Democrats refused to clap for almost every moment of President Donald Trump’s joint address on Tuesday night. It included when he honored former volleyball player Payton McNabb, who suffered traumatic physical and mental injuries when she was injured by a transient opponent in 2022.
Trump praised 19-year-old McNabb for overcome her injuries, which included concussion, brain haemorrhage and permanent whiplash, to become a spokesman to protect women and girls from biological men in their sports.
Trump completed the segment by repeating his promise to cut federal funding to any American school that allows trans athletes to compete against girls.
It got a round of applause from the Republican side of space while every Democrat sat in silence.
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President Donald Trump addresses a joint congressional meeting at Capitol, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
McNabb told Pakinomist Digital that the Democrats’ reaction was not surprising, but was “heartbreaking” nonetheless.
“Last night, just in general, the Democrat Party was so disrespectful,” McNabb said. “And they did not stand up to any of the guests, they did not stand up to DJ Daniel, who is the young boy who survived brain cancer, they did not stand up to the Lake Riley’s family, whose daughter literally suffered a traumatic death that should never have happened, and any other guest there was there had a kind of powerful story, and they did not clap any of it.
“So it was heartbreaking, and honestly I wish I could say I was surprised, but I’m not.”
Most of the Democratic congregation women present on Tuesday night wore pink to protest Trump in support of women’s rights. However, these congregants chose to do so one day after the Senates Democrats voted almost unanimously to block the protection of women and girls in the sports law.
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Democrats have protest signs when President Donald Trump turns to a joint congressional meeting on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Win McNamee/Poolfoto via AP)
The law would have helped put a stricter precedent to keep trans athletes out of women’s and girls’ sports across the country, as many states have so far refused to comply with Trump’s executive order to tackle the problem. But not a single democratic senator voted to help pass the bill and filibusted it from reaching Trump’s desk.
McNabb sent a Bipartisan plea to the Senates Democrats in a previous interview with Pakinomist Digital, days before the vote Monday to consider voting for the bill. But instead, none of them voted for it and instead wore pink to Tuesday’s address.
“The Democrat Party failed women. They don’t care,” said McNabb. “Even with their own daughters is the fact that they didn’t get this bill through, just fully heartbreaking. I’m not the only story there are so many female athletes who have shared their story and it’s not like they don’t know. It’s insane that this is the tray they are willing to die on.
“It’s just sad … It’s just embarrassing.”
McNabb is not alone in his condemnation of the Democrats who are present for their label on Tuesday. Many conservatives on social media have not only the congress representatives present, but the guests sitting in the gallery not to cheer on the guests, the decision to wear pink after blocking Monday’s expense and waving small signs with trassy messages in protest.
One of the most controversial moments of the night came when rep. Al Green, D-Texas, was escorted out after waving his sugar cane and shouting to Trump repeatedly during the opening minutes of the speech.
He shouted, “You have no mandate,” at Trump when the president proclaimed Republican victories in parliament, the Senate and the White House.
Payton McNabb, Left, claps like the second Lady Usha Vance watch under President Donald Trump’s address to Congress, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Was green removed by the American Sergeant-at-weapon.
“They were embarrassing to their party and the country that they dealt with just complete respect for,” McNabb said.
“The way the Democrats acted was a new low for them … The only time they clapped was for Ukraine who told, but they don’t clap or stand for literally anything else … The drama and the theaters were there of them. I think the shirts, the signs and the pink suit were all sweet, but I think the American people now know more than ever that Democrats
Despite the heartache caused by the Democrats, McNabb said she is still “extremely grateful” to have participated and got the experience to meet key figures in the party, including Second Lady Usha Vancce, as McNabb sat next to Tuesday. She also had a chance to share her story with border Czar Tom Homan.
“It was incredible. This is the type of thing I will remember the rest of my life,” said McNabb.
