During President Trump’s first State of the Union address of his second term, Representative Al Green was escorted out of the chamber after holding up a sign reading “Black People Aren’t Apes,” a protest against a video Trump had recently shared online that depicted former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes.
The incident occurred as Trump praised his administration’s achievements, calling the moment “the golden age of America” and highlighting what he described as a secure border, falling inflation, rising incomes, a strengthened military, and growing international respect. “Today, our border is secure. Our spirit is restored, inflation is plummeting, incomes are rising fast, the roaring economy is roaring like never before. And our enemies are scared. Our military and police are stacked. And America is respected again, perhaps like never before,” Trump told the chamber.
.@POTUS: When I last spoke in this chamber 12 months ago, I had just inherited a nation in crisis.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 25, 2026
Today, our border is SECURE, our spirit is RESTORED, inflation is PLUMMETING, incomes are RISING FAST, the economy is ROARING, our enemies are SCARED, our military and police are… pic.twitter.com/N1BGB14ilk
The protest by Green came in response to a widely condemned video Trump posted on his Truth Social account, which spliced a clip portraying the Obamas as apes set to the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and included conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. The post drew bipartisan outrage, prompting Trump to delete it.
BREAKING: Full video that briefly appeared on President Trump’s TruthSocial post. pic.twitter.com/eLLD8yjxmq
— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) February 6, 2026
The confrontation in the chamber marked a rare public protest during a State of the Union, underscoring continuing tensions over racial imagery and messaging in Trump’s second term.
