In a pair of tweets late Wednesday night, President Trump said that he would not give the State of the Union address until after the government shutdown ends, and that he is not "looking for an alternative venue."
As the Shutdown was going on, Nancy Pelosi asked me to give the State of the Union Address. I agreed. She then changed her mind because of the Shutdown, suggesting a later date. This is her prerogative - I will do the Address when the Shutdown is over. 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. I look forward to giving a “great” State of the Union Address in the near future!
The backdrop: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent Trump a letter Wednesday stating that the House "will not consider a resolution authorizing the President's State of the Union in the House Chamber until the government has opened." Trump said earlier at the White House that he would come up with another plan, but is now opting to wait to give the address until the shutdown over funding for his border wall — now 33 days old — is over.
