Late-night host Stephen Colbert criticized House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) following President Donald Trump’s State of the Union Address, mocking what Jeffries described as “silent defiance” by members of his caucus.

Colbert delivered the remarks during a live episode Tuesday night after the President’s speech. The comedian reacted to reports that Jeffries had urged Democratic lawmakers not to cause a disruption during the address.

Colbert described Jeffries’ approach as “silent defiance.”

“Which I believe is a bold rebrand of doing jack squat,” Colbert joked. “As Martin Luther King once said: ‘Shhh.’”

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Jeffries had previously outlined two options for House Democrats regarding attendance at the speech. In comments made before the address, he explained that members could either attend and engage in what he called “silent defiance” or refuse to attend and instead participate in alternative programming.

“The two options that are in front of us in our House [are] to either attend with silent defiance or to not attend and send a message to Donald Trump in that fashion, which will include participation in a variety of different alternate programming that is going to take place in and around the Capitol complex,” Jeffries said.

Despite Jeffries’ advisement, several Democratic lawmakers disrupted portions of the President’s speech.

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Rep. Al Green (D-TX) was ejected from the chamber after holding up a sign that read, “Black people aren’t apes.” According to reports, Green was removed following the display during the address.

Shortly after being escorted out, Green spoke to CNN about his actions.

“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,” Green said. “But sometimes we have to let him know in the public that we know it.”

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) also interrupted the President’s remarks during the speech. At one point, she shouted, “You have killed Americans,” and later added, “You should be ashamed of yourself.”

President Trump responded to the outbursts from the chamber.

“These people are crazy. I’m telling you, they’re crazy,” the President said.

The exchange capped a contentious evening on the House floor as President Trump delivered his address outlining his administration’s priorities.

While Democratic leadership had publicly emphasized restraint ahead of the speech, visible disruptions from several members marked a departure from Jeffries’ stated strategy.

Colbert’s comments came hours after the address concluded, with the late-night host focusing his monologue on the Democratic leader’s framing of the party’s approach.

By characterizing the strategy as “silent defiance,” Jeffries had signaled a preference for a visible but non-disruptive protest. Colbert’s response suggested he viewed the approach as ineffective.

The State of the Union Address drew sharp reactions from both sides of the aisle.

As President Trump spoke about policy and legislative priorities, some Democratic members remained seated during portions of the speech, while others engaged in vocal interruptions.

The events surrounding the address quickly became a focus of commentary across media platforms, including late-night television.

Colbert’s remarks added another layer to the political debate following the speech, highlighting divisions not only between the parties but also within the Democratic strategy for responding to President Trump’s agenda.

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