House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has claimed Republican lawmakers who heckled President Joe Biden during his State of the Union address on March 7 did so in response to an “overly partisan speech.”
Mr. Johnson made the comments to reporters after President Biden struck a decisively political tone during his annual speech to Congress, taking every opportunity to criticize his rival, former President Donald Trump.
The president also touched on an array of other topics, including the ongoing influx of illegal immigrants at the southern border, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza during his address.
He also repeatedly blamed Republicans, including President Trump, for many of the issues currently plaguing the nation which garnered mixed reactions from those in attendance, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).
Some Republicans simply walked out on the president while he was mid-way through his speech.
Mr. Johnson told reporters that emotions were running high among GOP lawmakers who believed the president had made multiple incorrect statements during his address, prompting a strong reaction from them.
Republican Anger Laken Riley Murder
Ahead of President Biden’s State of the Union address, Mr. Johnson had reportedly urged Republican lawmakers to maintain decorum during a closed-door conference meeting.However, his pleas appeared to have gone unheard when Ms. Greene began to shout over the president, demanding that he recognize the death of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley who was allegedly murdered by an illegal immigrant last month.
“It’s about Laken Riley” the Georgia Republican, dressed in a “Make America Great Again” hat and a “Say Her Name Laken Riley” T-shirt, yelled.
In response, President Biden held up a Laken Riley pin Ms. Greene had given him before his speech.
“Lincoln Riley an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal,” President Biden said, incorrectly pronouncing the young woman’s name. “To her parents, I say my heart goes out to you having lost children myself. I understand.”
‘Tell Hunter to Pay His Taxes’
Later during his speech, Ms. Greene interrupted President Biden again when he spoke of ensuring wealthy Americans pay their share of taxes, this time shouting, “Tell Hunter to pay his taxes,” seemingly referencing President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden.Other GOP lawmakers appeared to be equally as emotional during President Biden’s speech, including Rep. Greg Murphy (R-N.C.), who told Politico he had quietly left the speech early because he “didn’t want to listen to the president get up there and spout lies.”
However, it wasn’t only Republicans who used President Biden’s speech to make a statement; three Democrats, Reps. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), Summer Lee (D-Pa.), and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), all attended the speech dressed in keffiyehs, the traditional Palestinian scarf, amid Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza, Politico reported.
Elsewhere, Reps. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) and Greg Casar (D-Texas) donned “ceasefire” pins calling for a pause in the Israel-Hamas war which has prompted a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Despite the heckling, Mr. Johnson told reporters he believed his earlier pleas to Republicans to maintain decorum during President Biden’s speech were “mostly” followed.
“We emphasized decorum, I think mostly that was respected tonight, and that was a good thing for the country,” he told reporters.
