Rep. Al Green removed from House chamber during Trump’s State of Union address: Here’s what happened

US Representative AI Green was removed from the House chamber shortly after President Donald Trump began his State of the Union address on Tuesday night.

The 78-year-old Democrat held up a sign during the address that said, “Black people are not apes.”

The confrontation came days after Donald Trump sparked controversy by posting a deplorable video on a social media account in which he mocked former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama as apes.

As Trump entered the House chamber, Green unfurled the sign, demonstrating his protest over the President's unreasonable actions.

The White House immediately removed the video that had been posted by one of the staffers.

After being escorted out of the chamber, Green said in an interview reported by CNN, “I wanted the president to see it, and he saw it, and I told him, Black people are not apes, and for him to do what he did was racist, and he knows it. But sometimes we have to let him know in public that we know it.”

Green is a senior member of the party who first came to the House in 2005. Being an anti-Trump, the Texas Democrat is known for his repeated efforts to impeach the president.

Last year, Green also caused a disruption during one of Trump’s speeches at the US Capitol and ultimately was ejected from the address.

"Judging from the look on his face that he turned away quickly, he was at a moment of vulnerability because he's not confronted by people who are willing to speak truth to him," Green said.

When asked whether he went against party leadership’s instructions, Green answered, “I am not defying the leadership. What I’m doing is making a point to the president.”

When talking about the punishment that could be meted out to him by the Republican-dominated House, he made it clear that doing what he felt was right was more important than any punishment.