Rep. Al Green didn’t raise his voice or shout over the president during this year’s State of the Union. He raised a sign.
It read: “Black people aren’t apes.”
It’s the bare minimum, according to Trump critics, and is a statement of fact. And somehow, still too much for the room.
Within moments, Green was escorted out of the chamber for the second consecutive year, just as House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, as seen in the video, snatched the sign away. The message never even had time to fully land before decorum swooped in to silence it.
The sign was a direct response to a video President Donald Trump recently reposted on Truth Social that depicted the Obamas as apes, a racist trope so old it barely deserves explanation, yet apparently still circulating freely at the highest levels of American politics.
Online reactions came fast and unfiltered.
“Al Green doing the lord’s work,” said one Threads user.
Another reaction captured the moment’s absurdity and audacity perfectly:
“Rep. Al Green bringing a sign that literally states the bare minimum of human decency—Black people are not apes—only for Steve Scalise to snatch it down like a frustrated substitute teacher is a level of petty I didn’t have on my 2026 bingo card. It’s the audacity for me. Imagine being so triggered by a factual statement about basic humanity that you have to physically remove the visual aid. The decorum police are working overtime while the actual point flies right over their heads.”
This wasn’t Green’s first removal from the chamber. Last year, he was escorted out after shaking his cane at Trump during a joint address, an act he has since folded directly into his reelection messaging.
Green is currently locked in a hotly contested Democratic primary in Texas’ newly drawn 18th District, facing Rep. Christian Menefee, who won a special election to replace the late Rep. Sylvester Turner. The primary is set for March 3, and Green has made clear that moments like these are not accidents; they’re the point.
In a recent campaign ad, Green leaned into his reputation for disruption, saying:
“When I stood up, it wasn’t for attention. It was because some things are worth standing for.”
This year, he didn’t stand. He held up a sign. And once again, that alone was enough to get him removed, not for lying, not for threatening anyone, but for stating a truth so basic it shouldn’t need defending in 2026 America.
“Al Green got removed from the chamber. So happy annual ‘Al Green got removed from the State of the Union’ to all who celebrate,” another Threads user said.
Great Job Nyamekye Daniel & the Team @ Atlanta Black Star for sharing this story.
