Two Oregon Democratic U.S. representatives walked out of President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress in protest on Tuesday night.
Rep. Andrea Salinas, who represents Oregon’s 6th Congressional District, and Rep. Maxine Dexter, representing the state’s 3rd Congressional District, both posted on the social media platform X that they had left the House chamber as Trump was still addressing members of Congress and the nation.
“Tonight, President Trump spewed more lies and continued to ignore the reality that his policies are hurting working families – not helping them. In protest, I decided to leave the House Chamber early, rather than listen to more false promises from a wannabe dictator,” Salinas posted.
In two graphics accompanying her post, she said Trump had “crossed out the Constitution and crowned himself king.”
Dexter, who represents large parts of Multnomah County, said she left the House chamber as an act of resistance.
“I refuse to normalize Trump’s constitutional crisis. I will loudly fight back. I will relentlessly disrupt. I will unapologetically resist,” she posted. “Tonight, I left the State of the Union because I will not dignify his cruelty — and I want him to know that.”
Several Democrats boycotted the speech, including Oregon’s U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, who instead held a virtual town hall.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Al Green, of Texas, was escorted out of the chamber after he yelled, “You have no mandate,” as Trump started his speech.
This story may be updated.