Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has opened up about one of the most memorable—and divisive—moments in recent American political history, insisting that her dramatic tearing of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on February 4, 2020, was entirely spontaneous and not premeditated in any way.
The Interview Revelation
In a candid interview aired on December 28, 2025, on ABC News’ “This Week” with Jonathan Karl, Pelosi reflected on the incident that captivated millions watching live.
Five years later and Crazy Nancy Pelosi is still bragging about her temper tantrum during President Trump’s 2020 State of the Union address.
PELOSI: “The speeches are on strong paper… so you have a do it a few times.”pic.twitter.com/HMucKzyJ0p
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) December 28, 2025
“People like the tearing up of the speech. I didn’t intend to go to the speech to tear it up,” she explained. “I just, the first part of it, I tore a page because he was lying. And then the next page, then the next page. I thought it was a manifesto of lies all throughout, so I better tear up the whole speech.”
Pelosi added a humorous aside about the practical challenges: “Now, the speeches are on strong paper, so you have to do it a few times to get it done. But I had no intention of doing that. I thought my staff was going to die.”
The comment highlights how what became an iconic symbol of resistance for Democrats and outrage for Republicans began as an impulsive reaction to what she perceived as falsehoods in Trump’s remarks.
Recalling the Charged Atmosphere of the 2020 Speech
The 2020 State of the Union address took place at a deeply polarized moment. It occurred just days after the Senate acquitted Trump in his first impeachment trial related to Ukraine aid withholding. Pelosi, who had led the House impeachment effort, was already visibly tense throughout the evening.
She notably declined to use the traditional introductory phrasing of “high honor and distinct privilege” when presenting the president. As Trump concluded his speech—highlighting economic gains, conservative judicial appointments, and guests like Rush Limbaugh—she stood behind him on the dais and methodically ripped her printed copy in half, then into quarters, in full view of cameras.
Republicans immediately decried the act as disrespectful to the office of the presidency. Trump himself called it “very illegal” at the time (though no laws were broken). Democrats, however, largely celebrated it as a powerful visual rebuke.
Pelosi’s Broader Reflections on Trump Encounters
Pelosi tied the speech-tearing to other famous confrontational moments with Trump, including the viral 2019 Oval Office photo where she pointed at him during a heated infrastructure meeting. The Trump White House had used that image in campaign materials, labeling her “crazy,” but Pelosi quipped in the interview: “They did me a favor.”
She emphasized that both the pointing and the tearing were “spontaneous” reactions driven by the intensity of the interactions, rather than staged political theater.
Enduring Legacy Five Years Later
Five years on—with Trump now back in the White House—the moment remains etched in political memory. Clips frequently resurface during discussions of partisanship and decorum in Congress.
Conservative outlets, including Fox News reporting on the interview, revisited the incident critically, framing Pelosi’s new comments as an attempt to downplay what they see as premeditated disrespect. Supporters, meanwhile, continue to view it as a justified stand against perceived dishonesty.
Pelosi’s revelation adds nuance to a gesture that defined an era of hyper-partisanship: what appeared calculated to many was, in her telling, an escalating impulse born from frustration page by page.
Political Theater vs. Genuine Outrage
The episode raises ongoing questions about performance versus authenticity in politics. While some analysts at the time speculated Pelosi planned the tear for maximum visual impact, her latest account insists it unfolded organically as she reacted to specific claims in real time.
Regardless of intent, the image of the Speaker methodically destroying the speech behind the president became an enduring emblem—one Pelosi now says surprised even her own team.
As Washington navigates another Trump term, reflections like these serve as reminders of how quickly emotions can flare on the national stage, turning routine ceremonies into defining confrontations.
References:
- Fox News (December 28, 2025): https://www.foxnews.com/media/nancy-pelosi-says-she-had-no-intention-tearing-up-trumps-state-union-speech
- ABC News “This Week” Interview with Jonathan Karl (aired December 28, 2025)
- Archived footage and contemporaneous reporting from February 4, 2020 State of the Union address
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