House Speaker Kevin McCarthy responded to suggestions that he should rip up President Biden’s State of the Union Speech as his predecessor Nancy Pelosi did when Trump was in office.
Conservative podcaster Graham Allen and author Brigitte Gabriel had encouraged McCarthy to tear up the speech as the precedent had been set.
Several others made similar suggestions on social media.
The California Republican noted that “a lot of people have been asking” if he would shred his copy of the speech as Pelosi had done three years ago.
Former adviser to President Trump, Sebastian Gorka, even joked about McCarthy possibly floating a Chinese ‘balloon’ during the speech.
Remember Nancy ripping up President Trump’s SOTU speech?
I’ve got an idea for Kevin McCarthy
It involves a balloon
Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/KrWCAQdxqe
— Sebastian Gorka DrG (@SebGorka) February 6, 2023
RELATED: Outrage After ‘Classless’ Nancy Pelosi Rips Up Trump’s SOTU Speech And Tosses It Away
Will Kevin McCarthy Tear Up the State of the Union Speech?
Despite pressure from Biden critics, Speaker McCarthy posted a video explaining that he would not eschew decorum and civility the way Nancy Pelosi had.
“I don’t believe in the theatrics of tearing up speeches,” McCarthy revealed. “I respect the other side, I can disagree on policy.”
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“But I want to make sure this country is stronger, economically sound, energy independent, secure, and accountable,” he added.
A lot of people have been asking if I’m planning on ripping up President Biden’s speech tonight. Here’s my answer: pic.twitter.com/WRlAlYgCbs
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) February 7, 2023
Pelosi, who was House Speaker in 2020, concluded Trump’s State of the Union speech that year by famously tearing up her copy and tossing it away, sparking outrage and cries of classlessness.
When asked why she did it, Pelosi responded: “Because it was the courteous thing to do considering the alternatives. I tore it up. I was trying to find one page with truth on it. I couldn’t.”
@SpeakerPelosi is a disgrace. Tearing up @realDonaldTrump‘s #SOTU speech and tossing it away.#SOTU2020 pic.twitter.com/jYbcldYSNc
— Rusty 🎙️ (@rustyweiss74) February 5, 2020
RELATED: Pelosi Admits Thinking About, Then Ripping SOTU Page With Soldier’s Homecoming
What Was in the State of the Union Speech That Would Cause Pelosi to Rip It Up?
As you might imagine, former President Trump’s State of the Union speech probably enraged Pelosi because it was rich in pro-America content.
Then-Vice President Mike Pence argued that Trump made the speech all about America while Pelosi in turn “tried to make it about her.”
Speaker Nancy Pelosi on why she ripped up President Trump’s speech: “Because it was the courteous thing to do considering the alternatives.” pic.twitter.com/nYTjAZAwGo
— Jason Donner (@jason_donner) February 5, 2020
Pelosi’s behavior was proven to be even more trash when one perused through the pages of things she was dismissing and disrespecting.
The speech mentioned and warned of the threat of the coronavirus and how Trump’s administration was working to protect the American people’s health. Perhaps had Pelosi been paying attention, Democrats in Congress would have had a better response to the pandemic.
What else was in the speech that Pelosi literally ripped apart?
- Trump honoring the last surviving Tuskegee airman.
- A fourth-grade student who received a scholarship to go to a school of her choice.
- The family of a soldier killed by Iranian terrorist leader Qasem Soleimani.
- And the Williams Family from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, who were reunited during the speech with Sergeant First Class Townsend Williams who had been serving on his fourth deployment.
President @realDonaldTrump reunited a Fort Bragg soldier who was serving in Afghanistan with his wife and two young children Tuesday night at the 2020 State of the Union address.
The audience gave the family a standing ovation.https://t.co/k48MN3UyiX pic.twitter.com/XgLAwzr5TZ— KUSI News (@KUSINews) February 5, 2020
Pelosi couldn’t find “one page” to treat with respect in Trump’s speech.
Look, we’re not expecting McCarthy to go in there and behave like a child the way Pelosi did. We’re just saying, if he did, we’d be perfectly fine with it.
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Try this out…
Congress is trying to impress the public by holding hearings on AT&T/Direct TV now but how about this.
Ted Cruz on J6 was in the process of putting forth an amendment to hold hearings for 10 days as to whether there was any validity of the claim of voter fraud/foreign intervention of our 2020 elections.
The so called insurrection by many who claim the 3 letter agencies were involved and the mess that ensued caused the elected leaders to put that off and we have on our hands for the last two years a divided country. The courts find all kinds of ways not to hear/get involved but yet congress can hold hearings on AT&T but not something where a claim of fraud in our elections is ignored?
Congress must act and bring closure to this division of our country NOW….
Anyone else think that the US is a little bit better just because Pelosi isn’t in the Speaker position anymore?
Two wrongs don’t make a right. In fact McCarthy actions further exposed Pelosi as an immature and very unprofessional fool.
If he did, HE’D end up in prison.
Before I tore it up, I’d shout “HEY NANCY, ARE YOU WATCHING” ???
Further proof McCarthy is a coward RINO.
I think it would be nice if he walked out in the middle of it.
I Hope he does rip it up!
I would like to see all those present who find fault in Biden to simply face their chairs away from Biden so he sees only their backs. And that way the country can get a better perspective on who is facing the so called president.
McCarthy has much more class than Pelosi ever has. I would not expect him to do such a stupid thing as to rip up a speech as Pelosi did. She’s a stupid pig.
It would be fun if McCarthy attached the biden-sotu-speech to a balloon and blow it up Pelos’s way. So glad he chose not to stoop to Pelosi’s level. Here: A Democrat! Constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley blasted “partisan troll” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, “At that moment, she represents the House as an institution — both Republicans and Democrats. Instead, she decided to become little more than a partisan troll from an elevated position,” Turley wrote. “It was the tradition of the House that a speaker must remain in stone-faced neutrality no matter what comes off that podium. The tradition ended last night with one of the more shameful and inglorious moments of the House in its history.” “For those of us who truly love the House as an institution, it was one of the lowest moments to unfold on the floor…
and Pelosi has demolished decades of tradition with this poorly considered moment. Of course, many will celebrate her conduct and be thrilled by the insult to Trump. However, even those of us who disagree with his policies should consider what Pelosi destroyed in her moment of rage. She shredded the pretense of governing with civility and dignity in the House. Notably, she did not wait to rip up her copy of the speech until after she left the House floor. Pelosi wanted to do it at the end of the speech, in front of the camera, with the president still in the chamber.
That act was more important to Pelosi than preserving the tradition of her office. In doing so, she forfeited the right to occupy that office.
If Pelosi does not apologize and agree to honor the principle of neutrality and civility at the State of the Union, she should resign as speaker,” he wrote.
Turley concluded his column by calling for Pelosi to either apologize or let someone else do her prestigious job.