After President Donald Trump announced during his State of the Union address Tuesday night that a Philadelphia fourth-grader would be able to attend a school of her choosing under the Opportunity Scholarship, viewers at home grew irritated when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi did not stand to applaud the announcement.
Trump spotlit Janiyah Davis and her mother Stephanie during his speech from the U.S. Capitol. “Janiyah’s mom Stephanie is a single parent. She would do anything to give her daughter a better future. But last year, that future was put further out of reach when Pennsylvania’s governor vetoed legislation to expand school choice for 50,000 children,” Trump said. “Janiyah, I am pleased to inform you that your long wait is over. I can proudly announce tonight that an Opportunity Scholarship has become available, it is going to you, and you will soon be heading to the school of your choice!”
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But school choice has been criticized by Democrats, who say that it removes critical funding from vulnerable public schools and creates greater opportunity gaps for students in struggling school districts — which may be a reason Pelosi chose not to stand and applaud the fourth grader.
For the record @SpeakerPelosi wouldn’t clap or stand for this mom and daughter!! #SOTU pic.twitter.com/1VfhgbP0FX
— Melissa Francis (@MelissaAFrancis) February 5, 2020
Viewers took to Twitter to complain about Pelosi’s reaction. One Twitter user wrote that the 79-year-old threw a “tempter tantrum.”
“She missed the inspirational moments because she’s just pissed off. She couldn’t even stand for the little girl getting to go to the school of her choice. This will be Pelosi’s legacy,” the user wrote.
“Nancy did not stand for the little girl? Democrats hate school choice so much that they won’t honor a sweet little girl?” someone else wrote.
Someone else called Pelosi “ungrateful” and “useless.”
“No respect for the office and country!! Can’t even stand up for a little girl!!!!” the person wrote.
But others defended Pelosi, arguing that Trump was using Janiyah and her mother as “props.”
“As an African American I would not have stood either. We are not props!!!” one Twitter user wrote.
“Maybe she doesn’t want race to be exploited for this con of a speech,” another said.
Immediately following the speech, Pelosi made waves when she tore her copy of Trump’s speech neatly in half while still standing behind him in the chamber. Afterward, she told reporters, “It was the courteous thing to do considering the alternative.”
Just ahead of Trump’s speech, he appeared to ignore Pelosi’s offer of a handshake when giving her the copy of his speech that she ultimately tore up.
“It was a manifesto of mistruths,” she said of Trump’s remarks. “We always extend a hand of friendship. If he rejects it, that’s up to him.”
She added that he would “hopefully not” be giving another State of the Union come next year. “We’re expecting another president, nine months from today,” she said.
Photo credit: Alex Edelman / Stringer / Getty
