Mike Johnson explains why he didn’t eject Democrats over ‘shameful’ behavior during State of the Union

Speaker Mike Johnson said he chose not to remove disruptive Democrats from President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday so Americans could witness their “shameful” behavior.

Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan shouted at Trump during his address, but Johnson declined to eject them. The speaker of the House said during Newsmax’s State of the Union coverage that although he likely could have removed certain members, Trump handled the disruptions effectively.

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“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, but the president handled it so well,” Johnson said. “And I decided not to do that because 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 continue to do it.”

Johnson also criticized Democrats for the moments they chose to stand and remain seated during Trump’s remarks.

“They stood at the wrong times, and they refused to stand when they should have. They stood and applauded themselves for voting against the Working Families Tax Cuts,” he said. “So they voted to impose the largest tax increase in history on the American people, and they clap for themselves. 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.’ They sat on their hands for that,” he added. “So their actions and their words speak loudly to the American people, and their record is as shameful as their antics tonight. We, on the other hand, have a record of success. The president touted so much of that tonight.”

Omar and Tlaib’s shouting occurred after Trump asked members of Congress to rise if they agreed that the U.S. should “protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.” While the president chastised lawmakers who did not stand, Omar and Tlaib shouted at him.

“[Democrats] are blocking the removal of these people out of our country and you should be ashamed of yourself,” Trump said while the congresswomen shouted.

Numerous Democrats also did not stand up in support of the families of Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungaray — who were both murdered by illegal immigrants under former President Joe Biden’s administration — during Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress in March 2025.

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