Democratic protests during President Trump's speech mocked by liberal media figures

Democratic lawmakers planned multiple protests during President Donald Trump's address to Congress on Tuesday, but they ultimately fell short, according to liberal voices in the media, including late-night comedian Stephen Colbert.  

"He barked out one appalling claim after another, but don’t you worry: Democrats are getting ready to fight back with their little paddles," Colbert said on "The Late Show" following Trump's speech.

Colbert held up his own paddle that read, "Try Doing Something."

During the president's address, Democrats held up paddles that read "Musk steals" and "Save Medicaid," among other things. The progressive wing of the party turned their backs on the president and wore shirts that read "Resist," according to reports.

TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM TRUMP'S ADDRESS TO JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS

Late night host Stephen Colbert mocks Democrats for holding up paddles during Trump's speech. (Screenshot/Colbert)

"Many women on the Democratic side showed up dressed in fuchsia," Colbert also added. "It’s the kind of bold protest that says, ‘This is a test print and your magenta cartridge is working.’"

However, the late-night host offered praise for Rep. Al Green's protest, despite the fact that House Speaker Mike Johnson lawmaker ordered Green to be removed after his vocal disruptions. 

"Ultimately, Johnson called in the sergeant-at-arms to remove the 77-year-old Texas congressman," Colbert said. "Now, some people have questioned why so much muscle was needed to remove one old man with a cane. But it turns out it was for a serious reason: when security searched him, they found that he had smuggled in a spine."

MSNBC HOSTS CALL TRUMP COMMENTS ON 13-YEAR-OLD CANCER SURVIVOR IN SPEECH ‘DISGUSTING POLITICAL MOVE’

Rep. Al Green (D-TX) shouts out as U.S. President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 04, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Win McNamee/Pool via REUTERS)

Politico's Rachel Bade argued that the Democratic response was not effective in a blistering column for the outlet on Wednesday.

"Congratulations, attention-hungry House Democrats: You stole the spotlight from Donald Trump on Tuesday night," she wrote. 

The columnist also argued that Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., was the biggest loser of the night because her rebuttal speech was "overshadowed by the antics of her old House colleagues."

"But if Democrats think standing up and walking out is their best path back to power, rather than adopting a more strategic approach to their Trump resistance, it could be a long four years — and possibly beyond," Bade concluded.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

MSNBC host Symone Sanders-Townsend wrote on X that the signs were "not landing," and compared it to Bingo. 

Sanders brought it up during a discussion on MSNBC on Tuesday as well, as host Michael Steele, a former chair of the RNC, agreed and added, "the bingo signs were killing me."

"I don't know who thought up the bingo signs, but they should be fired," he continued.

The president acknowledged the Democratic lawmakers during his address, saying, "I look at the Democrats in front of me, and I realize there’s absolutely nothing I can say or do to make them happy or to make them stand and smile, or applaud."

He invited the Democrats to join him and the GOP, "Why not join us in celebrating so many incredible wins for America? For the good of our nation, let’s work together and truly make America great again."

A Democratic strategist told Politico that the protests were "very silly, and unserious, but I can’t help but feel some level of empathy for them."

Hanna Panreck is an associate editor at Fox News.