It was the rip seen throughout the world. Following the conclusion of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi dramatically ripped up the customary copy of his speech. Although it was a “fitting” end to a bizarre and acrimonious evening, the action didn’t go without criticism.
Most politically agnostic people watching likely viewed the situation as beyond the pale. At the same time, I’m sure – like I did – they tuned into the SOTU address expecting both entertainment and fireworks. We weren’t disappointed.
Besides, Pelosi has always cut a controversial figure with her extremist ideologies. When she’s not acting like a spoiled six-year old, Pelosi supposedly represents the 12th District of California. And we all know what a wonderfully sane and rational state that is.
Still, some conservatives demanded consequences for the Speaker’s actions. Congressman Matt Gaetz has called for an ethics investigation regarding her outburst. According to CBS News, Gaetz wrote a letter to the House Ethics Committee, arguing that “Pelosi may have violated the House’s Code of Official Conduct on decorum and perhaps even broken the law by destroying a government document.”
I’m with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, who stated that the criminal angle won’t gain traction. In an interview with Gaetz, Ingraham stated, “Well, it’s not really a formal record because it’s a copy of the speech that the president signed…This is cute, but it’s not going to work.”
But that doesn’t make what Pelosi did any less important for President Trump and the Republicans.
Pelosi Endangered Democratic “Credibility”
The SOTU address was a farce. From the moment it began, it was a purely bifurcated affair. Throughout the evening, Democrats mostly sat silently, though they uttered rude, disruptive displays at times. On the other end, the Republicans couldn’t let Trump finish a sentence without bursting into applause.
This was a good ole fashioned, two-party American political crap show at its finest.
But at the end of the day, you’ve got to honor the traditions of the United States. That goes especially for the elected officials who are supposed to represent their constituents. By turning this into a feud reminiscent of a trashy daytime talk show, House Speaker Pelosi did no favors for the Democrats and their election bid.
Who would want to deal with such pettiness? The Democrats have long forgotten that the extreme liberalism found in major American metropolitan areas do not represent the values of all Americans. That’s why we have something called the Electoral College system that mitigates the potential tyranny of big city groupthink.
Put another way, although what Pelosi did was shocking, I wouldn’t fret too much. She gave Trump exactly what he’s wanted.