Pelosi cancels State of the Union; Trump to find new venue

Jan. 23 (UPI) -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday said she will not consider a resolution to invite President Donald Trump to the House chamber to give the State of the Union until after the government is opened, but the president said he'll find another place to give the speech.

Pelosi, D-Calif., sent Trump a letter saying she intends to invite him to the House at a future date after the shutdown has ended.

"I am writing to inform you that the House of Representatives will not consider a concurrent resolution authorizing the President's State of the Union address in the House Chamber until government has opened," she wrote.

She initially invited Trump the House to give the annual speech on Tuesday, but last week asked him to consider delaying the appearance citing security concerns. The invitation is required for the president to enter the House chambers.

Pelosi suggested Trump either deliver the address in writing to Congress, or make it from the Oval Office.

Trump said he plans to go ahead with the speech at another venue.

"The State of the Union has been cancelled by Nancy Pelosi because she doesn't want to hear the truth," he told reporters in the Cabinet room. "She's afraid of the super-left Democrats, the radical Democrats. What's going on in that party is shocking."

Earlier Wednesday, Trump sent Pelosi a letter in response to her request last week that he delay the speech.

"I was contacted by the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Secret Service to explain that there would be absolutely no problem regarding security with respect to the event. They have since confirmed this publicly," Trump wrote.

"I look forward to seeing you on the evening on January 29th in the Chamber of the House of Representatives," Trump wrote to end the letter. "It would be so very sad for our country if the State of the Union were not delivered on time, on schedule, and very importantly, on location!"

Trump has been in a standoff with Democrats for more than a month over funding for a wall on the southern border. Nine government agencies have been unfunded for 33 days, the longest shutdown in U.S. history.

Trump responded to Pelosi's new letter Wednesday by criticizing Democrats on border security, calling them "radicalized."

Democrats "don't want to see crime stopped, which we can very easily do on the southern border," he told reporters.