Speaker Pelosi Rips Up SOTU Speech As Trump Finishes Address

WASHINGTON (CBS SF) -- Moments after President Donald Trump finish his State of the Union address Tuesday night, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pointedly ripped her paper copy of the speech in two as she stood on the dais behind him.

President Trump had just finished speaking and was turning to greet the crowd of lawmakers when Pelosi gathered up the papers in her hands and ripped them in half.

She would repeat the action several times, bluntly expressing her feelings about the address by shredding the paper copy of the speech.

When asked about her actions afterward in the halls of the Capitol as she departed, Pelosi responded by saying, "It was the courteous thing to do. It was the courteous thing to do considering the alternative."

Pelosi's ripping up the pages of the speech drew a range of reactions on social media. Many people, including a number of her Republican colleagues -- criticized her actions, saying they were a disgrace, unworthy of her office and disrespectful to President Trump. Many others applauded Pelosi, saying that what she did was appropriate under the current circumstances and given the content of the speech.

Pelosi later released a full statement on the State of the Union address, saying, "The manifesto of mistruths presented in page after page of the address tonight should be a call to action for everyone who expects truth from the President and policies worthy of his office and the American people. The American people expect and deserve a President to have integrity and respect for the aspirations for their children."

Before the speech, President Trump appeared to snub Pelosi after giving her a copy of the address, a moment that the Speaker later addressed on Twitter.