The Democratic Party seemed to rush to embrace its utter obsolescence in disrupting the censure process of Rep. Al Green (D., Tx.). After Green disrupted the joint session address of President Donald Trump, Democrats responded by refusing to clear the well and singing “We shall overcome” over the voice of Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) — forcing him to put the house in recess. Polling indicates that the Democrats have a great deal to overcome as a CNN poll shows 80 percent of Americans disapprove of Green’s conduct.
CNN polling also found that 69 percent had a very or somewhat positive view of Trump’s speech. Other polls showed the same result, including a CBS News/YouGov survey showing 76 percent approval and only 23 percent disapproval.
In many ways, the moment captured how adrift the Democratic Party has become in the current political environment. It is entirely untethered to the majority of voters on such issues. Only roughly 5 percent of Democratic members voted to censure Green for his outrageous conduct despite over 80 percent of the public opposing the conduct.
As if to drive home the point, Democrats joined a defiant Green in the well to sing over Johnson’s voice. Neither House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries nor the other leadership members condemned Green or the disruption of the censure process.
Some moderate Democrats sought later to distance themselves, but their rationales were pathetically transparent.
Rep. Jared Golden (D, Maine) insisted that “In today’s environment, censure tends only to give a greater platform to the censured legislator. So I tend to lean in favor of free speech unless a clear red line is crossed.”
Golden’s statement succeeded in not only assaulting the principles of free speech but also logic.
First, there was a formal censure vote so the attention element was going to be satisfied regardless of how Golden voted. The only question is whether Maine’s representative would join his more courageous colleagues in condemning Green or stick with party loyalty over principle.
More importantly, Golden did not support free speech. He voted to undermine it. As I have previously discussed in my book and columns, deplatforming is denying the right of others to speak or to hear opposing views.
As shown in higher education, the argument that stopping free speech is free speech is nothing more than a twisted rationalization. Protesting outside of an event is an act of free speech. Entering an event to shout down or “deplatform” speakers is the denial or disruption of free speech.
Golden’s effort to portray Green’s violation of the House rules as an exercise of free speech is a mere rationalization for lacking the courage to stand with the small number of Democrats condemning the conduct.
Rep. Josh Riley (D., N.Y.) did little better. While he did not try to cloak his vote as a defense of free speech, he simply argued (as did Jeffries) that they have more important things to do: “I wish we’d spent this morning focused on that instead of the drama and political theater in Washington.”
Again, the problem is that there was a vote regardless of his desire to avoid it. He had to cast a vote and, at that defining moment, voted not to condemn this conduct. He also chose party over principle.
As I stated on the air yesterday after the vote, I watched the vote and the later protest in the well with profound sadness for an institution that I truly love. I first worked in Congress as a 15-year-old Democrat page. I revered the House and respected the members who worked on that floor. There was a time when this vote would have been unanimous against Green. There was a time when there were still things that remained beyond the pale; that transcended the rage.
It will take much more for the Democrats to “overcome” this moment. In a flash, they formally became the party of Al Green. As voters watched them rally around this unhinged member, their colleagues were being shown in cringe-worthy social media postings or clips spewing profanity in hearing rooms.
They have become more of a parody than a party.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro professor of public interest law at George Washington University and the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.
The democrat party is on the Titanic. And they are not even rearranging the deck chairs.
Democrats just being democrats.
I disagree with everything you have said, especially that the country likes all that Trump and Musk are doing these last 6 weeks. Trump is a buffoon, and the world watches and laughs. Soon as prices rise, people continue to lose jobs, at the very least Trump will continue to be censured by the courts and the public. Carol Ortiz
You may be right – but so far – that is NOT the case.
Trump’s polling is down from his post election peak – but not much.
It is still higher than his percent of the vote.
The GOP is about 10ts less popular than Trump, and Democrats are about 10pts less popular than the GOP.
Trump’s numbers are declining very slowly – but democrats are declining faster than Trump.
Different polls say different things regarding Trump’s policies and actions – but they all show plurality support they nearly all show majority support and many show supermajority support.
The world does not watch and laugh – they watch and try to figure out how to deal with Trump – and they are not doing that well.
As an example – Europe and/or the rest of NATO can make trump’s claim that Ukraine has no cards to play disappear.
While European leaders have stepped up post the oval press conference to show emotional support for Ukraine.
They have not done anything to strengthen Ukraines bargaining position.
No nation is prepared to send troops to Ukraine- and THAT is the only thing likely to turn the tide of the war.
Prices are still rising – albeit slowly. Biden/The FED did NOT stop inflation, much less reverse it.
While they got it down to about 2.6% by june 2024. From June forward it has slowly been rising again.
Trump did not cause that – but he is president and must fix it.
The fix is to grow the economy faster than inflation,
or to deliberately cause a recession.
Most of us would prefer the former.
Jonathan: Rep. Green said he would proudly accept a House censure after he stood up and protested DJT’s speech, full of lies on Tuesday night. It was a principled stand and I support him.
Your and MAGA Speaker Johnson’s call for the censure of Green reeks of hypocrisy. Where was the “decorum” when Johnson led the effort in the House to deny Joe Biden the presidency in 2021? On Jan. 6, 2021 Johnson joined with 125 House Republicans in voting against certifying the electoral college vote for Biden. That effort led to the attack on the Capitol by DJT’s insurrectionists. Where was the “decorum” when Marjorie Taylor Greene shouted at and heckled President Biden 3 years in a row at his State of the Union addresses? Don’t recall either you or Johnson calling for the censure of MTG. If you support the “free speech” rights for MTG why would you deny them to Rep. Green?
Memo to Al Greene: Good news. The DNC trolls support you.
“The Democratic Party seemed to rush to embrace its utter obsolescence[.]” Were that true! But the Congressional members are expressing the zeal, if not fanatacism, in their base, which is both large and well-placed. We are more likely heading to the storming of the Bastile than the trek to Golgatha.
“their base, which is both large and well-placed”
Evidently not large enough or well-placed enough to elect a Presidential candidate from the incumbent party. No doubt the Democratic Parody has a number of mindlessly loyal (if you will pardon the redundancy) members. However, that clearly does not even come close to a majority. In the past, they have had a substantial number of other supporters who were either more pragmatic party members, or independents. Neither of those groups liked what they saw sufficiently to vote for Harris, and I can pretty much guarantee you that the numbers of the Democrat-disaffected among them has increased geometrically as a result of these more recent tantrums. What you see as “large and well-placed” I see as self-marginalized and circling the drain. We shall see which of us is correct.
Turley— why do you publish trash like this? You KNOW that most of those who watched the Trump Show were Republicans because most Democrats are repulsed by the sight of the orange turd and knew that he would lie and bloviate. Therefore, the “polling” results are heavily skewed in Trump’s favor and are not representative of the feelings of Americans as a whole. But you are apparently required to find a way to criticize a Democrat .
Why not use your platform to refute the firehose of lies or Trump’s thanking of Roberts and ominous promise that he “won’t forget”? What does that imply? Then there’s Barrett’s reaction to that statement— the face she made was priceless !
gigi– why do you publish trash like this? You KNOW that most of those who read this blog and comments… are repulsed by the sight of the orange and blood-colored avatar attached to your name, and knew that you would lie and bloviate.
This reaction the Dems have to Trump reminds me a lot of when I was in primary school.
I’m a Rubella kid, and, as a result, I came into the world with a heart defect, double hernias, and congenital cataracts.
Up until I had my first cornea transplant, I wore really thick glasses, which many kids referred to as “Coke Bottle Bottom” glasses.
I was mercilessly teased and bullied for this, and I reacted very poorly to it, getting into numerous fights, and occasionally being labeled a troublemaker.
Now, had I simply ignored the teasing, let it slide off my back, like water off a duck’s back, the bullies would’ve gotten bored, and, most likely, left me alone.
Methinks, had the Dems simply ignored Trump, way back in 2015, when he came down that escalator and announced his candidacy, he may have just faded away.
They didn’t, and he hasn’t.
Remember, anger is a weapon to one’s opponent. Also, were Master Yoda real, he’d simply shake his head and say, “Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to the dark side. Once on the path, forever will it dominate your destiny.” I think the “opposition” is there.
Ron J – I suspect that they their mistake was occured in 2011 when Obama ridiculed Trump to his face at the 2011 at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner. Trump probably decided that his best revenge was taking Obama’s place. https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-was-beside-himself-with-fury-after-obama-roasted-him-in-2011-book-2021-11 Trump always seems to get the last laugh.
Ron J-I understand the pain you had as a child. Had a similar experience due to medication at age 8. Did not grow for 5 years and so much swelling that I looked like a beach ball. Terrible bullying and name calling and everyone a foot taller. It can break you down or make you tough. Either way it was awful . Eventually the med was stopped and the growth came back. I sympathize with anyone who had to undergo that. Glad you survived it, some don’t.
Some headlines as reported by the Bee:
– Democrats ready to defend Department of Education just as soon as they can figure out what it does
– German man sitting in jail for a meme he posted sure hopes EU can stop spread of Russian tyranny
– Germany commits to 100% EV terror attacks by 2035
– U.K. imam opens service with land acknowledgment of indigenous Britons who once inhabited London
– Hitler defeated after opposition party holds up tiny signs on paddles
– Dems file articles of impeachment against little Black boy with cancer
– Congressmen to wear bar codes so lobbyists can self-checkout
– Husband holds up “false” paddle during argument with wife
– Trump institutes military draft for everyone with Ukraine flag in their FB profile
– Aging senators show up to work in their hospital gowns after dress code relaxed
OldMan,
Hey, just love those headlines! 😀
(OT, sort of)
In its waning days, the Biden administration created a $20 billion slush fund within the EPA. That’s $20 billion for D. cronies (e.g., Stacey Abrams).
Bondi and Patel: Please unleash the hounds.
Kash and Bondi
Please go after Obama, Clintons, Bidens and all that have participated in looting America’s chauffeurs.
The other 20% voted for Kamala and believe in BigFoot.
Ah, but this goes way beyond the “Democratic Party,” although I am convinced that the Democratic Party has attracted the most of them: extreme Left-wing disrupters.
It is a disturbing development in America, where the more we petition for free speech, the more extremists use it to cause turmoil and destruction.
It is clear that we are reaching new lows: arsonists setting multiple Tesla vehicles and charging stations on fire; crowds of protesters disrupting Tesla dealerships and scaring away legitimate customers; mobs marching down interstate freeway ramps; an actual member of Congress, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, stating on live TV that the president of the United States was “the enemy of the people.” As we revert to primitive, tribal, mob control, will our kids only read in history books that America was once the advanced, civilized, and diplomatic nation admired and emulated in the world?
Someone posted earlier today that a powerful person must be behind this “Democrat Party suicide mission.” I am reminded of the documentary films of Japanese suicide (kamikaze) war planes crashing into Pearl Harbor –and the prophetic axiom for the Democrat leftists who want to let the world know, “if we go down, we’re gonna take down as much as we can with us.”
Lin,
Well said. They seem to be so committed to their own destruction, they would in fact rather take down the rest of us and the country then stop and say, “Maybe this is not such a good idea,” and come to reason. Thing is, the current Democrat party needs to be taken down and rebuilt. Or all the sane, normal, traditional Democrats need to walk away and form a new one. Let these loons go down with the ship.
Lin, notice that when Musk was the darling of the left for his EV revolution the right never attacked him or his vehicles, they just didn’t buy cars that they didn’t want. That is the difference between the left and the right. If we don’t like MSNBC or CNN we don’t watch them while the left tried multiple times to get Tucker, Ingraham, Hannity and all of Fox banned.
We shall overcome women in sports with men who say they are a woman. We shall overcome Asians with higher scores trying to enter Harvard. We shall overcome people on social media who say things that we do not agree with. We shall overcome with law fare that will bankrupt our opposition. We shall overcome by keeping people in solitary confinement for disrupting an official proceeding. I’m overcome with disgust with people who would use a freedom song for their own political purpose. Perhaps they should overcome their finding racism under every rock. Overcome indeed.
Overcome what? Common sense? Common decency? Respect? They have none! And they proved it!
💯
It’s so awful it makes the soul grown. it’s rabble. Shakespeare and–> to suffer the slings and arrows of OUTRAGEOUS fortune.
My God, to be subjected to bleached blond bad body screeching and Spartacus moment … soul groaning torture.
80 % shouldn’t be there. We are disgraced.
It’s odd that Turley didn’t seem concerned when Marjorie Taylor Greene shouted down Biden during his speech. According to him, it was anti-free speech behavior.
Heckling is a form of free speech. Turley is only against it because it’s rude. It’s not a violation of free speech to shout down another speaker. The First Amendment is not a protection from heckling or shout downs.
There you go, just making shit up again.
Turley called what MTG did inappropriate. Lots of people in the gallery shouted and made other noises during the speech.
However, they did not disrupt the proceeding and continue to do so after being warned.
It was all well staged, and the Dem stooges played their part to a tee, for all Americans to see.
Turley has never said shouting someone down is a violation of the first amendment, red herring boy. You need some reading comprehension.
# it’s an address and a debate. Clapping and booing are allowed but not shouting down at will. Shouts and boos cannot exceed a few seconds because of purpose interference. The purpose is the speaker addressing the body.
Adopt a no applause and booing rule. What if the repubs applauded for an hour?
It’s unreasonable. Debates are places for heated shout downs.
Ping pong paddles with no written on them. Omg…those people do not belong in congress.
The speaker speaks and I have freedom to LISTEN, to HEAR, Mr. Green. Same to prolonged applause. Ridiculous people…
Well, Al Green did deserve a censure. It does not take that much to sit and listen to a speech. When you just reflexively jump up and down and scream and yell and do it all the time, you simply lose credibility and the shock value is rapidly diminished and ultimately lost.
He did give a great caricature of a congressman applying for the feature role in a Jack-in-the-Box commercial with the usual musical buildup and then a dumb face jumps out and just bobs there up and down. And like the childish behavior he was exhibiting, he was sent into the hall to ruminate over his misdeeds. If my congressman did that, republicans or democrat, he would never get another vote from me.
Frankly we waste too much time dealing with stupidities like this. We have more important things to deal with.
Put some real accomplishments with all the billions we have seen wasted in the DOGE illuminations.
USAid-looks to have wasted nearly 60 billion dollars. What does that translate into.
Well for one you could have built 30 Virginia Attack SSN’s for the fleet.(1.8 billion per ship).
With China redlining their production to rival our fleet we waste 60 billion $. I’m not laughing at that. Biden seemed oblivious to that. We are so behind in many things militarily, in volume and lethality. Shipbuilding, as the president has determined has just about disappeared from the US. Laziness and Stupidity have ruled the land and too many wasted lives in places all around the world.
We need focus and purpose and Al Green is yesterday’s cheap entertainment.
“Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”. Move on to the important things. We don’t have forever to correct this.
“Like a misbehaving child, he was sent to the hall to reflect on his antics.”
After two decades in Congress, Green’s most notable achievement is a censure for grandstanding. His career is all bluster and empty gestures with no real impact. That Democrats celebrate him only highlights their party’s lack of substance.
Wonderful analysis, GEB!
(Rep. Josh Riley (D., N.Y.) did little better. While he did not try to cloak his vote as a defense of free speech, he simply argued (as did Jeffries) that they have more important things to do:) I’m sorry, but they’ve had decades to do good work and we are now (with the assistance of DOGE) exactly how they have been spending their efforts.
99% of humans know that incest, murder, pedophilia, rape, etc, are taboo and we create laws accordingly. If 80% of a population feels a moral urge to make certain other subjects (such as drag queens reading to children, mutilating children’s sexual organs, allowing illegals criminals to roam free etc.) you would think that a rational legislator would create order from those concepts of societal chaos.
We must illustrate that the motives of democrat progressives is NOT to legislate for the people’s betterment, but, instead, to manifest a cult ideology despite the wishes of the average citizen. These are not representatives of the people; they are soldiers in a cult-like assault on our civilization and these soldiers for their cause will work as assiduously as any other cult member (keep in mind those islamic jihadists who would strap on bags of explosives just to insure their message) – so too – these transfixed cult members will stand firm against the infidel (that would be the sane adults remaining in our nation).
As long as their siren call to those receiving their taxpayer-funded largesse continues they will be as difficult to remove from our culture as it is to remove hamas from Gaza.
# indeed! Bureaucrats run the place while clowns entertain.
OT
I have been saying that the Court’s tardiness in controlling Obama/Biden radical judges can diminish the entire judiciary.
Here is one indication that that is beginning to happen, in The Federalist no less.
https://thefederalist.com/2025/03/07/trump-should-ignore-a-supreme-court-that-wont-defend-the-constitution
I know, the mills of the gods are exceedingly slow, but sometimes the grain rots before nourishing flour comes out.
And more:
Activist judge takes over presidency to spend $2 billion on stupid programs.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2025/03/the_supreme_court_just_greenlit_a_2_billion_usaid_power_grab.html
By the time the judiciary gets around to making a sane decision the issue may be moot…moved on…and nobody will much care what they say.
Jacobin judges ordering us to spend billions on idiot puppet shows in the desert or circumcision for monkeys, isn’t something that can last.
They risk their precedents becoming curiosities, interesting artifacts to be discussed and turned this way and that while examined in a cloud of pipe smoke, like the Code of Hammurabi, but not effective law.
Perhaps the President and the Congress will use their own interpretations of the Constitution rather than rely on a confused and clearly activist, and sometimes deranged, justice system.
Thank you professor for pointing out how adrift, disconnected the Democrat party has become. In their race to the bottom, they are in a free fall.
Excuse me, he’s not the only one who has. Open your horizons instead of spending you entire live stuck on the blog.
Upstate is obviously well read and highly informed and he therefore brings a lot to this comments section. You on the other hand bring nothing but moronic attacks, a hidden identity and a nonsensical complaint since you are obviously here all the time in order to know how much Upstate contributes to the site.
Either go away or create a name.
HullBobby,
Thank you. He is just jealous that I am more respected than he is. My comments contribute to the discussion whereas his do not. And you pointed that out.
How marvelous!
# Back to USAID, the judge ordered the executive branch to pay the 2 billion within 36 hours. Try getting it back.
Sadly censure does nothing, you’d accomplish more by slapping their wrist. What exactly did censure of Adam Schiff accomplish? The problem isn’t with that room of malcontents and hater’s it’s with those who choose to elect them. For example AOC was re-elected even though she kept a company coming to her district which would offer jobs, go figure.
Were you expecting a firing squad?
I disgress. That room was filled with malcontents and haters (as yourself so explicitly presents here) on both sides of the isles.
AOC / Go figure? Please, if you haven’t figured that out, then you must be searching for answers here.
Just ask yourself why 700+ people willingly drank Jim Jones’ toxic koolaid. This is not a political party, it is a religious cult. Cults do not operate with logic, they use manipulation and the weaknesses of their followers to control. As long as the cult of marxist communism is a viable options for the misguided you will never end this. Good education and mentorship may be our only solution short of cultural change on a more chaotic scale.
It’s honestly sad and tragic. I live in a state with a popular democratic governor – even with Republicans and Trump supporters. I think they have soiled themselves. HATRED ALWAYS DESTROYS THE PERSON CARRYING IT. There are no exceptions to that. I thank Dems for their Ananias and Sapphira moment. For showing us EXACTLY who they are. The smartest people still enjoy dialogue
You dont think there is a battle ahead??
AOC lead the charge to make sure rich folks “pay their fair share” for Guatemalan sex changes. Biden hired 85,000 additional thugs to enforce it.
They will do ANYTHING to prevent the continued exposure of the boondoggle.