Donald Trump managed to get through an entire speech last night without stepping on his tie. Nevertheless, the speech is being widely panned as downright boring at times, offering little in the way of policy or vision, and eventually veering into language that was more like a Donald Trump campaign rally than an address to the nation. Although there were occasional chants of “U-S-A! U-S-A!” from the nearly all-white, all-male Republican members of the chamber, who were mostly all dressed in dark suits—a stark contrast to the diversity of the women across the aisle, who were mostly dressed in white—the night can best be summarized by Trump’s young guest, Joshua Trump, who fell asleep. Aye, Joshua—so say we all.
But the imagery of the night belongs to Nancy Pelosi. The speaker of the House perfectly played the part, sitting motionless as Trump rambled and sniffed his way through his book report of a speech. There was one particular moment that stood out, and Pelosi’s response has already launched a thousand memes. As Trump stood at the podium and said, “We must reject the politics of revenge, resistance, and retribution, and embrace the boundless potential of co-operation, compromise, and the common good,” Pelosi stood behind him to clap in agreement, although it seemed to be a bit more clapback than standing ovation—and wow, Twitter users took notice.
Just in case you want to get in the spirit and create your own Nancy Pelosi clapback meme, Parker Malloy of Media Matters for America has helpfully provided the template.
Did you see a Pelosi meme you loved? Share it below.
Sign the petition: Thank you, Nancy Pelosi, for making Trump cave on the shutdown