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Tim Miller
Hey, guys, it's Tim Miller from the Bulwark. I just saw that. The House of Representatives censured Representative Al Green for his protest during Trump's address to Congress earlier this week.
Mike Johnson
Representative Al Green be censured with public reading of this resolution by the Speaker. The House had come to order. The House had come to order.
Tim Miller
This is fucking so outrageous. I have to rant about this, but just in case anybody missed it, here's a clip of Al Green on the floor of the chamber shouting at Donald Trump.
Mike Johnson
That's your warning. Members are engaging in willful and continuing breach of decorum. And the chair is prepared to direct the Sergeant at Arms to restore order to the joint session. Take your seat, sir. Take your seat. Finding the members continue to engage in willful and concerted disruption of proper decorum. The chair now directs the Sergeant at Arms to restore order. Remove this gentleman from the chamber.
Tim Miller
All right, so there it was. As a result, the House of Representatives, all of The Republicans, with 10 Democrats, voted to censure Al Green for this behavior. Mike Johnson called it shameful and egregious and saying it disgraced the institution of Congress. You are a fucking shameful and egregious disgrace to Congress. Mike Johnson, I, like Mike Johnson, was one of the organizers of the effort to challenge the election and take votes away from American people in Pennsylvania and other states. And obviously, that Stop the Steel effort led to the attack on that Capitol. Like Donald Trump is, the president is a clown who behaves horribly, constantly.
Donald Trump
Tell you, Putin went through a hell of a lot with me. He went through a phony witch hunt where they used him. And Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia. You ever hear of that deal? That was a phony. That was a phony. Hunter Biden, Joe Biden scam, Hillary Clinton, shifty Adam Schiff. It was a Democrat scam, and Mike.
Tim Miller
Johnson never has anything to say about that. Joe Wilson shouted, you lie. You lie. It's not true. We could just go on and on. This is just silly, okay? Like, it's like, at least have the dignity. If you're a Republican, at least have the dignity to just be like, we don't care about behavior anymore. All right? Like, we have put somebody that. That bragged about grabbing women by the pussy against their will into the White House. Somebody that attacks people, constantly, makes fun of them, slimes them, demeans them, makes, does cruel nicknames, lies about people like, Donald Trump is just a sick person. At least. You know, I saw a tweet earlier from Matt Gaetz, who was, like, defending The Tate brothers. Andrew Tate and saying that. That Ron DeSantis and the other Republicans that were criticizing Andrew Tate were just virtue signaling. Like, at least Matt Gaetz has the courage of his convictions. He's just like, I just support everybody being a fucking asshole prick. All right? Like, at least that is consistent. All right, it's bad, it's wrong, but at least it's consistent. Don't fucking come and tell me that you're pearl clutching now. Oh, I'm pearl clutching because Al Green was shaking his cane on the floor and I. Oh, this is egregious. Oh, we care about behavior now. We care about acting normally. Like, we want people to respect the room where our supporters smeared shit on the walls when they were trying to steal the election. Like, just, just don't, okay? Just don't. And as for the Democrats, we're going to read their names. Ami Bera, California. Ed Case, Hawaii. Jim Costa, California. Laura Gillen, New York. Jim Hines, Connecticut. Jim was on this page yesterday. So I got a word for you, Jim. Chrissy Houlihan, P.A. i like Chrissy Houlihan. Marcy Kaptur, Ohio. Jared Moskowitz interviewed him last week. I like Jared Moskowitz. Marie Glues and Camp Perez, Washington. Love Marie Glues and Camp Perez. Tom Swazi, New York. What are you guys doing? What are you guys doing? Okay, like, what, you think you're going to get credit for this? You think people are going to say, oh, you're consistent here. Like, you could give a statement saying you disagree with Al Green, you wish you would have behaved differently, or saying you wouldn't have behaved that way. But, like the idea you're going to censure your colleague for speaking out and protesting Donald Trump. Like, if I was a Democrat and Mike Johnson put this preposterous censure on the floor, after the way that he and his colleagues have behaved, I would just say, censure my balls, Mike Johnson, censure my fucking balls if you want, but I'm not going along with your charade. All right, I understand some of these Democratic congresspeople think that, you know, they need to take the high road, maintain integrity, show that they're different, show that they're serious. And I think that there are times when that is called for, but there is no reason to go along with their farce. Okay? There's just no reason to do it. If you have an issue with Al Green, you can privately say so. You can tweet that you disagreed with it, put out a press release, but to vote for an official censure with Marjorie Taylor Greene is ludicrous.
Donald Trump
I'll give you a copy. I'll give. Well, I'm glad for parents, I say my heart.
Tim Miller
So there it is. Al Green, you keep doing you as far as I'm concerned. All right. Do I think that was the most effective protest in history? No. But does he have the right to get up there and give Donald Trump the what for? Absolutely. And I could use more Democrats expressing their outrage at the horrors that are surrounding us right now. And so as to Mike Johnson and all the Republicans and these 10 Democrats, you can keep it. You can stuff it. And going forward, I hope that the Democrats in the House don't play their games. Don't go along with their games. All right. That's my main message.
Bulwark Takes: Speaker Johnson’s Outrageously Hypocritical Censure of Rep. Al Green Release Date: March 6, 2025
In this episode of Bulwark Takes, host Tim Miller delivers a passionate analysis of the recent censure of Representative Al Green by Speaker Mike Johnson. The discussion delves into the political implications of the censure, the behavior of key political figures, and the broader context of partisan actions within Congress.
Tim Miller opens the episode by addressing the House of Representatives' decision to censure Rep. Al Green for his protest during former President Donald Trump's address to Congress earlier in the week.
Miller highlights the gravity of the situation, emphasizing the unusual nature of the censure and its immediate impact on congressional decorum.
Mike Johnson, presumably the Speaker of the House, presides over the session where the censure is read aloud.
The resolution accuses Rep. Green of a "willful and continuing breach of decorum," leading to his removal from the chamber.
Miller expresses his strong disapproval of the censure, labeling it as "outrageous."
He condemns Mike Johnson and fellow Republicans for what he perceives as hypocrisy, especially pointing out their previous actions that he believes undermined democratic processes.
Miller connects the censure to broader Republican strategies, including efforts to challenge election results, which he links to the Capitol attack.
Miller does not hold back in his critique of both Republican and Democratic figures. He references various controversial actions and statements made by Republicans, including:
Timestamp [02:28]: Transcription of Donald Trump’s comments criticizing Democrats and associates.
“...Hunter Biden, Joe Biden scam, Hillary Clinton, shifty Adam Schiff. It was a Democrat scam...”
Miller points out the lack of accountability among Republicans compared to the censure faced by Rep. Green.
He also mentions Democratic members who voted to censure Rep. Green, expressing disdain for their participation in what he views as a partisan move.
A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to highlighting what Miller perceives as a double standard in how political accountability is enforced.
He contrasts the severe actions taken against Rep. Green with what he sees as a lack of similar consequences for Republicans who engage in misconduct.
In his concluding remarks, Miller encourages Democrats not to engage in what he terms as "games" and to maintain their integrity without resorting to partisan tactics like censure.
He emphasizes the importance of consistent and principled behavior over political maneuvering.
This episode of Bulwark Takes presents a critical view of the recent censure of Rep. Al Green, framing it within a broader narrative of partisan conflict and perceived hypocrisy within Congress. Tim Miller's fervent analysis underscores ongoing tensions and the challenges of maintaining decorum and accountability in a deeply divided political landscape. Listeners gain insight into the host’s perspective on the motivations behind the censure and its implications for future congressional actions.
Note: This summary captures the key points and rhetorical flow of the episode based on the provided transcript. It aims to provide a comprehensive overview for those who have not listened to the episode.