MSNBC host Symone Sanders Townsend criticized Democrats who protested at President Trump’s joint address to Congress by holding up signs, arguing the visuals “are not landing.”
Democratic lawmakers held up signs during Trump’s address that read various statements including, “False,” “Save Medicaid,” and “Musk Steals.”
In a post on X, Sanders Townsend likened the circular signs to bingo.
“Why are democrats just sitting there? The signs are not landing. It is giving bingo! Sigh,” she said.
“B42. B42…BINGO,” Sanders Townsend said in a separate post. “They are not taking back the house with these visuals.”
Democrats on Tuesday evening participated in several other forms of protest. Some lawmakers wore pink in a color-coordinated show of unity, while others wore blue and yellow in a show of support for Ukraine.
Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) was escorted out of the chamber after shouting that Trump had no mandate to dismantle Medicaid, and others walked out of the address themselves.
Sanders Townsend argued more Democrats should have disrupted the speech.
“The reason why disruptions from Democrats would be important during this speech is because it is being broadcasted on every network,” she said. “If you turn on your local ABC, NBC, CBS or Fox station its on. The lies and right wing rhetoric are going to people unchecked.”
Sanders Townsend said she would have more to say about the address, but thought Democratic leaders “did not do their members any favors by stifling their desires to speak out.”
Leaders sought to keep disruptions to a minimum, with former Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) warning fellow Democrats to not protest in ways that would draw attention to themselves and instead keep the focus on Trump’s rhetoric.
