Speaker Johnson Says He ‘Probably Could Have Ejected’ More Democrats Over SOTU Conduct [WATCH]

House Speaker Mike Johnson said he “probably could have ejected” additional Democrats from the chamber during President Donald Trump’s record-long State of the Union address Tuesday night, citing what he described as “shameful” behavior throughout the speech, as reported by The New York Post.

During Trump’s remarks, several Democrats jeered the president from the floor.

Among them were Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. Tlaib wore a “F— ICE” pin on her lapel and was seen visibly reacting during portions of the address. Both lawmakers departed before Trump concluded his speech.

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Following the address, Johnson spoke to Newsmax about the conduct he witnessed from the House floor.

“It was a very shameful display. There was a couple of times, there’s a couple of House members that I probably could have ejected from the chamber because of their behavior,” Johnson, R-La., said.

“But the president handled it so well, and I decided not to do that because, you know, I thought it would be better for the American people to see that, to see the shame that they were bringing upon themselves, and they just continued to do it.”

Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, was removed from the chamber by the House sergeant-at-arms after walking around with a sign reading “Black people aren’t apes” and refusing to sit during the address.

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The sign referenced a since-deleted Truth Social post Trump made earlier this month that included a video depicting former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes.

The video clip followed an apparent screen recording of content questioning the 2020 election. Trump has stated that he was unaware of the ape meme when he shared the post.

Green was also removed during Trump’s joint session address last year after shouting at the president and waving his cane.

Johnson summarized what he viewed as the Democrats’ reactions during key moments of the speech.

“They stood at the wrong times, and they refused to stand when they should have,” Johnson said. “They stood and applauded themselves for voting against the working families’ tax cuts.”

“I mean, that video is going to be very valuable to us in the future, and on the contrary, they refused to stand when the president said answer this simple question – the first job of the government in the country is to defend Americans and not illegal aliens,” he added.

“They sat on their hands for that.”

NEW: Mike Johnson explains why he *didn’t* eject Dems over “SHAMEFUL” behavior during Trump’s address

“I thought it would be better for the American people to see the shame that they were bringing upon themselves.” @DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/wTcZ1kWM7Z

— Jason Cohen (@JasonJournoDC) February 25, 2026

At several points during the address, President Trump directly addressed Democratic lawmakers over their reactions.

While speaking about border security and protecting American citizens, he admonished members who declined to stand.

“You should be ashamed of yourself! Not standing up, you should be ashamed of yourself,” Trump said.

Trump also referenced the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown and opposition to his One Big Beautiful Bill Act during the speech.

In his post-address interview, Johnson also warned about the political stakes ahead, pointing to the upcoming midterm elections.

“If we lost the midterms — heaven forbid — if we lost the majority in the House, it would be the end of the Trump presidency in a real effect,” Johnson said.

Mike Johnson: “If we lost the midterms — heaven forbid, if we lost the majority in the House — it would be the end of the Trump presidency in a real effect.”pic.twitter.com/up8jhUYGnb

— Brandon Straka #WalkAway (@BrandonStraka) February 25, 2026

The exchange underscored ongoing tensions between House Republicans and Democrats as debates over immigration, tax policy, and federal funding continue.

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