![\"\"](\"http:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/5c3fd555fc7e93f6298b465d.jpg\")
<\/a>\u00a9 Reuters \/ Carlos Barria<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n
RT.com<\/p>\n
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is demanding President Donald Trump postpone his State of the Union address until after the government reopens, threatening to use her little-known power of invitation to deplatform the president.<\/p>\n
In a letter sent on Wednesday, Pelosi requested Trump reschedule his speech until they can pay the Secret Service \u2013 part of the Department of Homeland Security, which has gone unfunded since the shutdown began 26 days ago. She used Trump’s own Homeland Security secretary’s words to twist the knife, quoting Kirstjen Nielsen’s insistence that \u201cthe full resources of the Federal Government \u2026 be brought to bear<\/em>\u201d for the high-security event -\u2013 then finished the job by suggesting Trump submit the speech in writing.<\/p>\n As Speaker, Pelosi is responsible for inviting the president to give his annual address to Congress \u2013 a function which has been largely ceremonial for decades, until now. She invited Trump to speak on January 3, and she can uninvite him just as easily, though she has not officially done so.<\/p>\n House Majority leader Steny Hoyer did, however, during a CNN appearance later on Wednesday, telling the host in no uncertain terms that \u201cthe State of the Union is off<\/em>.\u201d He walked back his\u00a0comments<\/a>\u00a0after a staffer told the station he’d \u201cmischaracterized<\/em>\u201d Pelosi’s letter.<\/p>\n While Trump has not responded to either Democrat, the threat of silencing his big television moment is likely to catch the media-hungry president’s attention. The SOTU can be delivered in writing \u2013 indeed, it was exclusively delivered in writing before Woodrow Wilson spoke directly to Congress in 1913 \u2013 but it’s difficult to imagine Trump missing an opportunity to strut his stuff in front of the cameras.<\/p>\n The Secret Service appeared to call Pelosi’s bluff, according to reports citing unnamed DHS officials as saying they were completely prepared to cover the address, which one official called a “no-fail mission<\/em>.” Employees of\u00a0unfunded<\/a>agencies considered “essential<\/em>” \u2013 including some Coast\u00a0Guard<\/a>, Transportation Security\u00a0Administration<\/a>, and, yes, Secret Service agents \u2013 have been working without pay while their peers are furloughed, and it seems Pelosi did not actually consult with the Secret Service before sending her letter.<\/p>\n Republicans were not having any of Pelosi’s disrespect and eagerly proposed their own alternative SOTU scenarios, proving they knew the arcane rules of presidential addresses as well as she.<\/p>\n https:\/\/twitter.com\/ali\/status\/1085588142562910208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1085588142562910208&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F448990-pelosi-threatens-state-union%2F<\/p>\n President Trump should tell Pelosi she can watch the state of the Union: on TV while he delivers it from the White House in front of an audience of veterans and angel moms<\/p>\n Constitution says the President will deliver the state of the union – it doesn\u2019t say where<\/p>\n RT if you agree<\/p>\n — Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) January 16, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n\n