North Carolina lawmaker invites Trump to give State of the Union in state House chamber

The Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives invited President Trump on Friday to deliver his second State of the Union address from the statehouse.

North Carolina Speaker Tim Moore (R) sent a letter to Trump offering the House chamber in the state General Assembly for the speech.

“I attended your first State of the Union address in Washington D.C. last year. It was an unforgettable experience to witness this tradition of our commander-in-chief’s speech to a joint session of Congress,” Moore wrote to the president.{mosads} 

“I also believe taking your message outside of the nation’s gilded capital to a state government venue reflects the priorities of your administration, and those of our Congress, to create success not only for federal institutions and programs but for the American people they serve,” he continued.

Today I extended an invitation to President @RealDonaldTrump to deliver his second State of the Union address in the chambers of the North Carolina House of Representatives. https://t.co/e6Ano6ohJ5 #ncga #ncpol

— Speaker Tim Moore (@NCHouseSpeaker) January 18, 2019

The letter comes after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) asked Trump to postpone the address, scheduled for Jan. 29, until the weeks-long partial government shutdown has ended.

Pelosi and Trump have been in a stalemate over Trump’s demand for more than $5 billion in funding for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Neither side appears to have budged since the shutdown began on Dec. 22. Trump and Pelosi have increasingly jabbed at each other over the shutdown and timing of the presidential address.

Pelosi cited safety concerns for postponing the speech, which is traditionally given on the U.S. House floor.

The California Democrat did not rescind her earlier invitation for the president to deliver his State of the Union speech but suggested the two “work together to determine another suitable date after government has re-opened.” 

Trump has no yet officially responded to Pelosi’s request to reschedule, leaving the newly minted Democratic Speaker with a decision over whether to rescind the invitation.

A number of Republicans have floated other ideas on how Trump could deliver the speech, with some suggesting he do it in the Senate chamber.

Michigan’s House Speaker Lee Chatfield (R) on Friday also invited Trump to deliver the address in his state’s Capitol.