Rep. Al Green Alleges "Invidious Discrimination" Following Censure, Defends Impeachment Efforts Against Trump
Representative Al Green, a Democrat representing Texas, asserted that "invidious discrimination" was the driving force behind his removal from President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress and his subsequent censure by the House of Representatives. Green made these claims during an appearance on "The Breakfast Club" on Friday.
The controversy stems from Green’s actions during Trump’s joint address on Tuesday night, where he repeatedly disrupted the beginning of the President’s speech. Following this, House lawmakers voted to censure the 77-year-old congressman on Thursday. The vote saw ten Democrats joining Republicans in supporting the measure. Notably, Green himself voted "present," as did first-term Representative Shomari Figures of Alabama.
During the interview, host Charlamagne Tha God questioned Green about the rationale behind his removal for disrupting Trump’s speech. He pointed to the fact that Representatives Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia were not similarly penalized after disrupting President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address last year.
Charlamagne pressed further, "You said that the speaker was doing his job, so if that’s the case, why didn’t Democratic speakers do their job and kick out Joe Wilson when he yelled out at Barack Obama, ‘You lied.’ Why didn’t they do their job and kick out Marjorie Taylor Greene, or Boebert, like why don’t they do their job?"
Green’s response centered on the concept of "invidious discrimination," particularly within the House of Representatives. "There is invidious discrimination in the House of Representatives. I’m a son of the segregated South. The rights that the Constitution recognized for me, my friends and neighbors denied," Green stated. He then recounted personal experiences of segregation and discrimination, vividly painting a picture of the racial injustices he faced growing up.
"I had to sit in the back of the bus, the balcony of the movie, drink from a colored water fountain and my relatives who committed some crimes were locked up in the bottom of the jail. I know what invidious discrimination looks like. The Klan burned a cross in my yard. I know what it smells like," he continued.
The congressman drew a direct line between his past experiences and his current situation. "I was in filthy waiting rooms and I’ve been in places where I didn’t want to be. And I know what it sounds like. I’ve been called all kinds of ugly names. So I know invidious discrimination," Green said. "And when the speaker decided that I would be removed, and then there was this motion, this resolution to censure me, it became obvious to me that I was not being treated as others were. And candidly speaking, it is invidious discrimination, harmful discrimination."
Later in the interview, Green shifted the focus to his ongoing efforts to initiate new articles of impeachment against former President Trump, characterizing him as a "threat to democracy." "If he defies court orders, at that moment, dear brothers, and sister, he will become a dictator, and we will be living under a dictatorship. He is a threat to democracy," Green asserted.
Charlamagne, however, expressed skepticism towards this line of argument, revealing a sense of weariness with the Democrats’ repeated warnings about Trump’s potential threat to democracy. "I’m going to be honest with you, Congressman Green, I’ve called him a threat to democracy quite often, but I’m sick of that talk. The reason I’m sick of that talk is because Democrats don’t ever act like he is," Charlamagne stated. He criticized the Democrats’ perceived inaction, even when they held power during Biden’s presidency, arguing that it failed to prevent the supposed rise of "fascism." "So why should we ever believe anything that comes out of Democrats mouths ever again about any of this?" he questioned.
Green responded by acknowledging Charlamagne’s concerns and elaborating on his reasoning for advocating for impeachment proceedings against Trump before he potentially "becomes a dictator." "I have said that we should not wait until he becomes a dictator to try to remove him. Now I understand that we don’t control the House, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t still bring articles of impeachment because if the courts can’t stop him, and he has control of the generals, because all of those generals that he appointed have to pledge fealty to him," Green explained.
He painted a bleak scenario where the courts are unable to restrain Trump, the generals remain loyal to him, and the Republican-controlled House of Representatives refuses to intervene. "If he has control of the generals, the courts can’t stop him and the House of Representatives of Republicans won’t stop him. Then that leaves it to us. There are 435 of us. We each have the authority, the ability, to bring articles of impeachment, and I’m going to do that," he emphasized.
This was not the first instance of Charlamagne voicing disillusionment with the Democrats’ rhetoric surrounding Trump and democracy. He previously expressed his concerns after witnessing viral videos of former President Barack Obama and Trump interacting amicably at former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral in January. "I’m sure everybody saw the video of Barack Obama and Donald Trump being all chummy, chummy, Barack Obama showing his teeth. Here’s the reason I don’t like that," Charlamagne said. "I’ve been alive 46 years. I have never heard people refer to a political opponent, or liken them to Hitler. Never said, never heard them, never heard them be called a fascist."
His co-host, Andrew Schulz, echoed this sentiment, questioning, "But why are they all hanging out and chumming it up with Hitler? I don’t get it." Charlamagne responded, "That’s my point. My point is, if you’re going to have that rhetoric, keep that same energy."
In response to requests for comment, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson’s office referred to his previous comments on the censure, posted on X (formerly Twitter). Johnson stated that Green’s behavior during Trump’s joint address "disgraced the institution of Congress and the constituents he serves." He added that despite repeated warnings, Green refused to cease his disruptive actions, leading to his removal from the chamber. Johnson concluded by asserting that Green deliberately violated House rules and that a vote of censure was an appropriate remedy, urging Democrats concerned about regaining the trust of the American people to join Republicans in supporting the measure.
