The father of a Parkland shooting victim invited to the State of the Union by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has issued an apology after he was removed from the chamber for shouting at Trump mid-speech.
Fred Guttenberg shouted ‘what about the victims of gun violence like my daughter?’ as President Trump spoke on protecting the second amendment.
Democrats stood to clap Guttenberg as he was removed from the room while President Donald Trump continued his speech unfazed. Pelosi, who had invited Guttenberg as her guest, can be seen looking up worriedly.
Gutttenberg apologized for letting ‘my emotions get the best of me’, adding ‘I should not have yelled out’.
Parkland High School victim father Fred Guttenberg (left) pictured with Nancy Pelosi (center) and U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch (right) before the State of the Union – Guttenberg was Pelosi’s guest
Fred Guttenberg was calmly removed from the chamber after shouting at the President
Fred Guttenberg’s 14-year-old daughter Jaime who died in the Parkland shooting in 2018
Guttenberg lost his 14-year-old daughter Jaime on February 14, 2018, at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The high school freshman was one of 17 victims in the mass shooting.
Since her death, Fred Guttenberg has become a prominent gun safety activist and has called for the introduction of ‘Jaime’s Law’, a proposal to require background checks on the purchase of bullets.
He was invited to Tuesday’s State of the Union by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whom he thanked on Twitter for her commitment to dealing with gun violence.
‘Thank you @SpeakerPelosi for inviting me to be your guest tonight at the State Of The Union,’ he wrote before the address.
‘I cannot thank you enough for your commitment to issues important to Americans and to the issue most important to me on dealing with gun violence.’
Fred Guttenberg apologized on Twitter after being removed from the State of the Union
Trump continued the speech unfazed as Guttenberg was taken from the balcony for shouting
Guttenberg was escorted calmly out of the balcony gallery of the U.S. House of Representatives chamber near the end of Trump’s speech on Tuesday after shouting ‘what about the victims of gun violence like my daughter?’ following the President’s comments on the second amendment.
He is believed to have started shouting as Trump said: ‘So long as I am president, I will always protect your Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.’
The activist was unheard by many in the room over the rounds of applause from Republicans after Trump’s comments and the President himself seemed unfazed.
Democratic congresswomen stood to clap for Guttenberg as he walked from the chamber but Trump continued with his speech and the congresswomen’s applause was overpowered by more cheers from Republicans.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi watched worriedly as the incident with her guest unfolded
Several Democratic Congresswomen stood to applaud Guttenberg as he was removed
Speaker Pelosi continued to watch the balcony worriedly while appearing to speak to Vice President Mike Pence beside her who gives a quick glance up.
She has yet to comment on his removal.
Guttenberg took to Twitter after the State of the Union to apologize for his actions, tweeting that it was a ‘rough night’.
‘I disrupted the State Of The Union and was detained because I let my emotions get the best of me,’ he wrote.
‘I simply want to be able to deal with the reality of gun violence and not have to listen to the lies about the 2A as happened tonight.
‘That said, I should not have yelled out. I am thankful for the overwhelming support that I am receiving.
‘However, I do owe my family and friends an apology. I have tried to conduct myself with dignity throughout this process and I will do better as I pursue gun safety.’
Fred Guttenberg took to Twitter to apologize for his actions at the State of the Union
Earlier on Tuesday, Guttenberg had thanked Speaker Pelosi for inviting him as her guest
U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-West Boca, who was pictured with Guttenberg before the address, defended the activist’s actions saying that he ‘confronted the President and he deserves only one answer.
‘We must do everything we can to prevent gun violence. The President is doing nothing. And saying nothing. And it’s shameful,’ Deutch added in a tweet.
Guttenberg has been a supporter of Democratic 2020 candidates and recently recorded a lengthy testimonial for former Vice President Joe Biden.