WASHINGTON: In a shocking display of division in the US Congress, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tore in half a copy of the State of the Union address given to her by the president just as he finished speaking.
The House speaker’s gesture at the very end encapsulated the seething atmosphere in the Capitol as Trump made a one hour and 18 minutes pitch for a second term in office.
Instead of what traditionally has been an annual moment for political truce, this annual address mirrored the political war raging through the country ahead of November elections.
Trump was still on the podium, having just completed his speech when Pelosi, standing just behind him, raised the papers and demonstratively tore them to pieces.
When asked after the event why she ripped up the speech, Pelosi told reporters it was “because it was a courteous thing to do considering the alternative. It was such a dirty speech.”
The White House responded on Twitter, writing that Pelosi tearing up the pages was “her legacy.”
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.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 5, 2020
The address put America’s divided politics on display, with Republicans offering up raucous support while Democrats mainly glared on and kept quiet.
One such moment was when Trump called California “a very terrible sanctuary,” a comment not included among his prepared remarks. “The State of California passed an outrageous law declaring their whole State to be a sanctuary for criminal illegal immigrants – a very terrible sanctuary – with catastrophic results,” Trump said.
Pelosi’s jaw dropped at the comment as represents California’s 12th congressional district, which includes San Francisco.
The speech began with as much rancor as it ended, when Trump ignored past custom and declined to shake hands with Pelosi, who as speaker of the House of Representatives had overseen the push to impeach Trump for abuse of office.
She put out a hand and Trump turned away, leaving her arm in thin air. Other House Democrats at time could be heard booing, while Democrat Tim Ryan, and Republican Bill Pascrell walked out.
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