President Trump announced late Wednesday night he will give the State of the Union Address when the government shutdown comes to an end.
As the Shutdown was going on, Nancy Pelosi asked me to give the State of the Union Address. I agreed. She then changed her mind because of the Shutdown, suggesting a later date. This is her prerogative - I will do the Address when the Shutdown is over. I am not looking for an....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 24, 2019
....alternative venue for the SOTU Address because there is no venue that can compete with the history, tradition and importance of the House Chamber. I look forward to giving a “great” State of the Union Address in the near future!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 24, 2019
The announcement comes just hours after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi disinvited the President from giving the address.
"I am writing to inform you the House of Representatives will not consider a concurrent resolution authorizing the President's State of the Union address in the House Chamber until government has opened," Pelosi wrote. "I look forward to welcoming you to the House on a mutually agreeable date for this address when government has opened."
This afternoon, I sent @realDonaldTrump a letter informing him that the House will not consider a concurrent resolution authorizing the President’s State of the Union address in the House Chamber until government has opened. https://t.co/r1oad0xEAh pic.twitter.com/kGEbayx95u
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) January 23, 2019
At the White House Wednesday afternoon, Trump berated Pelosi for the move, said there would be an alternative for the address and declared the Speaker "can't handle the truth" about the current state of affairs in the country.
"The State of the Union speech has been canceled by Nancy Pelosi because she doesn't want to hear the truth. She doesn't want the American public to hear what's going on. And she's afraid of the truth. And the super-left Democrats, the radical Democrats, what's going on in that party is shocking. I know many people that were Democrats and they're switching over right now, they're switching over quickly. So I hope they know what they're doing for their party. So far they haven't," Trump said. "I will say that the American people want to hear the truth. They have to hear the. truth and the truth is all about - and said I think and I hope well - we were planning on doing a really very important speech in front of the House and the Senate and the Supreme Court and everybody else's that there. It's called the State of the Union, it's in the Constitution. We're supposed to be doing it and now Nancy Pelosi - or 'Nancy' as I call her - she doesn't want to hear the truth and she doesn't want, more importantly, the American people to hear the truth. So we just found out that she's canceled it and I think that's a great blotch on the incredible country that we all love. It's a great, great horrible mark."
"It's a sad thing for our country. We'll do something in the alternative. I'll be talking to you about that at a later date," he continued.
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