I’m really curious about his statement that she asked him to give the address. It just seems so odd that she would do that. Like there are three possibilities:
- Pelosi outright asked him to give the address.
- Pelosi said something that twisted Trump logic interpreted as an invitation to give an address.
- In typical fashion for him, Trump is making up her invitation whole cloth.
I mean #1 might be conceivable in some context I can’t think of. But 2 and 3 seem more likely, given his track record.
I don’t think he meant the word “great” as a modifier for the word “address”.
I think he meant that when he does finally make the address, he’ll be giving the Union a rating of “great” (like “A-plus”).
In other words, I don’t think it was scare quotes; I think he was quoting what his imagined future-self will be saying.
(But maybe other people see that too and are just twisting it for fun, and I’m being too serious?)
She did sent a letter inviting him to give the address a while ago, but as the gov’t. shutdown dragged on, she sent another letter saying the address should wait until after that is over. Then this last “oh yes I will - oh no you won’t - ok I guess I won’t” exchange which is simply delightful I must say. I knew there was no way Nancy would cave, and in the end he folded like a cheap suit.
Defeat? It’s an obvious victory for Trump, everything is a victory for him. Didn’t you hear about the “big victory” in the midterms?
Here’s the play-by-play. The original invitation came from Pelosi/Pelosi’s office on January 3.
But really it’s a pro-forma thing. The default position would be to invite. If your office hasn’t stopped to think about it – and as of January 3, there was some reason to believe that the government shutdown might have been resolved fairly soon thereafter anyway – you send out the invitation, get the ball rolling.
The invitation is normally a formality. It’s like saying the Boy Scouts invited Trump to speak at their Jamboree in 2017. Yes, but only because they invited EVERY U.S. President since their organization was founded. It’s the rescinding of such invitations that is unusual.
Very true. Although I think this is the right sort of tactic. Trump doesn’t really care about the wall for policy’s sake (otherwise why did he approve the plan to go forwards without it in December, and never pushed for it when he had a Republican House), he just wants to win the fight.’
Policy won’t hurt him, ego will. I guarantee he cares more about the loss of the spotlight than he cares about government dysfunction.
“Government functioning will resume once the President has had his nappy changed and has sat in time out for 10 minutes to think about why he can’t have his baba right now.” Sadly, seems to be the state of things.
Even without the Secret Service, he could have given the speech flanked by those four bald guys. That would look great!
A bunch of bald guys in suits and none of them is agent 47?
A missed opportunity.
More likely 86.
Doing this Westminster-fashion would make for great theatre!
The Gentleman (or nowadays, Lady) Usher of the Black Rod approaches the chamber of the House of Commons, and the door is slammed in her face. Three times she bangs on the door with her rod of office, demanding entry in the name of the Queen, and three times the Serjeant-at-Arms refuses! Then Black Rod prays the privilege that the House of Commons attend upon Her Majesty in the chamber of the House of Lords, and the request is granted. Black Rod and the Serjeant-at-Arms escort the MP’s to the chamber of the Lords - except that one is ceremoniously imprisoned in (traditionally in the Tower of London, nowadays in Buckingham Palace) as a hostage to guarantee the Queen’s safety when addressing Parliament.
The Congress needs a similar ritual to underscore the fact that it does not work for the Chief Executive. The President is permitted to enter either House of Congress at any time, but neither House allows anyone who is not a member to address it unbidden. If Trump should try, Pelosi’s correct action would be to order the Serjeant-at-Arms of the Congress to present the mace to an unruly spectator, then to eject said spectator, and if he still were to persist, to place him under arrest for trespass and contempt of Congress. It would make a wonderful show!
They look like back-up singers!
Worst. Boy band. Ever.
Is there a fourth bald guy in that picture I can’t see?
Besides the guy with the terrible toupee, I mean.
Who would play Dennis Skinner in America’s version?
I’m sorry but Pelosi’s reply tweet is terribly misguided, I understand the “they go low, we go high” mentality but she has to start realizing that she would get a much better response from their constituents and the opposition if her tweet was just “Mr. President, you’re a punk bitch”
Heh. Yes, treating Black Rod with amused contempt is part of the tradition, and when the Members of the House of Commons ‘process’ to the House of Lords, they traditionally saunter, dawdle and joke among themselves. I don’t know which Congresscritter might deliver the best quip. Linda Sánchez perhaps? She’s supposed to have a biting wit.
