If Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib wanted to draw attention to herself during Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night, then she certainly succeeded.
At one point during Trump’s speech, the crowd began chanting “USA!” Videos on social media clearly feature Tlaib, a longtime opponent of Trump, moving her lips alongside her fellow politicians … but was it “USA,” or could it have been something else entirely?
That all depends on who you ask, as a significant number of netizens believe she was chanting “KKK!” We have to think that’s a reference to the Ku Klux Klan, whose sordid history speaks for itself.
An X video including footage of Tlaib’s chanting had nearly 650,000 views at publication. However, it remained unclear what she was saying. Tlaib had not publicly addressed the speculation as of Wednesday morning.
Is Rashida Tlaib chanting “KKK” while everyone else chants “USA”? Sure looks like it pic.twitter.com/5nnp0or3Xn
— Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) February 25, 2026
Television cameras regularly caught Tlaib and Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar mocking and heckling Trump during his speech on Tuesday night. Tlaib also wore a pin reading “[Epletive] ICE,” referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and was seen smirking when she noticed the cameras were on her. The two left the speech early and did not return.
“Everything you need to know about today’s Democrats,” the National Republican Congressional Committee wrote on X. “They cannot stand this country, they cannot stand its comeback, & they cannot hide their contempt anymore.”
Trump ripped Omar and Tlaib for their behavior in a Truth Social post on Wednesday afternoon.
“When you watch Low IQ Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, as they screamed uncontrollably last night at the very elegant State of the Union, such an important and beautiful event, they had the bulging, bloodshot eyes of crazy people, LUNATICS, mentally deranged and sick who, frankly, look like they should be institutionalized,” he wrote.
At this stage, though, it would have been odd to imagine the 49-year-old Tlaib acting any differently. She has harshly criticized Trump since being elected to represent Michigan in the House of Representatives in 2018, and she previously voted to impeach him twice. There is no reason to believe that Tlaib and Trump will become cordial opponents anytime soon, especially seeing as she and Omar have developed both loyal fan bases and a long list of opposition because they have no issues saying exactly what is on their mind, even at the risk of incurring Trump’s wrath.
Republicans: “USA.”
Rashida Tlaib: “KKK.”
Everything you need to know about today’s Democrats. They cannot stand this country, they cannot stand its comeback, & they cannot hide their contempt anymore. pic.twitter.com/fQCTkh6WVa
— NRCC (@NRCC) February 25, 2026
Whether or not the positives of Tlaib’s conduct outweigh the negatives is up for debate. The standards of what should be considered appropriate behavior for sitting politicians, especially in a setting like the State of the Union, have changed significantly over the last decade.
A glance at social media shows plenty of X users discussing Tlaib, Omar, and Texas Rep. Al Green, who was removed from the House chamber after waving a sign reading, “Black People Aren’t Apes.” In a way, they won the night because their actions arguably stood out more than the Olympic gold-winning U.S. men’s hockey team being honored for its recent gold medal or Trump discussing the economy and immigration.
We’ll see whether Tlaib has an opportunity to make a similar scene next year. She is up for re-election, with the Michigan Democratic primary election set for Aug. 4. The general election follows on Nov. 3.
