Top House Democrats have warned members not to act up during President Donald Trump's upcoming State of the Union address.
Democrats want to put on a more stolid display of opposition during the speech, which is set for Feb. 24, sources told Axios.
Last year, Trump gave a speech to a joint session of Congress that was marred by Democrats holding up signs and heckling the president.
Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, repeatedly stood up and shouted at Trump, waving his cane, before he was ejected by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
Green was later censured for his outbursts, with 10 Democrats joining Republicans in voting for the rebuke.
After the speech, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., confronted his colleagues about their behavior, calling 12 Democrats to a "come to Jesus meeting" with leadership, Axios reported.
In a meeting of the House Democrats' whip team Wednesday, Jeffries laid out two options for how to approach Trump's speech.
The first option involved Democrats boycotting the event; the second option involved sitting in "silent defiance," which is what leaders hoped the party would do last year, sources told Axios.
A senior House Democrat said there has been minimal discussion in the caucus about disrupting Trump's speech.
Many Democrats expect to skip the speech and go to an "alternative viewing site," Axios reported.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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