You Will Anyway: The longest joint session address in 60 years

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

The longest joint session address in 60 years

I understand the Hat's feeling. It's not necessary to listen to the Orange Asshole to watch those two idiots behind him smirking and chuckling.

Even before President Trump took the podium to address a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, Democrats began disrupting the proceedings. Within minutes, a lawmaker was escorted out of the chamber.

The Democratic protests from inside the chamber represent an unprecedented level of coordination that reflects the immense grassroots pressure the party is facing to mount a resistance to Trump.

Axios

Well, good for them.

As Trump walked down the aisle, Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), the ranking member of the House's DOGE subcommittee, held up a sign reading "This is NOT Normal."

Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas) reached across the aisle, grabbed Stansbury's sign and yanked it out of her hand. Stansbury later fundraised off the moment.

Soon after, dozens of Democrats held up signs reading "SAVE MEDICAID," "MUSK STEALS" and "PROTECT VETERANS" — which, when flipped around, also said "FALSE" on the back.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) held up a whiteboard on which she wrote various messages, including: "Cut Elon, NOT Social Security."

The use of signs came despite Democratic leadership urging its members ahead of the speech not to use props or use any tactics that would make them the story.

More proof that the Democrats need new leadership. Shame on you Hakeem Jeffries.

And where is Nancy Pelosi? She who ripped up a transcript of Trump's speech while standing behind him on the House floor.

Many members of the Democrats' more establishment wing opposed the use of disruptive tactics and opted for silent forms of protest such as outfit coordination and refusal to clap.

Outfit coordination. That'll really get things done. Refusal to clap. Ooooh. MAGA look out!

As Trump began speaking, even more raucous disruptions began. Rep. Al Green (D-Texas), one of Trump's fiercest critics in Congress who plans to try to impeach him, stood up and shouted, "Mr. President, you don't have a mandate."

Republicans shouted back in an attempt to drown him out. After a back and forth in which Green refused to stop heckling, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) ordered the House sergeant-at-arms to escort him out.

Go, Al.

Other Democrats repeatedly peppered Trump with heckling throughout his speech, often shouting, "Those are lies!"

As Trump spoke about law enforcement, several House Democrats shouted about the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Almost as disrespectful as Volodymyr Zelensky!

Several House Democrats — including Reps. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.), Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.), LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.) — walked out of the speech several minutes later.

Crockett, Salinas and Dexter revealed shirts that read "RESIST" on the back. Frost's shirt said "NO KINGS LIVE HERE," and Kamlager-Dove's said "PRESIDENT MUSK."

Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), who did not walk out of the speech, wore a shirt that said "NO KING. NO COUP."

More groups of Democrats gradually walked out throughout the speech, including Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Dave Min (D-Calif.) and Bill Foster (D-Ill.).

Unabashedly shameless.

And where are the men?

Elissa Slotkin was offered the Democratic rebuttal.

In her brief remarks, Slotkin emphasized her bipartisan career history while emphasizing that "America wants change." She knocked the Trump administration's approach, adding: "There's a responsible way to make change and a reckless way."

Axios

Ooooh. Heavy.

She took aim at Musk, who she said, along with his "gang of 20-year-olds," is acting with "no oversight, no protections against cyber-attack[s], no guardrails on what they do with your private data."

[...]

Slotkin emphasized unity and patriotism, noting at the beginning of her remarks that she represents a state that Trump won in November.

Unity with Nazis? With Russia?

She called for the need to "expand and protect the middle class," while slamming trump as "trying to deliver an unprecedented giveaway to his billionaire friends."

The Democrat also called for fixing the "broken immigration system," saying that securing the border without fixing the system "is dealing with the symptom not the disease."

"America is not perfect. But I stand with the majority of Americans who believe we are still exceptional, unparalleled," Slotkin said.

But not in a good way.

"And I would rather have American leadership over Chinese or Russian leadership any day of the week."

Seriously, Elissa?

Slotkin's remarks came immediately after Trump's joint address to Congress, which he used to tout his executive blitz during his first weeks in office, saying he's just "getting started."

Axios

That's what we need serious resistance and pushback to, Elissa. Seriously.

If you read the transcript of her remarks, she spent the first several minutes talking about...herself!

Eventually, she got to the meat of the matter, but she was short on specifics of what DOGE is doing.

The times call for something more, Democrats. Something much more.

"So as much as we need to make our government more responsive to our lives today, don’t for one moment fool yourself that democracy isn’t precious and worth saving.

But how do we actually do that? I know a lot of you have been asking that question.

First, don’t tune out. It’s easy to be exhausted, but America needs you now more than ever. If previous generations had not fought for democracy, where would we be today?

Second, hold your elected officials, including me, accountable. Watch how they’re voting. Go to town halls and demand they take action. That’s as American as apple pie.

Three, organize. Pick just one issue you’re passionate about — and engage. And doom scrolling doesn’t count. Join a group that cares about your issue, and act. And if you can’t find one, start one.

Some of the most important movements in our history have come from the bottom up."

After the founding, ALL of them. With leaders like Jeffries (it kills me to say that) and Slotkin, it will continue to be so.

Amen.

Elissa beat her Republican opponent in November by only a 0.34% margin. And her state of Michigan isn't exactly a bastion of progressive politics. Still, she could have left that out.

She's known as "one of the most bipartisan members of Congress." Great choice for this event, Democratic leaders. Sheesh.

Here's how you do it, Elissa...