Rep. Al Green was censured by Congress Thursday for his behavior during Trump's address
Democrats had ‘inner self’ on display at Trump’s joint address, says former Democrat
Former Democrat Joseph Knowles criticizes Democrats’ behavior during President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress on ‘Fox News @ Night.’
A group of Democratic members of Congress who jeered, displayed handheld signs in protest or used other methods to distract from President Donald Trump's speech on Tuesday evening to Congress have been reprimanded in closed-door meetings with their own leadership, according to a recent report.
Multiple Democratic members of Congress made headlines for their very public protests during Trump's speech Tuesday evening to a joint session of Congress. Notably, Democratic Rep. Al Green was censured by Congress on Thursday morning after he shouted at Trump and waved his cane at the president during his speech.
"It's a consultative process," one source familiar told Axios of the meetings that have occurred since, involving both protesting members and House Democratic leadership. "We understand the pressure they are under."
"They are not being talked to like they are children," the source continued. "We are helping them understand why their strategy is a bad idea."
Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) holds a protest sign with fellow Democrats as U.S. President Donald Trump address a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday evening. (Win McNamee/Pool via REUTERS)
A House Democrat told Axios that Democrats should have known better than to use unorthodox methods to publicly protest Trump during his speech.
"It doesn't surprise me leadership is very upset," the lawmaker said. "They gave specific instructions not to do that."
"Would they have done that to [Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi]? You know the answer: Never," the lawmaker continued to Axios. "So you've got to put the hammer down."
A second House Democrat told Axios that leadership is "very unhappy" with the Democratic hecklers, explaining that multiple lawmakers, including Reps. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., and Maxine Dexter, D-OR, were requested to attend a "come to Jesus meeting" to discuss their behavior.
MODERATES REVEAL WHY THEY DIDN'T JOIN FELLOW DEMS TO CENSURE AL GREEN
Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, was removed from the House chamber on Thursday for disrupting Trump's speech. (REUTERS/AP)
Democratic strategists outside of Congress also responded to the behavior of outspoken lawmakers during Trump's speech.
"I’m sure Rep. Green got plenty of attaboys from the base for his protest," Democratic strategist David Axelrod told Politico in an interview. "But with many other Americans — and not just Republicans — it was no more appealing than Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert heckling Biden," Axelrod said. "It’s just not particularly helpful."
House Speaker Jeffries's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Jeffrey Clark is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. He has previously served as a speechwriter for a cabinet secretary and as a Fulbright teacher in South Korea. Jeffrey graduated from the University of Iowa in 2019 with a degree in English and History.
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