Donald Trump may have likely met his match with Speaker Nancy Pelosi. With the government being shut down, Speaker Pelosi raised concerns about Trump giving his State of the Union address before the government re-opens. In a letter addressed to Trump, she stated that he should delay his speech until after the government reopened. Her concerns were for security and the fact that nothing entitles Trump to give a state of the union address, in the manner he intended. In other words, it is almost like a nothing burger.
Pelosi had also made plans to embark on a trip with a Congressional delegation to Afghanistan. Trump in like Trumpeon fashion retaliated. And this is where the story gets interesting.
Trump denied the delegation use of government military planes to travel to a war zone. He likely saw Pelosi’s trip as grandstanding. It was a visit to the troops and to engage in government business.
Despite denying Congressional use of government planes for government business, Trump allowed Melania Trump to take a government plane to go on a weekend frolic. Once again, the Trump hypocrisy continues. If anyone should have been taking a commercial flight, it should have been Melania Trump—not our elected officials on government business.
Then Trump allegedly doubled down by further exposing the intended commercial travel, thereby placing in jeopardy the lives of the Congressional delegation, the military and anyone traveling on the same commercial flight. Pelosi had decided to take Trump up on his request to travel via commercial airlines albeit more risky. The administration’s purported leaking of those plans thwarted any commercial travel to Afghanistan for the near foreseeable future.
Trump at this stage is reacting to Pelosi’s demands. He is now in reactionary mode. And anyone who knows negotiations will tell you that is a poor position to find oneself in. Trump reacted to Pelosi’s denial of his $5 billion wall; he reacted to her letter to delay the State of the Union address. He reacted to her purported trip to visit the troops overseas and conduct official government business. And then Trump reacted to Pelosi’s attempt to continue travel via commercial flight. If this were an Ali- Frazier fight, with Pelosi being Ali and Trump being Frazier, Frazier is on the ropes. And the Ali/Pelosi rope-a-dope is working quite well.
Nancy Pelosi is a veteran politician from a family of generations of politicians. Many persons fail to remember that Speaker Pelosi hails from Baltimore where her father and brother were mayors of Baltimore. She often speaks about her political lessons learned from her father, Tommy D’Alessandro. While Nancy Pelosi was learning how to be a shrewd politician, Donald Trump was playing with his father’s money—and losing it. While Pelosi was beginning her political career in 1977 and later getting elected to Congress in 1987, Trump was learning how to file for corporate bankruptcy. He filed for business bankruptcy four times beginning in 1991. Nancy was getting re-elected to Congress in 1993.
Nancy Pelosi has many political maneuvers up her sleeve. More importantly, she is an effective leader. While Republicans despise her, she has been able to keep her base intact, while becoming the next person in line for presidency following Vice President Pence.
From his business dealings, Trump has likely never had to deal with a woman, the likes of a Nancy Pelosi. And his naivety is showing with his reactions to her moves. Speaker Pelosi is looking to see what Trump has in the way of punches. Presently, she has ascertained his weakness. Like a boxer, she will continue to hammer away at his weakness. And in Trump’s book, the Art of the Deal, one caveat states that the worst thing you can possibly do in a deal is seem desperate to make it. It makes the other person smell blood. Right now, Pelosi smells blood.
Trump wants his wall. He has a wall. Her name is Nancy Pelosi.
UPDATE: Speaker Pelosi delayed Trump’s State of the Union address until after the government is re-opened.
Washington, DC based Debbie Hines is a lawyer and former prosecutor.