Nancy Pelosi reveals she didn’t intend to rip up Trump’s State of the Union speech
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that she did not intend to rip up her copy of President Trump’s speech at his 2020 State of the Union. Getty Images
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday that she did not plan to tear up President Donald Trump’s 2020 State of the Union address, a moment that went viral while she was serving as Speaker of the House.
Speaking with ABC News’ Jonathan Karl, Pelosi described several interactions with President Trump as “spontaneous” and said the speech-tearing incident was unplanned.
“People like the tearing up of the speech. I didn’t intend to go to the speech to tear it up,” Pelosi said. “I tore the first page because he was lying. Then the next page, and the next. I thought it was a manifesto of lies all throughout, so I tore up the whole speech.”
Pelosi added that the paper used for the speech made it difficult to tear. “The speeches are on strong paper, so you have to do it a few times to get it done. I had no intention of doing that. I thought my staff was going to die,” she said.
Pelosi also addressed a widely circulated photograph from a 2019 White House meeting that showed her pointing her finger at President Trump during a cabinet discussion. She said it is the image she is most often asked to sign.
“You know what I’m saying when I go out the door? I’m leaving here because I’ve had it with you, Mr. President. With you, all roads lead to Putin,” Pelosi said. Karl noted that the White House released the photo at the time and labeled Pelosi “crazy.” Pelosi responded, “They did me a favor.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
Pelosi announced in November that she would not seek re-election after completing her current term. When asked what she would like to be remembered for, Pelosi pointed to her role in passing the Affordable Care Act.
“I’m very proud of the Affordable Care Act,” she said. “It made a big difference for working families, for their health and their financial health. If I were to be remembered for one thing, it’s the Affordable Care Act.”
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