Democrats ask Trump to delay State of the Union speech

2019-01-17 17:06:01

Democrats have asked President Donald Trump to postpone a speech to Congress, arguing security cannot be guaranteed due to the government shutdown. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said in a letter to Mr Trump that he should deliver the speech in writing instead unless federal agencies reopen. Mr Trump is due to address Congress for the annual State of the Union speech on 29 January. The US government is partially shut due to a row over border security. The Republican president is demanding $5.7bn (£4.4bn) of congressional funding to build a wall on the US-Mexico border, but newly empowered Democrats have refused. The White House response came from Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, who tweeted that her department and the US Secret Service "are fully prepared to support and secure the State of the Union". AFP.