Illinois Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL) showed her true, despicable colors by erupting into laughter while mocking veterans who served this country with honor and distinction while they were being honored by President Donald Trump during his State of the Union address in February 2026 while participating in a livestream event.
A video clip of Kelly’s comments has resurfaced and is going viral on social media. Kelly, who ran in the Illinois Democratic primary to replace Sen. Dick Durbin but failed miserably, stated that the SOTU address was “like an award show,” referring to the awards President Trump presented during the address. The senator was a guest on a livestream called, “The Black People’s Response to the State of the Union.”
“It was like an award show. You get a medal, you get a medal, you get a medal,” Kelly said during the stream with podcast host Angela Rye, who went on to add, “Mo [Monique Pressley] just said you get a car, you get a car, y’all are on the same page.” The comment was a reference to the popular meme of Oprah Winfrey giving her audience members new cars.
According to a report from The Daily Caller, New York Rep. Yvette Clarke, who was not in attendance at the State of the Union, said the address was “as horrific as I thought it would be.” Five military officers were presented with awards during the president’s address. Two West Virginia National Guardsmen who were shot by an Afghan national in December 2025, Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and Army Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, were awarded Purple Hearts. Beckstrom was killed in the shooting.
Beckstrom’s parents accepted the award on their daughter’s behalf. The Medal of Honor was awarded to two military pilots, one of which was a 100-year-old World War II veteran. Former U.S. Navy pilot Captain Royce Williams and Army Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover, a helicopter pilot who was involved in the raid on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s compound in Caracas, received the medals.
Coast Guard Petty Officer Scott Ruskan was awarded the Legion of Merit medal for the role he played in saving the lives of 165 people from the deadly floods that occurred near Camp Mystic in Texas in July 2025. President Trump spoke about the effectiveness of his administration’s work over the course of the last year during the address.
“A short while ago we were a dead country, now we are the hottest country in the world. The hottest!” the president said. One of the most memorable moments of the evening came when Trump asked Democrats if they agreed with the idea that the federal government has a duty to protect its citizens over foreign nationals. Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib apparently did not agree, attempting to shout down the president.
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Another moment that garnered a lot of attention in the media came, once again, from Texas Democratic Rep. Al Green, who was ejected from the event after disrupting it by standing up and shouting while holding a sign that said, “BLACK PEOPLE AREN’T APES.” The sign was a reference to an AI video the president shared on social media featuring Democrats as various animals, with the Obamas appearing as apes.
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video