February 26, 2026
Green felt it was time for Trump to be held accountable, saying he should have known better (re: sharing the meme that had images of the Obamas as apes) and the country has gotten to a point where “we excuse his every action.”
Texas Democratic Rep. Al Green is standing behind his viral “Black People Aren’t Apes” sign that had him tossed out of the Feb. 24 State of the Union address, stating that it was time for President Donald Trump to be confronted.
The signage refers to an offensive video meme that Trump posted on his Truth Social account of the Obama family depicted as apes. The White House defended the post, claiming it was a staffer’s responsibility, but when asked if he would apologize, the president declined.
It’s incidents like this that lead Green to feel it’s time for Trump to be held accountable, saying he should have known better, and the country has gotten to a point where “we excuse his every action.”
“If we allow this to continue, we are in fact perpetuating what he is perpetrating. I refuse to be a part of the perpetuation of racism emanating from the presidency,” he said.
Green continued to talk about what actually went down once he held up the sign, claiming it was all about Trump seeing it. “I wanted him to see it, and I wanted him to see me.”
He then said that Trump’s facial expressions made him feel as if his plan had worked, highlighting how the president was immediately steered in a different direction.
Trump wasn’t the only one who saw the sign. Louisiana GOP Rep. Steve Scalise tried to take it down while walking in behind the president.
Then there was Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who was seen trying to get physical while approaching Green.
The sign seemed to ruffle some feathers among several leaders, including Rep. Michael Rulli (R-Ohio), who called the senior congressman a “disgrace to the United States Congress” and said he would introduce a resolution to censure him, according to Axios.
Kentucky Rep. James Comer seemingly took a jab at Green’s tenure, claiming he won’t be in Congress much longer, as data reveals Green is trailing in the polls behind his opponent, Rep. Christian Menefee, ahead of the March 3 primary. “I get frustrated. Everybody calls on everybody to be censured,” Comer said. “That’s the good thing about two-year terms. If the people back home don’t like it, they can get rid of you real quick.”
However, Green’s Democratic colleagues are standing behind him, as some know firsthand what it’s like to get into a scuffle with Trump and his loyal leaders. On X, Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar wrote: “It’s a dark day in America when a sitting Member of Congress has to remind the president that Black people are not apes.”
“I stand with Al Green,” she wrote.
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