House Speaker Mike Johnson didn’t mince words when reflecting on the spectacle that unfolded during President Donald Trump’s February 24, 2026 State of the Union address.
Appearing on Fox News with Sean Hannity, Johnson addressed the now-viral moment when Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) attempted to heckle the president from the House floor.
The disruption came as President Trump spotlighted fraud scandals tied to programs in Minnesota, including cases involving members of the Somali community that have drawn national attention. As the president pressed the issue of accountability and taxpayer protection, Omar and Tlaib began shouting from their seats.
They didn’t get far.
Within seconds, Republican lawmakers rose to their feet and drowned out the protest with thunderous chants of “U-S-A! U-S-A!” The patriotic chorus echoed through the chamber, overpowering the heckling and shifting the energy of the room. Observers noted that the two congresswomen appeared visibly shaken before ultimately exiting the chamber.
Hannity pressed Johnson on why he didn’t immediately eject them.
The speaker revealed he came “this close” to doing exactly that.
“It was shameful, really,” Johnson said. “We could have probably ejected them from the floor.”
But instead of escalating the confrontation, Johnson made a strategic decision.
“I thought, let their actions speak for themselves,” he explained. “The president handled it so well.”
Johnson suggested that the American people deserved to see the contrast unfold in real time: Republicans standing and applauding law enforcement officers, military heroes, and crime victims honored during the address — while certain Democrats chose disruption.
“If they’d gone a step further, we probably would have ejected them,” Johnson added. “But I think it was good for them to be there. I think it’s good for the American people to see the shame that they brought upon their party and upon themselves.”
Throughout the evening, President Trump highlighted what he called the administration’s victories on border security, law enforcement support, and restoring American strength abroad. As medals were awarded to first responders and service members, Republicans stood in extended ovations.
Johnson argued the moment underscored a deeper divide.
“We’re on the right side of common sense, on law and justice, on security and American dominance and strength,” he told Hannity. “And the Democrats stand for exactly the opposite of all that.”
The speaker also pointed to earlier disruptions. Rep. **Al Green** (D-TX) was escorted out after holding up a protest sign as the president entered the chamber — a move Republicans deemed beyond the bounds of decorum.
For Johnson, the pattern was clear: one party focused on honoring American heroes and advancing a policy agenda, the other resorting to protest theatrics.
In the end, rather than silencing Omar and Tlaib, Johnson allowed the moment to play out — confident, it seems, that voters would draw their own conclusions.
And if the roar of “U-S-A” was any indication, many already have.
