House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., had warned his Democratic members not to engage in any distracting protests during Trump’s State of the Union address.

But today he defended Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, who was escorted out of Trump’s address last night after he held up a sign to the president reading: “Black People Are Not Apes!”

“I thought the Democratic response was appropriately restrained and forceful at the same period of time, and that was obvious to anybody who was watching,” Jeffries said as he kicked off House Democrats’ annual issues conference.

“With respect to Rep. Green’s response, it was both appropriate and restrained at the same period of time,” Jeffries continued. “Now, his message that he communicated was obviously on point, but it was far less profane than my reaction to the very same racist video that Donald Trump felt compelled to produce.”

Trump sparked a firestorm this month when he posted a video on social media depicting former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes. After GOP backlash, Trump deleted the video, but he has refused to apologize.