The partisan tension between US President Donald Trump and top Democrat Nancy Pelosi, who led the drive to impeach him, has inspired a ton of memes and jokes on social media. At his State of the Union address on Tuesday, Donald Trump broke with custom by not shaking hands with Nancy Pelosi, House of Representatives Speaker. The awkwardness continued when Ms Pelosi, 79, tore his speech up and tossed it aside after Mr Trump finished speaking.
Videos of the two pointed political gestures are being widely shared on social media.
One video shows US President Donald Trump declining to shake Ms Pelosi's outstretched hand. She appears taken aback at the slight.
President Trump declines to shake Speaker Pelosi's outstretched hand at #SOTU2020 pic.twitter.com/oB7suIxNPT
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 5, 2020
In another video, Ms Pelosi is seen tearing up Mr Trump's speech and tossing it aside. Asked by a reporter to give a reason for her gesture, Pelosi replied: "Because it was the courteous thing to do, considering the alternatives."
Pelosi tears up the speech! pic.twitter.com/Qj2gLosWsA
— Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) February 5, 2020
The Trump-Pelosi drama has led to a number of Twitter jokes and memes as well:
#Trump: *snubs Pelosi's handshake*#Pelosi: *tears up the #StateoftheUnion after Trump is finished speaking*
— OLD MAN IAN (@ianmsantos) February 5, 2020
Me: pic.twitter.com/6zVUueG2fq
me watching Nancy Pelosi rip apart Trump's speech ???? #SOTU #Trumpspeech pic.twitter.com/4mN7rmHR1c
— emely (@ohshesemi) February 5, 2020
Nancy Pelosi ripping up Trump's speech sent me. #SOTU2020 pic.twitter.com/Sf6j7B0B2a
— Nick Sarotte (@Nick_Sarotte) February 5, 2020
Pelosi ripping up tRump's "speech" at the end of the #SOTU2020 ...#msnbc #cnn pic.twitter.com/YncXmQoH9Z
— Sonya ~ #BlackHistory ✊???? ????♊???? (@meSonyaB) February 5, 2020
Donald Trump was seeing Speaker Nancy Pelosi for the first time since she stormed out of a White House meeting four months ago. She and Trump have not spoken since their October meeting, both sides said.
At last year's State of the Union address, Nancy Pelosi getting up to applaud Mr Trump had become a hit meme on Twitter.
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