Antics at speech highlight Democrats' Trump problem

Democrats’ dilemma has been on full display this week as they struggle with how to respond to Trump 2.0.

As President Trump addressed the country from Congress on Tuesday, some Democrats waved angry signs, others sat on their hands, some walked out and still others boycotted altogether. Then there was Rep. Al Green, a Texan who stood and waved his cane in anger until he was carted off by the sergeant-at-arms.

Democrats refused to applaud even a cancer-stricken child Mr. Trump deputized as an honorary Secret Service agent or a teen whom the president announced will be accepted to the West Point Military Academy.

The next day, Democrats said they had no misgivings about their chilly reception they gave to the everyday Americans whom Mr. Trump showcased, regardless of those people’s tragic or uplifting stories.

“There wasn’t no bipartisan moments yesterday. We’re looking at a fascist takeover,” said Rep. Summer Lee of Pennsylvania.

Asked about 13-year-old brain cancer survivor Devarjaye “D.J.” Daniel, who Mr. Trump made an honorary Secret Service agent, Ms. Lee said: “What about the fascists?”

Rep. Delia Ramirez of Illinois said an ovation for anyone during the speech would be like “standing with Donald Trump and we just could not stand to do that.”

The congresswoman said Mr. Trump’s choice to celebrate D.J. only highlighted the president’s evil plot against Americans’ health.

“This is the same guy that’s actually defunding cancer research. It’s like the dissonance in that moment is so real,” she said. “You’re actually putting a young, little Black boy who is a cancer survivor in front of you as you’re saying, ’And I’m going to defund cancer research.’ It is so hypocritical.”

Americans overwhelmingly applauded Mr. Trump’s speech, delivering yet another rebuke to Democrats who were also soundly rejected by voters in November.

A CBS News/YouGov poll found that 76% of speech watchers approved of Mr. Trump’s speech, while 23% disapproved. Most viewers — 51% — were Republican, while 27% were independents and 20% were Democrats, according to the survey.

Mr. Trump himself predicted Democrats’ behavior at the start of his speech.

“These people sitting right here will not clap, will not stand and certainly will not cheer for these astronomical achievements,” he said.

His guests snubbed by Democratic lawmakers included:

• Jason Hartley, a teenager who dreamed of carrying on the family legacy of military service after his father, a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy, was killed. Mr. Trump made his dream come true by announcing he had been accepted to West Point.

• Marc Fogel, who was taken prisoner by Russia in 2021 and released in a deal Mr. Trump made shortly after taking office. He was seated in the House chamber with his 95-year-old mother, Malphine Fogel, who last year personally pleaded with Mr. Trump to fight for her son’s release. 

• Allyson and Lauren Philips, the mother and sister of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student killed by an illegal immigrant gang member from Venezuela. The Laken Riley Act was the first bill signed into law by Mr. Trump this year. It mandates the federal detention of illegal immigrants who are accused of theft, burglary, assaulting a law enforcement officer, and any crime that causes death or serious bodily injury.

• Alexis Nungaray, the mother of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, the victim in a brutal killing near Houston, in which two illegal immigrants from Venezuela are charged with capital murder. Mr. Trump announced that a national wildlife refuge would be named after Jocelyn Nungaray, who loved animals and had a passion for making sure they had homes.

Republican lawmakers were taken aback that the depths of Democrats’ disdain for Mr. Trump extended to the young cancer survivor and heartbroken parents of murdered children.

“I think it’s an embarrassment,” said GOP Rep. Mike Lawler of New York. “Frankly, the Democratic leadership should be really embarrassed by what they allowed to occur by their members.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the Democrats’ behavior at the speech — from the booing of the president to Mr. Green’s ranting and snubbing of everyday Americans — “completely disgraceful.” 

She said the president’s address to Congress was “supposed to be a unifying moment for our country.”

“Last night was a very clarifying moment for our country,” Ms. Leavitt said Wednesday at the White House press briefing. “The Democrats expose themselves as the party of insanity and hate the party that wants to put America last. They’ve allowed their Trump derangement syndrome to stop them from celebrating America and our people, and we will not allow them to forget that.”

At the Capitol, House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts lashed out at Republicans who scolded her party for their conduct at Tuesday’s speech.

“They are clapping for devastating cancer research, Alzheimer’s research, diabetes research, in order to give tax cuts to billionaires,” she said. “So let’s not talk about decorum when the plot is exposed and reiterated every single day. You take people’s health care. You take our veterans benefits, you take funding for our public schools, and give a tax cut to the very wealthiest people who won’t even notice it.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Green was facing a formal House rebuke on Thursday for his cane-waving outburst, interrupting Mr. Trump’s speech with shouts of, “You have no mandate!”

The House will take up a censure resolution by Rep. Dan Newhouse, Washington Republican, who cited Mr. Green’s “breach of proper conduct.”

Any member can trigger a vote on a censure resolution under House rules.

Mr. Green said he would not fight any effort to punish him. 

“I’m willing to suffer whatever punishment is available to me,” he told reporters after he was ejected from the House chamber. “It’s worth it to let people know that there are some of us who are going to stand up to this president’s desire to cut Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security.”

• Lindsey McPherson contributed to this story.