When the first State of the Union address of Trump’s second term got under way, Republicans moved in on Green menacingly and tried to tear the sign away. The reality TV president hailed them in the press gallery, prompting applause and roars from both Democrats and Republicans. He had gone into the address with an approval rating of 39% positive and 60% negative, according to a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll, lower than any past president delivering his first State of the Union address. The longest State of the Union speech in history was also one of the most inconsequential. As for Green, his seat remained empty too save for a handwritten cardboard sign that simply and defiantly said: “Al Green.”

Source: The Guardian February 25, 2026 12:53 UTC