Pelosi ‘might as well rip up any plans for attracting independent voters’, says Trump spox

Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh condemned Nancy Pelosi for ripping up a copy of President Trump’s State of the Union address at the end of his speech.

‘She might as well rip up any plans for attracting independent voters,’ Murtaugh told The Spectator.‘Pelosi and the Democrats sat on their hands through all of the good news for Americans in that speech. It’s a sad place to be when good news for America is bad news for Democrats.’

Speaker Pelosi rips up her copy of the president's speech at the end of the address #SOTU pic.twitter.com/RTsniaAP2d

— Norah O'Donnell 🇺🇸 (@NorahODonnell) February 5, 2020

The Democratic leader stood and applauded for some of Trump’s speech — perhaps most notably for the president’s recognition of Juan Guaidó as the legitimate president of Venezuela — but still opted for a petty display of disapproval at its conclusion.

Pelosi later told Fox News that she ripped up the speech ‘because it was the courteous thing to do considering the alternatives.’

The destruction of the address could have been in response to Trump choosing not to shake Pelosi’s hand before approaching the podium.

Pelosi initially responded to the snub by declining to give the president the traditional ceremonial introduction awarded during a State of the Union address, which reads, ‘Members of Congress, I have the high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you the President of the United States.’

Instead, Pelosi merely stated, ‘Members of Congress, the President of the United States.’

In a tweet, the White House account said: ‘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.’

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