WASHINGTON — Speaker Nancy Pelosi pressed her case on Thursday for postponing President Trump’s State of the Union address during the prolonged partial government shutdown, even as House Democrats privately weighed action as early as next week on a homeland security spending measure that would counter the president’s demands for a wall with their own ideas for securing the border. “The date of the State of the Union is not a special date,” Ms. Pelosi told reporters. “It’s not constitutionally required, it’s not the president’s birthday, it’s not anything. It is a date that we agreed to.” Early Thursday afternoon, Ms. Pelosi finally received a response from Mr. Trump to the letter she sent him on Wednesday suggesting he delay his Jan. 29 speech or deliver it in writing, but he did not mention the address. Instead, the president said in his own letter that he was postponing an overseas trip Ms. Pelosi had planned with a congressional delegation, flying on military aircraft, that was scheduled to depart from Joint Base Andrews later in the day.<doc-sep>The mainstream media widely praised House Speaker Nancy Pelosi when she requested that President Trump delay his annual State of the Union address, but Trump's move to stop a Pelosi-led overseas trip amid the government shutdown was mostly frowned upon – showcasing the media’s double standard. MSNBC and CNN featured pundits fawning over Pelosi for urging the president to delay his delivery until the government re-opens, or deliver the address in writing. Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon even parroted each other, both declaring that the House Speaker was “flexing her muscle” with the move. TRUMP DENIES PELOSI AIRCRAFT FOR FOREIGN TRIP, AFTER CALL FOR STATE OF THE UNION DELAY ABC News’ Mary Bruce called it a “bold power play,” and CNN’s John Avlon boosted about her “PHD in needling President Trump.” Pelosi was also called a “political genius,” “badass” and she was celebrated for pulling a “power move.” But on Thursday, Trump abruptly denied military aircraft for a Democrat-delegation foreign trip just minutes before Pelosi and the congressional delegation was set to depart. One White House official claimed the aircraft decision was not a "response" to Pelosi's letter – but the same media that praised the House Speaker’s genius condemned the president’s decision. CNN’s Jim Acosta called the move “childish,” Brooke Baldwin mocked the move, Jake Tapper said that “nobody who has ever traveled with the congressional delegation would think that is funny or appropriate or cool” and MSNBC’s Sam Stein said it was a “classic example of Trump kind of overreacting,” THE ATLANTIC CALLS FOR IMPEACHMENT AS MEDIA CONTINUES TO LEAD CHARGE AGAINST TRUMP The New York Daily News’ editorial board declared that Trump “keeps stooping lower,” and the Washington Post's Phillip Bump claimed Trump only canceled the trip to satisfy his supporters. “What Trump has done today [is] tactically inept, strategically nitwitted,” MSNBC’s John Heilemann said. CNN’s Oliver Darcy took to Twitter to after Trump canceled Pelosi’s trip, calling the move “red meat” for his base. TheWrap’s media watchdog Jon Levine pointed out the hypocrisy by sharing a CNN article calling Pelosi’s letter a “major power move” and asking, “How come it’s not a power move?” CNN’s Chris Cillizza – who bylined the piece admiring Pelosi’s move – tweeted that Trump was “taking the low road,” and added, “Always.” Cillizza’s double standard was quickly mocked across social media. DAVID WEBB RIPS CNN ANALYST WHO ACCUSED HIM OF ‘WHITE PRIVILEGE’ FOR DEFAULTING TO EASY, FALSE NARRATIVE Media Research Center vice president Dan Gainor told Fox News that journalists have become like “Old Faithful” after two years of the Trump presidency. “Any time the president does anything, they spout off. But if his opponents do it, they automatically support their ‘badass’ approach,” Gainor said. “Much like Old Faithful, those same journalists are all wet. They can’t stand that Trump one-upped the media’s new champion – House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi.” Gainor noted that some reporters could be upset about Trump’s decision for personal reasons, too. “He also cancelled a road trip for many in the press who would have accompanied her. So instead of an exciting trip, they are stranded in snowy D.C. That just gives an added reason for journos to be mad at the president,” he said. GUTFELD ON TRUMP'S LETTER TO PELOSI Meanwhile, political pundit Stephen Miller pointed out that numerous journalists simply repeated a talking point that Pelosi’s Deputy Chief of Staff Drew Hammill came up with – which condemned Trump for canceling the House Speaker’s trip when the president visited Iraq amid the shutdown. Within minutes of Hammill making that specific point on Twitter, it was echoed by a variety of journalists. “Trump is the commander of the United States military. You guys should probably all shop a different talking point from Pelosi’s office,” Miller wrote. Fox News’ Brooke Singman, John Roberts and Chad Pergram contributed to this report.<doc-sep>WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he was canceling Speaker Nancy Pelosi's previously undisclosed trip to war-torn Afghanistan, telling the woman second in line to the presidency that she can't use a military jet but is welcome to fly commercially if she wants. A U.S. Air Force bus loaded with lawmakers, including Reps. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., Elaine Luria, D-Va., and Mark Takano, D-Calif., held in place near the Capitol and returned to the building to let passengers off about 3 p.m. Thursday. Trump’s letter, which cited the ongoing partial government shutdown as the reason for his decision, comes a day after Pelosi told the president he should postpone his Jan. 29 State of the Union address or submit it in writing because the Department of Homeland Security hasn’t been funded for the current year. “Due to the Shutdown, I am sorry to inform you that your trip to Brussels, Egypt and Afghanistan has been postponed,” Trump wrote. “In light of the 800,000 great American workers not receiving pay, I am sure you would agree that postponing this public relations event is totally appropriate.” Trump said in his letter that Pelosi could reschedule the trip after the government has re-opened. "It would be better if you were in Washington negotiating with me and joining the Strong Border Security movement,“ he wrote, but “if you would like to make your journey flying commercial, that would certainly be your prerogative.” Pelosi's spokesman Drew Hammill pointed out in a multi-part response on Twitter that Trump visited U.S. troops in Iraq shortly after the partial government shutdown went into effect last month. The purpose of Pelosi's planned trip "was to express appreciation & thanks to our men & women in uniform for their service & dedication, & to obtain critical national security & intelligence briefings from those on the front lines," Hammill wrote. The itinerary included a required stop in Brussels to allow the pilot to rest, the statement said, adding that the delegation planned to meet NATO commanders, U.S. military leaders and key allies "to affirm the United States’ ironclad commitment to the NATO alliance." The trip did not include a stop in Egypt, Hammill said. The purpose of the trip was to express appreciation & thanks to our men & women in uniform for their service & dedication, & to obtain critical national security & intelligence briefings from those on the front lines. (3/4) — Drew Hammill (@Drew_Hammill) January 17, 2019 A White House official told NBC News that Trump had decided to ground all congressional delegation trips abroad during the shutdown. Several hours later, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that “[o]ut of consideration for the 800,000 great American workers not receiving pay and to ensure his team can assist as needed, President Trump has canceled his Delegation’s trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.” The announcement came two days after the White House released an updated list of Trump officials slated to attend the gathering, including secretary of state Mike Pompeo and secretary of commerce Wilbur Ross. Last year, Lynch wrote an amendment to the annual bill authorizing Pentagon operations that would have required the Defense Department to assist members of Congress trying to visit Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Kuwait. The amendment was designed to counter restrictions that Democrats said were being placed on their travel to those regions. It was killed in the House Rules Committee, which was then controlled by Republicans, and never got a vote on the House floor. Trump's letter only dealt with Pelosi's travel, and Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the president should not have interfered with the speaker's effort to visit with troops. "In a presidency full of new lows, this is yet another one," said Connolly, who was not planning to go on the trip. But House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., told reporters he thought it was the "appropriate" move for the president to make. "Why would she want to go overseas with government shut down, with people missing their paychecks?” McCarthy said. Trump's campaign sent out a fundraising email shortly after his letter to Pelosi asking supporters to donate a total of $1 million over nine hours in response to her request that he not deliver the State of the Union address later this month. "Nancy Pelosi asked me to reschedule the State of the Union Address given the “security concerns” regarding the government shutdown," Trump wrote. "What about the REAL security concerns at our Southern Border? What about the REAL security concerns of American Citizens and their loved ones?" Trump's move earned a quick rebuke from one of his closest allies in Congress, Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C. "One sophomoric response does not deserve another. Speaker Pelosi’s threat to cancel the State of the Union is very irresponsible and blatantly political," Graham said in a statement released to the media. "President Trump denying Speaker Pelosi military travel to visit our troops in Afghanistan, our allies in Egypt and NATO is also inappropriate." Graham said that he is "glad the Speaker wants to meet our troops," even though he is "disappointed she's playing politics with the State of the Union." House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer also slammed the decision. "It's petty. It's small. It’s vindictive. It is unbecoming of the President of the United States, and it is an unfortunately daily occurrence," he told reporters. Earlier Thursday, Pelosi told reporters that her rationale for seeking to reschedule the annual State of the Union address came down to her and other Democrats not wanting to have security officials work the event without being paid. "Maybe he thinks it's OK not to pay people who work," she said, an apparent jab at the president over allegations that his businesses have stiffed contractors in the past. "I don't. And my caucus doesn't either." Trump has said in the past that if his companies didn't pay contractors or workers fully, it was because of dissatisfaction with their work, according to news reports. Pelosi said Thursday that she had "no doubt" that federal security officials were properly trained for the event and could perform their duties regardless of whether the government was shut down, but she said those workers "should be paid for this." "This is why I said to the president that ... if you don't open up the government, let's discuss a mutually acceptable date," the California Democrat said, adding that the previously agreed upon date of Jan. 29 "isn't sacred for any reason." On Wednesday, Pelosi wrote Trump a letter saying he should either delay the address or submit it in writing, citing the security burdens that a speech before a joint session of Congress would place on the government during the partial shutdown. "Sadly, given the security concerns and unless government re-opens this week, I suggest that we work together to determine another suitable date after government has re-opened for this address or for you to consider delivering your State of the Union address in writing to the Congress on January 29th," Pelosi wrote in the letter to Trump. Parts of the federal government, including some operations of the Department of Homeland Security, have been closed down since Dec. 22, when funding for several federal agencies lapsed amid an an impasse between Trump and Congress over his request for billions of dollars in funding for a border wall. In separate remarks Thursday, Trump blamed Pelosi and her party's lawmakers for the partial government shutdown. “The federal government remains shut down because congressional Democrats refuse to approve border security," Trump said, speaking at the Pentagon about the country’s missile defense system. "We’re going to have border security; it’s going to be tight, it’s going to be strong.” “While many Democrats in the House and Senate would like to make a deal, Speaker Pelosi will not let them negotiate," Trump continued. "The party has been hijacked by the open-borders fringe within the party, the radical left becoming the radical Democrats.”<doc-sep>
On Wednesday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi urged President Donald Trump to delay his scheduled State of the Union speech to Congress on January 29 due to security concerns related to the partial government shutdown. As of Wednesday afternoon, there wasn’t an official response from the White House. But the request did have people looking up the customs and processes related to the State of the Union address referenced by Pelosi in her letter. In her letter, Pelosi said that she had invited President Trump on January 3, 2019, to appear at the traditional event that has constitutional ties. “The Constitution calls for the President to ‘from time to time give to the Congress information of the State of the Union,’” Pelosi said, and that for a long period of time the President had submitted the speech as a written report. Due to “hamstrung” executive branch departments affected by the partial shutdown, Pelosi said related security concerns forced her to ask the President to work with her “to determine another suitable date after the government has reopened for this address” or to submit the address in writing. Pelosi is referring to the Constitution’s Article II, Section 3 says in part that the President “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them.” In our Interactive Constitution, scholars William P. Marshall and Saikrishna B. Prakash agreed that “the President must provide information on the ‘State of the Union’ from ‘time to time.’ This seems to require the President to share information with Congress.” It is commonly understood that the later part of the passage, about the President’s ability to convene Congress on “extraordinary occasions,” is usually related to the presidential power to bring Congress back in session during a recess or adjournment. The Justice Department website includes an opinion from Assistant Attorney General George T. Washington from 1947 about President Harry Truman’s requests for Congress to deal with domestic legislation during an adjournment, after Senator Robert Taft apparently contested the constitutionality of Truman’s requests. “The President has the power, under Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution, to call a special session of the Congress during the current adjournment,” Washington concluded. The last such session was on July 26, 1948 after Truman issued a presidential proclamation convening Congress. While it is unclear if President Trump could compel Congress to convene a joint meeting to hear his State of the Union speech during a congressional session, President Ronald Reagan did delay his 1986 State of the Union speech, which was scheduled on the same day as the Challenger disaster. But the custom since 1913 has been for the President to appear at a joint session of Congress for the State of the Union speech, unless the President is in first year of his first term or concluding his last term. Before 1913, President Thomas Jefferson set the prior precedent of sending a written report to Congress instead of making a personal appearance at Congress. Jefferson thought the idea of a President addressing Congress was “monarchical.” (Presidents George Washington and John Adams had made State of the Union speeches in person.) Woodrow Wilson had been critical of the Jefferson precedent in his academic writings and he saw the State of the Union speech as a tool to advance his own policies. Wilson is “widely credited with expanding the scope of the annual message, transforming it from a report on the activities of the executive departments into a tool to draw widespread attention to the policies he supported,” the Congressional Research Service said in a January 2019 report about the State of the Union tradition. In Wilson’s time, the event was called the Annual Message and it became officially known as State of the Union address in 1947. In 1965, the speech became a prime-time national event during the Lyndon Johnson administration. There were also reports on Wednesday that Pelosi told reporters that President Trump could always deliver the State of the Union speech at the White House, which would appear to be first. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer also told CNN that he thought the letter from Pelosi meant the State of the Union was cancelled.