As political analysts embark on deconstructing the State of the Union Address, commenting on notable highlights such as a service member’s reunion with his wife and two children, the moment that has gone viral has been House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D) act of ripping up President Trump’s SOTU address.
She’s been slammed by critics who comment that it was insensitive considering the material in the speech, which also included recognition of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen, the survival of a child born at 21 weeks and the families mourning the death of Kayla Mueller and Rocky Jones.
However, Democrats are swiftly coming to the Speaker’s defense, and one of those Democrats is Florida Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell.
In her statement responding to the President’s Address, Mucarsel-Powell commented that it “was a futile attempt at self-aggrandizement.”
She explained that “instead of laying out a plan to take action on issues on which the vast majority of Americans agree, the president used tonight to mislead the American public and pander to his political base.”
In addition, Mucarsel-Powell noted that the president failed to mention key things, stating that “the president failed to address the gun violence epidemic that kills countless of Americans each year and failed to back meaningful gun safety measures like background checks, which over 90% of Americans support.”
As well, “the president failed to present a plan to combat the climate crisis that endangers coastal communities from Miami to Key West or to ensure Americans have clean drinking water.”
In short, the freshman lawmaker asserted that President Trump “once again showed that he is willing [to] deceive the American people” because “it benefits him politically.”
Mucarsel-Powell's legislative office has not answered our request for comment about Pelosi's actions at the State of the Union.
