House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Feb. 6 provided a detailed rationale for why she tore up a copy of President Donald Trump’s prepared State of the Union remarks, alleging that the president lied to the American people on a number of major topics.
“It was, in my view, a manifesto of mistruths, of falsehoods, blatantly, really dangerous to the well-being of the American people if they believed in what he said,” Pelosi told reporters during her weekly press conference. “So again, we do not want the chamber of the House of Representatives to be used as a backdrop of his reality shows with unreality in his presentation.”
Trump delivered an optimistic State of the Union address on Feb. 4. The president at times contrasted the success of his administration against the alleged failures of his predecessor, Democratic former President Barack Obama. Pelosi claimed that Trump misrepresented the facts on a number of topics, including the economy, healthcare, and welfare programs.
“I tore up a manifesto of mistruths,” the speaker said.
Pelosi’s remarks come on the heels of the Senate’s acquittal of Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The speaker initiated the impeachment process almost five months ago, setting in motion a period of partisan strife in Washington.
Shortly before Pelosi addressed the press, she and Trump attended the National Prayer Breakfast. During his speech at the breakfast, Trump appeared to take a jab at the speaker for using religious references in her remarks during the launch of the impeachment process.
“I don’t like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong, nor do I like people who say ‘I pray for you’ when they know that’s not so,” Trump said.
The president was expected to offer his response to the Senate’s acquittal ruling shortly after Pelosi’s press conference.
The speaker noted that rather than outperforming Barack Obama on the economy, Trump inherited a momentum of growth. Pelosi specifically referred to the overall growth of the stock market during the Obama era.
Pelosi took issue with Trump’s statements about lifting people out of welfare programs, like food stamps. The speaker alleged that Trump “kicked” Americans “off” the program, rather than lifting them out.
Pelosi also alleged that Trump lied when he promised to preserve the protection for preexisting conditions in healthcare insurance plans. She pointed to an ongoing court battle over Obamacare which could result in the end of the landmark health legislation.
