Republican lawmakers have heckled or interrupted Democratic presidents during State of the Union addresses and joint sessions of Congress several times, with instances increasing in frequency, particularly during the Biden administration.
While often described as breaches of decorum or heated outbursts rather than a singular "meltdown," major, widely reported disruptions occurred in 2009, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
- 2009 (Barack Obama): Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) shouted "You lie!" during an address to a joint session of Congress regarding health care reform. This was considered a turning point in decorum.
- 2022 (Joe Biden): Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) interrupted the speech to chant "build the wall". Boebert also shouted "You put them there!" when Biden discussed his son, Beau Biden, and veterans exposed to toxic burn pits.
- 2023 (Joe Biden): Republicans heckled and shouted at President Biden throughout the address, specifically when he accused some in the party of wanting to cut Social Security and Medicare, leading to shouting matches.
- 2024 (Joe Biden): Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene interrupted the speech regarding border security and the death of Laken Riley, shouting "Say her name!".
- Routine Heckling: Reports indicate that by 2023, yelling at the President has become a more frequent occurrence.
- Reaction to Content: Republicans have described their interruptions as reactions to "overly partisan" speeches.
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Speaker Intervention: In 2023, then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was noted attempting to shush Republican members during the outbursts.
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Conversely, Democrats have also had notable protests against Republican presidents, such as when Speaker Nancy Pelosi tore up her copy of President Donald Trump's speech in 2020
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Ahead of the State of the Union, here’s a look at U.S. public opinion on key policy issues, drawn from recent Pew Research Center surveys.