WASHINGTON: United States (US) President Donald Trump said in a late-night tweet Wednesday that he would deliver the State of the Union (SOTU) address in Congress after the government re-opened.
“I will do (make) the address when the shutdown is over,” he said in a two-part tweet.
“I am not looking for an alternative venue for the SOTU address because there is no venue that can compete with the history, tradition and importance of the house chamber,” he added.
Xinhua news agency reported the tweet capped a dramatic day in which Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were engaged in a back-and-forth, regarding the time and venue for the address.
When sworn in as house speaker on Jan 3, Pelosi invited Trump to deliver the speech on Jan 29, in accordance with long-running tradition. As the government shutdown continued, she suggested on Jan 16 that Trump postpone the date, citing security risks due to the government shutdown.
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump told Pelosi that he intended to “honour the invitation” and deliver the speech on Jan 29 as planned, only to be rejected by Pelosi, several hours later.
Speaking with journalists after Pelosi’s rejection, Trump floated the idea of finding an alternative venue to deliver the speech, with the southwest border being one of the rumoured locations.
The tweet signalled that Trump had finally decided to heed Pelosi’s suggestion and wait for the government shutdown to end, handing Pelosi a political win.
The US government shutdown – stemming from disagreement between the White House and the Democratic Party regarding funding for a border wall – is about to enter its 34th day.
Congress has shot down numerous legislative attempts to re-open the government as both parties have yet to mend their wide divide on the issue. – Bernama
