Trump delays State of the Union address until after the shutdown
President Donald Trump (Official White House photo by Andrea Hanks)
WASHINGTON D.C. (FOX 10) -- President Donald Trump has announced he will delay the State of the Union Address until after the government shutdown is resolved.
In a tweet made on the @realDonaldTrump Twitter account, Trump said he will do the address when the shutdown is over, and that he is not looking for an alternative venue because there is "no venue that can compete with the history, tradition, and importance of the House Chamber".
In a letter on Wednesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Trump in a letter the Democratic-controlled House won't pass the required measure for him to give the nationally televised speech from the House floor.
In the letter, Pelosi said she originally extended the invitation for President Trump to make his State of the Union speech on January 29, because there was no tought at the time that the government would still be shut down by then.
In response, President Trump says he will do an "alternative" event. He called cancellation was a "disgrace", but did not detail his next move.
Republicans have also criticized Pelosi's decision to block Trump from delivering the State of the Union Address. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally, said Pelosi's action "sets a new low for American politics." He called Pelosi's decision "absurd, petty and shameful," adding: "The judgment of history will not be kind."
The Associated Press (AP) contributed to this report. FOX 10 reported on this story from Phoenix.