House Democrats are clamping down on disruptions at President Trump's upcoming State of the Union in the hopes of putting on a more stolid display of opposition, sources told Axios.
Why it matters: Last year's speech to a joint session of Congress was rocked by Democrats holding up signs, heckling and walking out of the speech in displays of resistance.
- Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) was ejected from the speech and later censured for standing up and repeatedly shouting at the beginning of the speech.
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) privately confronted some of the members who put on more exuberant shows of opposition.
Driving the news: In a meeting of House Democrats' whip team Wednesday morning, Jeffries said there were "two options" for how to approach the State of the Union, according to a senior House Democrat and two other sources familiar with his comments.
- The first option: Lawmakers can boycott the event, as has been done in recent years for speeches given by Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
- The second: They can sit in "silent defiance," which was Democratic leadership's preferred tactic for last year's speech.
What we're hearing: There is little chatter in the caucus right now about progressives or any other group disrupting Trump's speech, the senior House Democrat told Axios.
- Instead, they said, the more resistance-minded lawmakers are expected to skip the event and go to an "alternative viewing site."
- But several Democrats later told Axios they would still like to register their opposition to Trump from inside the chamber.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
