Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi ripped up a copy of President Donald Trump’s speech during his State of the Union Address (SOTU) on February 4. As the president wrapped up his address, Pelosi was seen tearing the copy behind him at the televised event.
After the event, Pelosi told reporters that she felt it “was the courteous thing to do considering the alternative.” She also labeled Trump’s speech as a “manifesto of mistruths.”
The White House responded by accusing Pelosi of showing disrespect to the Americans who were praised during his State of the Union Address, tweeting the following: “Speaker Pelosi just ripped up: One of our last surviving Tuskegee Airmen. The survival of a child born at 21 weeks. The mourning families of Rocky Jones and Kayla Mueller. A service member’s reunion with his family. That’s her legacy.”
Pelosi and Trump feud
Pelosi and Trump’s relationship publicly deteriorated after Pelosi launched an impeachment inquiry against the president.
Right before delivering the State of the Union Address, Trump had reportedly dodged an attempted handshake from Pelosi. She later tweeted that Democrats will continue working towards finding common ground. “Democrats will never stop extending the hand of friendship to get the job done #ForThePeople. We will work to find common ground where we can, but will stand our ground where we cannot. #SOTU.
This was not the first time Pelosi made headlines with her reactions during the State of the Union speech. In 2019, Pelosi’s clap had many people questioning whether she was expressing sarcasm toward Trump. Pelosi, however, responded by saying that her clap was in support of the US president’s call for bipartisan cooperation.
SOTU highlights
Republicans were chanting “four more years” as Trump began the State of the Union Address this year. Trump started off by stating that “the great American comeback” which had been launched three years ago has resulted in a “blazing bright” future and that America’s “economic decay” is now over.
“In just three short years, we have shattered the mentality of American decline, and we have rejected the downsizing of America’s destiny. We have totally rejected the downsizing. We are moving forward at a pace that was unimaginable just a short time ago, and we are never ever going back,” said Trump.
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