Al Green, Trump’s Cane Waving Nemesis, Loses Primary
Texas Democrat Rep. Al Green, famed for filing numerous articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump and disrupting his address to Congress, lost by a landslide to a young primary opponent on Tuesday.
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With over 95% of the vote counted by Wednesday morning, Democrat Rep. Christian Menefee led Green by nearly 40 points, The Associated Press reported.
Trump wrote on Truth Social of the result, “Congratulations to the Dumocrat Party! Al Green, one of the most mentally deficient Congressmen in the history of our Country, has lost, in a landslide, his seat in Congress—But I will miss that lunatic not screaming and violently waving his cane at me during my next State of the Union Speech.”
Green said in a statement in response to Trump, “Sorry to disappoint you, Mr. President, but you will hear from me again. I have more than enough time left in Congress to continue calling out your corruption. Sincerely, your unbought, unbossed, unafraid, unelected, liberated democrat.”
Green, who has represented Texas’ 9th Congressional District since 2005, was forced to challenge Menefee in the 18th Congressional District after the state’s Legislature redrew its congressional map to disfavor Democrats in his district.
Menefee, 38, was first elected to the predominantly black Houston-area district in January, succeeding Rep. Sylvester Turner, who died in office.
The Tuesday results make Menefee the Democrat nominee for the deep-blue seat in November.
Menefee struck a conciliatory tone in his victory speech, taking aim at Republicans for having redistricted Green out of office.
“We’re not going to let this election tear us apart. We’re not going to let this election pit leader against leader,” he said. “We’re going to bring that spirit of fierce and fearless protest that Al Green has.”
Cutting a distinct figure on Capitol Hill with his ponytail and cane, Green, 78, has been extremely combative with Trump, introducing multiple articles of impeachment that have all failed, often without the backing of his party’s leadership.
In March 2025, Green loudly interrupted Trump’s joint address to Congress, standing up and raising his cane. He was escorted out of the House chamber by the sergeant-at-arms.
During Trump’s February State of the Union address, he held a sign reading, “BLACK PEOPLE AREN’T APES,” a reference to a jungle-themed animated video reposted by Trump that featured former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, as apes.
The president has denied having seen the full video before posting it and has condemned its depiction of the Obamas.
Green was endorsed for the primary by several members of the Congressional Black Caucus, an influential Democrat faction in the House of Representatives.
However, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, endorsed Menefee over him, appearing in an ad funded by the pro-cryptocurrency political action committee Protect Progress, which spent millions in favor of Menefee. Protect Progress is an affiliate of Fairshake.
Green harshly criticized the cryptocurrency lobby throughout the race, describing himself on the House floor as an “unbought, liberated, unafraid Democrat, unbought by crypto cash.”
In a separate video, he accused Menefee of making a “deal with the devil” by supporting the crypto industry.
Menefee’s website says that technologies like blockchain offer the potential to increase trust, transparency, and efficiency—from finance to supply chains” and that he supports “clear rules of the road” to “support innovation.”
Fairshake said in a statement after the primary, “Rep. Green’s defeat proves that anti-crypto hostility carries real electoral consequences, making him the first Democrat incumbent this cycle to lose his seat. Fairshake was the difference-maker in this race, and we will continue to aggressively back leaders like Rep. Menefee across the country.”
Menefee, who is 40 years younger than Green, emphasized his youthful vigor in a campaign ad that featured him running in a suit—a humorous reference to him having run four campaigns in just over half a year.
Menefee’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This article has been updated with comment from Green.
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I am just an average American. My teen years were in the late 70s and I participated in all that that decade offered. Started working young, too young. Then I joined the Army before I graduated High School. I spent 25 years in, mostly in Infantry units. Since then I've worked in information technology positions all at small family owned companies. At this rate I'll never be a tech millionaire. When I was young I rode horses as much as I could. I do believe I should have been a cowboy. I'm getting in the saddle again by taking riding lessons and see where it goes.
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