The Legislative Presidency

The two had not spoken with or seen each other in months, even though one was the president of the United States and the other the Speaker of the House of Representatives. But there was no avoiding each other now as President Donald Trump ascended to the rostrum in the House chamber to deliver his 2020 State of the Union address. He turned to face Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who handed him his speech, as ceremony dictated, and extended her hand to shake his. Trump took the speech, but not the hand. At the close of the speech, standing directly behind the president, in full view of the television cameras, Pelosi picked up her copy of the speech and, while most of the rest of the room applauded, tore it in half. 1