Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi says she hasn’t spoken to President Donald Trump since the State of the Union. The California Democrat made the claim on MSNBC on Tuesday.
“I’ve always spoken to presidents on an as needed basis,” she said. “It’s an historic occasion when the Speaker and the President speak. It’s history.”
Pelosi explained that she attended the State of the Union address in February and so she’d spoken to the President at the time.
“If it’s necessary, I’m sure we will speak.”
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Pelosi says she hasn't spoken with Trump since the State of the Union: "I don't know what I would learn in a conversation with the President." pic.twitter.com/3almNoT7fG
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) March 31, 2020
“I don’t know what I would learn in a conversation with the President,” Pelosi went on.
She said that she communicated with Trump through TV appearances because he watches so much cable news.
“We speak to each other right now, and that’s what he really hears: what people say publicly, much more than what you might say in a call,” Pelosi said.
“And I think those should be public anyway so everybody knows what actually happened in the conversation.”
Pelosi famously ripped up a copy of Trump’s State of the Union speech in a moment that went viral. The President’s allies accused her of disrespect and even committing a crime.
By her own admission, Pelosi hasn’t spoken to Trump since 4 February and is dealing with the Coronavirus outbreak response through intermediaries.
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Darragh Roche is a journalist covering U.S. politics and media
