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‘I could not stand one more second’: Pressley walks out during Trump address to Congress
Trump also appeared to refer to Sen. Elizabeth Warren as "Pocahontas," saying she wants the war in Ukraine to continue for five more years.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley walked out of President Donald Trump’s address to Congress Tuesday night, joining dozens of other Democrats, her office said.
“I could not stand one more second, tolerate one more second,” Pressley said on X, minutes after walking out.
Trump began his speech addressing Congress from the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives at 9 p.m. Tuesday. Around 10:30 p.m., Pressley said she’d had enough.
Pressley, who represents much of Boston, said she attended to “honor” her guest Claire Bergstresser, a federal worker and manual wheelchair user from Everett who was recently fired.
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“This man who pardoned January 6 insurrectionists, who desecrated the very chamber that we are sitting in this moment, this man who has no respect for Congress, does not respect us as a co-equal branch of government, who is putting us into a constitutional crisis, this man with his hateful rhetoric and his even more harmful policies,” Pressley said.
In a statement through her office, Pressley said his speech was a “chilling” reminder that Trump lets “an un-elected, unaccountable billionaire ransack our federal agencies and gut the essential services our families depend on—all to enrich themselves and their billionaire friends.”
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The congresswoman was referring to Elon Musk, whose nongovernmental Department of Government Efficiency may be behind Bergstressor’s termination.
Trump seems to call Warren ‘Pocahontas,’ other Dems walk out during speech
The speech began with Rep. Al Green, of Texas, being removed from the chamber when he stood up and began yelling at Trump, NPR reported.
A group of progressive Democratic lawmakers including Rep. Jasmine Crockett, of Texas, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, of Washington walked out of the speech around the same time as Pressley, according to social media posts.
Around 10:50 p.m., Trump said “Pocahontas says yes” to continuing the Ukraine war “for another five years,” repeating a nickname he’s used in the past for Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Many people in the chamber, including Vice President J.D. Vance, erupted into laughter.
The camera cut to Warren, who appeared to say something and continued to clap. The jab refers to a controversy over Warren’s claims of a Native American lineage. A DNA test indicated her genetic makeup is between 1/64th and 1/1,024th Native American; Warren has since apologized to Native communities.
“I agree with Donald Trump that an unelected bureaucrat should be fired. Let’s start with Elon Musk,” Warren shared on Musk’s social media platform X at 10:11 p.m.
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Sen. Ed Markey said “nothing Donald Trump has said tonight is new” on X.
“But he laid bare the Republican agenda: Cut Medicare. Cut Medicaid. Cut Social Security. Cut food assistance. And line the pockets of the ultra-wealthy,” Markey wrote.
Rep. Jim McGovern, who represents Worcester, said on X during the speech that “our country is now run by a child. And not a good child. A spoiled rotten brat. And republicans in Congress enable him.” After Trump finished speaking, McGovern brought it back to grocery prices.
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