Political columnist Charles P. Pierce recently opined that somebody should get Donald Trump a Civics coloring book so that he can learn the basics of government. Trump was huffing and puffing about doing the State of the Union address “on location” until Wednesday night, when he finally folded. What most probably happened is that he didn’t understand that there are three branches of government, and that Nancy Pelosi is a co-equal in one of the branches, and as Speaker she has the say about who speaks in the House. I’m quite sure that fact came as complete revelation to Trump.
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….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 24, 2019
….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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 24, 2019
The Washington Post’s Dave Weigel said that despite tradition, delivering the State of the Union as an address didn’t begin until Woodrow Wilson, but even so the decision rested with the House Speaker.
“Undergirding all of this is that it’s up to the Speaker of the House and up to both chambers to pass a resolution inviting the other branch of government to come into Congress,” Weigel said. “The president can’t just walk in. You have to kinda wonder how much the White House understands this.” He added that Trump “often assumes he has power which he does not constitutionally have.”
It must have been some night in the White House before Trump capitulated to Pelosi on Twitter, and the blow back began.
Folding like the cheapest of suits. https://t.co/oYuImojjwG
— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) January 24, 2019
Donald Trump basically just cried Uncle!https://t.co/4u0MVkZ3kn
— Ryan Hill (@RyanHillMI) January 24, 2019
Trump biographer Michael D’Antonio told CNN’s Don Lemon, “It’s shocking. This [Trump’s tweet] sounds like something that maybe Ivanka wrote or Jared Kushner. It really doesn’t sound like Donald Trump’s language. This is a fellow who has troubles stringing three words together in the right order.” Plus, prerogative is spelled correctly. That’s the dead giveaway that it wasn’t authored by Trump.
The base isn’t going to like this. Not one bit. They think Trump is some muscle man who’s going to do an end run around the professional politicians. Wrong.
