A newly circulated video from President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address shows a tense exchange between Democratic lawmakers and Republicans inside the House chamber. The footage appears to capture Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan Democrat, chanting “KKK” while Republican members responded with chants of “USA” in support of the president.
The moment occurred during a portion of Trump’s speech that addressed immigration and allegations of fraud connected to Minnesota programs. As the president criticized what he described as corruption affecting American taxpayers, lawmakers from both parties reacted visibly and audibly.
Trump said during the address that Minnesota represented “a stunning example” of corruption harming the country. He alleged that members of the Somali community had defrauded American taxpayers of billions of dollars through welfare-related schemes. The president added that such incidents illustrated how corruption and lawlessness were common in certain parts of the world.
He further argued that allowing unrestricted immigration could bring those same problems into the United States. His remarks prompted vocal reactions from some Democrats in the chamber, including Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.
According to reports, Tlaib and Omar shouted back during parts of the speech. At one point, they reportedly yelled, “You have killed Americans.” Trump turned toward the lawmakers and replied, “You should be ashamed.”
The exchange quickly escalated as Republican members stood and began chanting “USA, USA,” which largely drowned out the objections from the Democratic side.
The video clip was later shared on social media by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). In a post on X, the organization criticized the lawmakers’ behavior, writing that the moment revealed what it described as Democrats’ disdain for the country and its recent progress.
Online reactions to the clip were mixed. One social media user described Tlaib’s use of the phrase “KKK” as offensive and inappropriate for a member of Congress. Another commenter argued that such moments could be used in political advertising during future election cycles.
The British newspaper the Daily Mail reported that Tlaib’s office was contacted for comment, though no response had been publicly released at the time of publication.
After the address, Trump also commented on the confrontation in a post on Truth Social, criticizing both Tlaib and Omar for their behavior during the speech.
The address included additional disruptions as well. Rep. Al Green of Texas was reportedly escorted out of the chamber after displaying a placard during the event.
Trump’s speech otherwise focused on domestic policy priorities such as energy costs, prescription drug prices, and immigration enforcement.
