Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich was one of several Republicans who denounced House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for ripping up a copy of President Trump’s State of the Union address.”As speaker of the House for four State of the Unions by a president of the other party, I am disgusted and insulted by the viciously partisan action of Nancy Pelosi tearing up the speech,” Gingrich tweeted. “She isn’t clever or cute, her childishness insults our American traditions — should be censured.” In 1997, Gingrich — who is remembered for turning “partisan battles into bloodsport” — became the first speaker to ever be punished by the House for ethics violations. He stepped down in 1998 as rumors of infidelity, later proven to be true, swirled.The White House accused Pelosi of disrespecting the people mentioned by Trump during the speech. “Speaker Pelosi just ripped up: One of our last surviving Tuskegee Airmen,” the White House tweeted. “The survival of a child born at 21 weeks. The mourning families of Rocky Jones and Kayla Mueller. A service member’s reunion with his family. That’s her legacy.”Secretary of State Mike Pompeo appeared to respond with the help of a cartoon, posting an image of Lisa Simpson from The Simpsons ripping up several pieces of paper with the word, “Sobbing.” Several Twitter users quickly reminded Pompeo that in this episode, Lisa was tearing up an essay she wrote about American values after watching a corrupt congressman accept a bribe.More stories from theweek.com Trump just won the Iowa Democratic caucuses Should financial markets be freaked out by coronavirus? America is doing so much better than you think
