Several Prominent Republicans Believe that Pelosi’s Speech-Ripping Stunt was Illegal

Tuesday of this week was certainly not the most proud day that many of us as Americans have experienced as of late.

First and foremost, there was the still-ongoing nonsense surrounding the Iowa caucuses, in which a newly-implemented smartphone application failed miserably in its attempt to streamline the vote gathering process for the all-important event.  That meant that Americans had no real idea who won the contest until several days later, and, even today there are two candidates both claiming victory.

Then, at the end of the President’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tore a gifted copy of Trump’s remarks in half while the rest of the chamber was applauding.  This act of protest was not only uncouth but, according to a number of prominent members of the GOP, illegal as well.

“I thought it was a terrible thing,” President Trump told White House pool reporters ahead of a planned speech in North Carolina on Friday. “It’s illegal what she did. She broke the law.” The president then said it was “very illegal” for the speech to have been ripped up because they were official government documents, and it was “very disrespectful to the chamber, to the country.” He then told reporters that he was unaware of Pelosi’s conduct until a lawmaker told him about it as he exited the House chamber.

Representative Matt Gaetz had a similar take.

From an appearance on Fox News later in the week:

“I am sick and tired of Nancy Pelosi thinking that just because she’s speaker, she can be above House rules. Rule 23 of the House of Representatives says that you cannot bring discredit on the House by your actions,” he said. “Nancy Pelosi embarrassed the House. She embarrassed our country when she ripped up the president’s speech. She may have committed a crime, and I think the Ethics Committee ought to investigate her.”

Democrats are undoubtedly growing annoyed with the lack of traction their “resistance” is getting this week, and Pelosi’s possibly criminal act is simply a malfeasant manifestation of this frustration.