House Speaker Nancy Pelosi clearly hit a nerve this week when she rescinded President Donald Trump’s invitation to deliver the State of the Union to Congress. On Thursday, after surprising observers by remaining silent on the issue, Trump released a letter announcing that he had canceled military arrangements for an international trip that would have taken her to Brussels, Egypt, and Afghanistan, where she would have visited military personnel.
Trump surely hoped this rebuke would impose a due penalty to Pelosi’s norm-breaking decision to essentially cancel his State of the Union speech — but he seems to have gone too far.
While the move may have pleased some of his supporters, it looked particularly petty and even reckless with regard to national security. Many observers on Twitter were quick to mock and denounce the move.
One sophomoric response does not deserve another. Speaker Pelosi’s threat to cancel the State of the Union is very… https://t.co/01xXOF3ydD— Lindsey Graham (@Lindsey Graham)1547755247.0
The childish tantrum continues. https://t.co/XZIG3hP2Y7— Bradley P. Moss (@Bradley P. Moss)1547754445.0
My first reaction when reading this was that it was like the fake Washington Post copies circulating yesterday. No… https://t.co/VXYJwRVX2y— Neal Katyal (@Neal Katyal)1547754451.0
It took them a day to come up with this. Meanwhile we have entered Day 27 of the #TrumpShutdown and they are in t… https://t.co/AcbP2h9x30— Bobby L. Rush (@Bobby L. Rush)1547753200.0
These trips by members of Congress to war zones are generally done in secret. As for the value of these trips, it's… https://t.co/9yLY1UBObL— Karen Tumulty (@Karen Tumulty)1547755122.0
Also, I know 4-year olds who are better at oneupmanship.— Joyce Alene (@Joyce Alene)1547755548.0
If you’re waiting for your paycheck from the federal government, buckle up. The pettiness is full blown and there i… https://t.co/pllP9DJFRC— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche Alcindor)1547754866.0
