudos to him.

In case you missed it, Green’s 15 minutes of infamy for 2026 involved, shortly after Trump made his way to the podium, standing from his aisle seat and holding up a sign saying, “Black People Aren’t Apes!” Not that anyone believes that, but that’s not the point.

Attempting to recapture his magic of last year, Rep. Al Green walks out of the SOTU address carrying a banner reading “Black People Aren’t Apes.”

It’s all so tired. pic.twitter.com/zqBglSjWR6

— Media Research Center (@theMRC) February 25, 2026

Now, last year, Green got censured for this equally despicable performance:

.@RepAlGreen (D-TX) is removed from the Joint Session of Congress. pic.twitter.com/GJVHJpZHGc

— CSPAN (@cspan) March 5, 2025

U.S. House censures @RepAlGreen for his conduct during President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress, 224-198-2. pic.twitter.com/KTFxsbow77

— CSPAN (@cspan) March 6, 2025

So, that means he gets censured this time around? Well, no, not necessarily — and that’s OK.

From an Axios report on Wednesday, after Green’s actions:

GOP leaders and some rank-and-file members aren’t sold on censuring Green, arguing the once-rare punishment has become too routine.

Rep. Michael Rulli (R-Ohio) said Tuesday night he’s introducing a resolution to censure Green, whom he called “a disgrace to the United States Congress.”

But House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters he’s not sure censure is “going to be appropriate.”

“I think the punishment is the video that lives on forever of [the Democrats] acting as they did.”

And at least this time, Speaker Johnson is entirely right here.

First, for those of you who woke up Wednesday and missed the speech and the surrounding hoopla, what you caught was mostly this:

.@POTUS: “If you agree with this statement then stand up and show your support: the first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens not illegal aliens.”

*DEMOCRATS REMAIN SEATED*

SICK! pic.twitter.com/u76p44tUad

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 25, 2026

“These people are crazy” – Trump pointing to Democrats 😂

FACTS pic.twitter.com/5v1Z9ipXew

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 25, 2026

This is what Democrats are doing instead of attending President Trump’s State of the Union speech.

Democrats are literally hanging out with deranged Leftists dressed in giraffe costumes bragging about getting arrested by ICE. pic.twitter.com/hMIUHrmrHy

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 25, 2026

OK, so the crazy giraffe furry was at State of the Union counter-programming that only featured a select few Democratic lawmakers who didn’t attend the speech, but the point was this: The left came across, again, as the party of the crazies. Nothing was learned, it seems, in the period between the 2024 election and now. Despite that laser-like focus on affordability and accountability that drove the party in between the Kamala Harris disaster and this, they haven’t moved on from peak woke. If anything, they’re more crazy.

And Al Green? He basically fits right in.

Therein lies the second issue: Green has already been censured for similar behavior, and by belaboring the point, we’re only giving air to the man and ammunition for people to use against lawmakers who care about behavior that might merit censure. (Read: Republicans.)

Censure has been, in fact, defined down so that we have GOP Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona censured for dumb spoof anime videos on social media. We’ve already been through censuring Green once for his behavior during the State of the Union. This is apparently working out in the man’s favor, or else he wouldn’t have done it two years in a row.

Finally, while this got the attention of the people who only pay attention to general elections and State of the Union speeches, for political junkies, Green’s case has much more totemic value as an example of #TheResistance, such as it may still exist.

For instance, last year, what people remember is some crazy guy shaking his cane at Trump, and thinking that the left had gone too far. What they likely don’t remember is Democrats deciding to sing “We Shall Overcome” during the censure vote. That’s the kind of thing that gets the leftist diehards cranked up; Republicans shouldn’t be so eager to provide it.

Yes, one understands the impulse to censure behavior that’s absolutely censure-worthy. Sometimes, however, it’s a matter of not taking the bait. This is one of those times. Al Green has yet again hoisted himself on his own petard; let him stay there.

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