Donald Trump’s postponed State of the Union address to Congress has been rescheduled for 5 February after the longest US government shutdown in history was brought to a close. Originally scheduled for 29 January, House speaker Nancy Pelosi asked the president not to go ahead with his speech during the diplomatic impasse and suggested he submit it by letter, a manoeuvre Republicans were quick to brand “political” and which appeared to provoke Mr Trump into denying Ms Pelosi’s congressional delegation the use of a military plane to visit troops in Afghanistan. The president finally bowed to the speaker’s right to refuse him an invitation but can now press ahead, albeit a week later than planned.
