Representative Melanie Stansbury, a Democrat from New Mexico, holds a sign reading "This is not normal" as President Donald Trump arrives to address a joint session of Congress in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.In a silent protest during US President Donald Trump’s Tuesday night address to Congress, Representative Melanie Stansbury (Democrat, New Mexico) held up a sign that said “This is NOT normal” as Trump entered the House chamber.
Moments later, Representative Lance Gooden (Republican, Texas) nabbed the paper out of Stansbury’s hand, HuffPost’s Arthur Delaney reported. Gooden then threw Stansbury’s paper into the air, which led to it landing next to Trump.
Representative Melanie Stansbury, a Democrat from New Mexico, holds a sign reading "This is not normal" as President Donald Trump arrives to address a joint session of Congress in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.Trump’s contentious session was riddled with Democrat protests, despite the House Freedom Caucus, which is composed of far-right Republicans, claiming that Democrats who “use noisemakers, make threats, throw things or otherwise disrupt” will face repercussions.
(It’s worth noting that Gooden’s decision to throw Stansbury’s paper went against the House Freedom Caucus’s statement earlier on Tuesday warning Democrats specifically not to “throw things.”)
Along with Stansbury, some other Democrats displayed matching black, circular signs attached to sticks that said “Musk steals,” “Save Medicaid” and “Protect veterans.”
Some of those democrats would switch the signs to the opposite side, which said “False,” when Trump lied throughout the speech.
Democrats also wore various colors in protest as well, including pink, blue and yellow.
In another instance of dissent, Representative Al Green (Democrat, Texas) caused his own disruption at the start of Trump’s speech, leading to his removal.
“You have no mandate to cut Medicaid,” Green shouted at the president while waving his cane before he was escorted out.
Several others, including Representative Maxwell Frost (Democrat, Florida), walked out of the address as Trump continued to speak.
“We just walked out of the state of the Union. My shirt showed Trump an important message: NO KINGS LIVE HERE. In the spirit of student protestors from the Civil Rights Movement, I’m proud to have protested and walked out with many of my colleagues,” Frost said in a post online.
He also echoed the same sentiment as Stansbury: “This is NOT a normal time.”
