White House, Republicans blast Pelosi for ripping up copy of Trump speech

The White House and congressional Republicans condemned Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for tearing up her copy of President Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday night.

“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’s official account tweeted Tuesday evening.

The tweet was referencing several guests at the address, including family members of a man killed by an undocumented immigrant and an aid worker killed by ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

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

Pelosi, who tore the speech in two and placed it on the dais after Trump concluded his address, later told reporters that ripping up the speech was “the courteous thing to do given the alternative.” The moment followed Trump appearing to ignore Pelosi offering her hand before he began his remarks.

In addition to the White House, top congressional Republicans also blasted Pelosi, calling her actions “disgraceful” and “petty.”

“How petty of Pelosi. Ripping up a piece of paper doesn’t change the facts that were written on it — Americans are winning, in spite of the do-nothing Democrats,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) tweeted.