Democrats chant 'January 6' as Trump gives speech before Congress
Democratic lawmakers that remained in the Joint Session of Congress invoked the memory of the January 6th insurrection that tore through the same chamber President Donald Trump spoke on Tuesday night.
Several House Democrats began shouting and then chanting "January 6" as Trump talked about defending law enforcement officers during his speech.
Some Democrats left the speech before the interruption, turning their back on the president to reveal black T-shirts with the word "RESIST" in white letters. Others continued to head for the exits during the remainder of the speech.
California Democratic Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove was one of the Democrats who left. She wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that “there’s only so much (expletive) a person can tolerate.”
“Through walking out, my message to Donald Trump is simple: stop the lies, stop the cheating, and stop the stealing - enough is enough. The American people deserve better,” she wrote in a statement.
Representative Al Green, a Texas Democrat, stood and yelled, "You don't have a mandate," before Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson ordered him removed. Green announced in February that he would file articles of impeachment against Trump over “injustice in Gaza.”
"I'll accept the punishment. It's worth it to let people know that there's some of us who are going to stand up to against this president's desire to cut Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security," Green told a media scrum captured by CSPAN.
As Trump was complaining about Democratic support, California Democratic Rep. Gil Cisneros yelled: "But the stock market," while Michigan Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib yelled, "Save Medicaid."
Trump and Jan. 6 insurrection, pardons
More than 140 police officers guarding the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, were injured when a mob of Trump supporters broke into the Capitol building as lawmakers met inside to formalize the results of the 2020 presidential election, which Trump falsely claimed he won.
One Capitol Police officer, Brian Sicknick, died due to injuries related to the attack. Two other police officers, Howard Liebengood and Jeffrey Smith, died by suicide a few days after the riot.
Trump approved pardons for nearly 1,600 people charged in the riot as a part of the early days of his second term.
Multiple people freed by the pardons have run afoul of the law after being released.