'Not something that the Democrats can score points on': Historian critiques response to Trump speech
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 04: U.S. President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 04, 2025 in Washington, DC. Win McNamee/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Democrats’ varied response to President Donald Trump’s 99-minute speech to Congress left something to be desired, presidential historian Douglas Brinkley told CNN on Tuesday.
“President Trump did what he needed to do,” Brinkley said. “But… the economic issues weren’t really talked about.”
Brinkley mentioned the possibility of Congress cutting Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security as well as Trump’s tariffs as key concerns.
“Trump seemed relaxed. He had, I think, a better night than the Democrats. They were just, I guess, everybody left to their own.”
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Democrats responded in varying ways, but the most memorable response was from Rep. Al Green, (D-Tex.) who was removed after he stood up, shouted and waved his cane. Republicans cheered as he was escorted out. CNN’s Erin Burnett called the moment “chaotic” and “extremely awkward.”
Brinkley pointed out that interruptions from MAGA happened during former President Joe Biden's speeches.
“The difference is… he fights for poverty and social justice, he’s been sick, he’s called for the impeachment of Donald Trump long ago," Brinkley said.
“It was a fiery moment for [Green],” Brinkley noted, adding that it reminded him of Reverend Hosea Williams, a civil rights leader who worked with Martin Luther King, Jr., but Green’s move did not “help the Democratic party.”
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“It might create a university press biography about Al Green that never would have been written, because it is a moment in history, but it’s not something that the Democrats can score points on,” he said.
"It's worth it to let people know that there are some of us who are going to stand up against this president's desire to cut Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security,” Green told reporters.
Other Democrats held signs that said “Musk steals” and “save Medicaid.” Some turned their backs on Trump. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) wrote different responses on a white board. Some stayed in their districts and hosted town halls.
Brinkley did approve of Sen. Elissa Slotkin’s (D-Mich) official response to the speech.
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“Slotkin pulled a rabbit out of her hat,” he said. “That was a very brilliant, relaxed response. Andy Beshear [the Governor of Kentucky] and her should be the [party] voices, I think, coming from the heartland of America.”
