Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Thursday he doesn't know or care why House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ripped up her copy of President Donald Trump's State of the Union speech, but he accused her actions of being "unconstitutional."
"It was historically unique," Gingrich told Fox News' "Fox and Friends." "It was unconstitutional. It displayed to the entire country how vicious and petty the Democrats have become."
Pelosi has been attacking Trump for "four solid months," said Gingrich, and has "called him the most vile names possible." She also omitted the ceremonial introduction that is traditionally used at the State of the Union address, Gingrich said, adding that he never did that when introducing then-President Bill Clinton, even in the middle of his scandal.
"The idea that she would tear up his speech is so childish and so beneath the dignity of the House," said Gingrich. "I agree with Jonathan Turley, who is a Democrat, who wrote this morning that she really should be kicked out of office for demeaning the entire nature of both the Constitution and of the House of Representatives. He was delivering a constitutionally required address so in a sense she is ripping up a document that exists under the Constitution."
He added that to the best of his knowledge, Pelosi's omitting the "high privilege and personal honor" introduction marked the first time it was not said.
"I will say historically, George Washington went up, got such a disgusting response from the Congress, he refused to go back," said Gingrich. "Every one of his State of the Unions after that was sent up in writing, read by the clerk. There was not a spoken State of the Union until Woodrow Wilson in 1913."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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