President Donald Trump has accused Democrats of “treasonous” behaviour for choosing not to applaud him during his first State of the Union address last week.
During a speech in Blue Ash, Ohio, Mr Trump said the Democrats gave off “bad energy” during the speech by failing to even clap at the positive economic news.
The President called the reception “un-American” and went further by saying he would call it treason: “Shall we call that treason? Why not?”
It has become standard for members of the President’s opposing party to give him a chilly reception as he updates the nation during the annual State of the Union address. But in a move that will likely play well with his base of supporters, Mr Trump said he believed Democrats were merely indicating their lack of patriotism.
“They certainly didn’t seem to love our country very much,” Mr Trump said.
There was no question that Democrats were not as excited as Republicans to witness Mr Trump’s address last week in-person. More than a dozen liberal members of the House of Representatives even boycotted the speech.
But a few Democratic senators did applaud when they felt it was appropriate. For example, Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a state that went to Mr Trump in 2016, stood and clapped when the President talked about infrastructure and reviving cities like Detroit.
Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar also clapped when Mr Trump mentioned he was committed to lowering drug prices, a cause she has championed.