Never miss an Axios exclusive. Sign up for Mike Allen's AM newsletter.

Stories

Trump to call Pelosi's hand on the State of the Union

Nancy Pelosi and Donald Trump shake hands at Trump's inauguration in 2017. Photo: J. Scott Applewhite, Pool/Getty Images

President Trump is plunging ahead with plans for a State of the Union address on Tuesday — despite the letter by Speaker Pelosi urging that his speech be postponed, for security reasons, until after the government reopens.

The big picture: Her letter didn't formally disinvite Trump, and the White House wants to make Pelosi go ahead with the speech or formally rescind the invitation. "Secret Service says: 'We have no problem doing our job,'" a senior administration official told me.

Read more toggle
Show less
Go deeper100 Words

If the traditional setting of the House chamber doesn't work out, the White House has a Plan B outside Washington, perhaps in the Southwest as a way of sending a message about immigration.

  • The White House isn't keen on moving the address to the Senate chamber. That option is unlikely.

As to what the SOTU standoff says about the Trump-Pelosi relationship, the administration official said: "It's probably not the best start ... But I don't think it has to be indicative of what the next two years look like, either."

Go deeper: A "go big" idea to end the shutdown

State of the Union
More stories loading.