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I went to Trump’s State of the Union. This was the moment when the room’s mood shifted.

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I went to Trump’s State of the Union. This was the moment when the room’s mood shifted.

Reporter Bryan Metzger in Statuary Hall
After the speech, lawmakers and journalists flock to Statuary Hall, just feet from the House chamber.

Bryan Metzger

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  • President Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address on Tuesday night.
  • Reporter Bryan Metzger watched the longest SOTU speech in history from inside the House chamber.
  • Over the course of the speech, the mood devolved, culminating in outright bickering.

It ended up being the longest State of the Union speech in American history.

I was one of over 100 reporters seated in the House chamber during President Donald Trump's address on Tuesday night, when the president shattered the record for the longest speech at just over 107 minutes.

Over the course of the lengthy speech, the mood gradually devolved, eventually leading to outright bickering. In fact, there was only one strong bipartisan moment — and it happened to involve athletes walking into the press gallery.

That's just past the 99 minutes he spoke for last year, when he previously set the record for the longest speech to a joint session of Congress.

The speech hit many of the president's usual talking points, sprinkled in a few policy proposals, and emphasized the theatrics.

Just like in years past, the speech had its share of drama, with lawmakers heckling the president and one even being escorted out.

Here's what it was like, and what I saw during the speech.

Reporters watch the speech from the gallery
My press pass for the State of the Union.
My press pass for the State of the Union.

Bryan Metzger

If you're watching the State of the Union from home, you might be wondering where the reporters covering the speech in person are sitting.

The answer: Behind the president, in a gallery above the floor of the House chamber. It's the same floor where the dignitaries' guests sit.

In normal times, reporters can come and go freely from the gallery. Due to the high demand to watch this major speech, I had to get a press pass, which gave me access to an assigned seat.

Roughly 140 reporters and photographers were up in the gallery with me — about 90 of them in seats, and another 50 standing.

Reporters are also strictly forbidden from taking photos in the House chamber, so I'm not able to share any firsthand look at the gallery.

The speech began with a familiar protester
Democratic Rep. Al Green of Texas was escorted out of the chamber shortly after Trump's speech began.
Democratic Rep. Al Green of Texas was escorted out of the chamber shortly after Trump's speech began.

Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images

Last year, Democratic Rep. Al Green of Texas was thrown out of the House chamber for loudly protesting during Trump's speech.

This year, he was thrown out again.

At the beginning of the speech, Green quietly unfurled a sign declaring that "Black People Aren't Apes," an apparent reference to a video that was briefly posted on Trump's Truth Social account earlier this month that depicted President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama as apes.

Republican lawmakers were incensed, with Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma at one point trying to tear the sign out of Green's hand.

Ultimately, a staffer led Green out of the chamber.

Trump brought the US Men's Hockey Team into the chamber — via the press gallery
Members of the US Men's Hockey team in the press gallery at the State of the Union.
Members of the US Men's Hockey team in the press gallery at the State of the Union.

Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images

About 20 minutes into Trump's speech, we were met with a surprise — members of the US Men's Hockey team streamed into the press gallery, bringing the room's attention toward an area where all the reporters were sitting.

Lawmakers broke into cheers and applause. It was one of the few bipartisan moments of applause of the whole night.

The Democratic side of the aisle was conspicuously less full
The Democratic side of the aisle
A photo of the Democratic side of the House chamber.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

In the House, the chamber is evenly divided between the Republican side and the Democratic side. But you wouldn't know it from Tuesday night's speech.

There were noticeably fewer Democrats on hand, with several seats appearing to be empty on their side of the aisle. Several Republicans, apparently taking advantage of the open space, even sat on the Democratic side.

Many of the Democratic women who did attend could be seen wearing white, a color associated with the suffragette movement.

Ahead of the speech, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries encouraged Democrats to either boycott the speech or sit in silent protest, an apparent effort to avoid the disruptions that marked last year's speech.

Rep. Becca Balint of Vermont was among dozens of Democrats who opted to attend the "People's State of the Union" — a rally sponsored by the liberal groups MeidasTouch and MoveOn that was held on the National Mall — instead of the speech.

"I want to be surrounded by positive people who are really thinking about how to bring this country together," Balint told me. "I cannot normalize this anymore. I just can't."

One Democrat who chose to attend, Rep. Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico, told me before the speech that he believes it's "important for me to be there to see what the president has to say."

"People can choose to do what they want, but I feel like it's part of my job to show up," Vasquez said.

There was no major clash with Supreme Court justices
Trump shaking hands with Supreme Court justices at the State of the Union.
Trump shaking hands with Supreme Court justices at the State of the Union.

Mandel Ngan / AFP via Getty Images

After the Supreme Court voted to strike down many of Trump's tariffs on Friday, many wondered if there would be fireworkers at Tuesday night's speech.

After all, Supreme Court justices are seated directly in front of the president.

Ultimately, the confrontation never came, but it was a little awkward.

Just four of the nine justices showed up for Trump's speech: John Roberts, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, and Elena Kagan. All of those justices except Kavanaugh voted to strike down the tariffs.

Trump shook each of the justices' hands before taking the podium, and the justices sat stone-faced when Trump mentioned the court's "very unfortunate" ruling.

As Trump spoke about the tariffs, scattered laughter could be heard throughout the chamber.

"They're right in front of you!" someone from the Democratic side could be heard yelling at one point, referring to the justices.

Things started to devolve an hour in
Rep. Rashida Tlaib heckling Trump during the State of the Union.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib heckling Trump during the State of the Union.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

With the exception of Al Green, the first hour of Trump's speech was relatively free of major disruptions.

That began to change.

A major turning point was when Trump discussed funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota began loudly heckling Trump over the killing of two American citizens by immigration agents in Minneapolis. Trump at one point fired back, saying the lawmakers should be "ashamed" of themselves.

The heckling continued as Trump moved on to election security and transgender issues.

"These people are crazy," Trump remarked at one point.

Trump and lawmakers brought all sorts of guests
Erika Kirk at the State of the Union.
Erika Kirk was a guest of President Trump at the State of the Union.

Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images

The president, along with every member of the House and Senate, is entitled to bring a guest to the speech. Generally, they sit in the gallery, which sits one floor above the chamber.

Sen. Rick Scott of Florida brought "Shark Tank" star Kevin O'Leary. Several Democrats brought Epstein survivors. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina invited David Ellison, Paramount's CEO.

Trump brought Erika Kirk, who succeeded her late husband Charlie Kirk as the head of Turning Point USA, after he was killed in September.

One person who attended last year, but wasn't there this year: Elon Musk.

Lawmakers gave their take on the speech afterward in Statuary Hall
Statuary Hall
Statuary Hall, where lawmakers and Cabinet secretaries speak to media after the speech.

Bryan Metzger

After the speech, many lawmakers and Cabinet secretaries head to Statuary Hall, where journalists and TV cameras await them.

It's not unlike the "spin room" at a presidential debate, where each side gives its take on what happened that night.

Republican Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee snagged an aisle seat and got to shake Trump's hand, though he wouldn't tell me what the two talked about.

"It was about our cat, and our barn that we named after him," Burchett joked.

Burchett said Trump's speech was so long because he "had a lot of successes that he needed to talk about."

Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride of Delaware, on the other hand, told reporters that Trump's speech was full of lies while defending the reaction of lawmakers like Tlaib and Omar.

"This administration has literally killed American citizens under the guise of addressing immigration," McBride said.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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