Trump hero's welcome in Congress showcased the rise of the MAGA superfan in GOP ranks
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'The Democrats,' tweeted Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, a Wisconsin Republican, 'are currently attending their first Trump rally!'
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Lawmakers providing a warm and vocal welcome to their own party's president, of course, is a common Washington spectacle. But what unfolded on the House floor on Tuesday was an illustration of a consequential new dynamic of Trump's second term: many GOP lawmakers are no longer content to merely support Trump but are attempting to outdo each other in demonstrating their fealty to him.
The Republican lawmakers who questioned or opposed Trump's policy agenda have largely retired or been defeated, as have the handful who have publicly criticized him for denying the outcome of the 2020 election or in the wake of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Most have been replaced in the last four election cycles with a new generation of Republicans forged by Trump's movement and who often owe their victories to his endorsement.
The impact of that trend became clear well before Trump's hero's welcome on Capitol Hill. On Monday, Rep. Brandon Gill, a freshman from Texas, introduced a bill to put Trump's face on the $100 bill, dislodging Benjamin Franklin—a competing proposal, perhaps, to one from Rep. Joe Wilson, of South Carolina, that would create a new $250 bill with Trump's face on it. ('The most valuable bill for the most valuable President!' Wilson said in a press release.)
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In January, Rep. Claudia Tenney, of New York, introduced a bill to make Trump's birthday—which is June 14, the same as Flag Day—a federal holiday. 'Just as George Washington's Birthday is codified as a federal holiday, this bill will add Trump's Birthday to this list, recognizing him as the founder of America's Golden Age,' Tenney said in a statement.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, meanwhile, introduced legislation to carve Trump's face on Mount Rushmore, allowing him to join the company of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt in perpetual stony honor. Rep. Addison McDowell, of North Carolina, introduced a bill to rename Washington's Dulles International Airport for Trump.
The day before Trump's speech, Rep. Darrell Issa of California tweeted his intention to nominate Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize. 'He deserves it,' Issa said.
Perhaps most ambitious of all, Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee introduced a bill to give Trump a third term as president, two days after he was sworn in for his second.
Several of the GOP lawmakers who pushed flatteringly pro-Trump bills made sure they had prime position to greet Trump as he made his way down the House's center aisle ahead of his speech. Luna and Ogles, who had staked out the seats closest to the door, were likely the first faces Trump saw as he entered the chamber.
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Halfway down the aisle, Trump greeted Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican and one of his staunchest allies. She wore a riff on the red 'Make America Great Again' hat that said in all-caps: 'TRUMP WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING.'
Before the speech, Representative Gabe Amo, a Rhode Island Democrat, lamented Republicans' moves to push legislation designed to please Trump.
'They're going to be raucous, competing for who can praise the king the most. That's not the America that I think most of us support,' Amo said. 'We are an independent, coequal branch of government, we shouldn't be trying to please the president, because it is inconsistent with the checks and balances and the responsibility we have to constituents in this country.'
As the speech unfolded, Democrats clearly bristled at Republicans' shows of lavish praise for the president and his boastful address. If Republicans' boosterism of Trump was unprecedented, however, so too was the opposition party's response to his speech.
Less than five minutes in, as Trump was touting his 2024 election victory, Rep. Al Green of Texas, stood up and yelled at him that he had 'no mandate' to govern. He refused to sit down and stop interrupting Trump, as Republicans loudly jeered him and yelled for him to be ejected. He ultimately was removed by the House sergeant at arms.
Through the rest of the speech, some Democrats shouted interjections—sometimes including expletives—to respond when they believed Trump was lying. A number of them walked out at various points of the address, some revealing shirts with slogans like 'RESIST.' Most of them were quiet, holding up signs that said 'SAVE MEDICAID' and 'MUSK STEALS,' referencing the billionaire Elon Musk, who is running the administration's Department of Government Efficiency project to slash government spending, which would help pay for tax cuts.
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While presidents historically extend olive branches to the opposition during these addresses, there were none to be found on Tuesday. But there was no point during the lengthy address when most Democrats stood up to applaud anything Trump said, which the White House and pro-Trump accounts on social media lamented throughout the speech.
Responding to press reports on X that Democrats were leaving the chamber as Trump was still going, Representative Byron Donalds, a Florida Republican, said, 'We are Making America Great Again whether the far-left likes it or not.'
When Trump's speech finally wrapped up, several of his more ardent supporters lingered the longest for one more handshake or greeting—or, in the case of a particularly enthusiastic member, two.
Rep. Lauren Boebert, of Colorado, was among the first lawmakers to congratulate Trump and shake his hand as he made his way out. As he slowly proceeded down the aisle, greeting members, Boebert hustled across the chamber, and positioned herself at the exit just in time to see Trump one more time—and take a selfie.
Sam Brodey can be reached at
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