Should President Trump comply with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s demand that he deliver a written instead of oral State of the Union address on Jan. 29, he would be on the right side of history.
According to the House Historian’s Office, 26 of 45 presidents have not given oral State of the Union addresses, though they have become common since the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt. That stretched from 1800-1913.
Former Presidents George Washington and John Adams gave the speeches, which are suggested in the Constitution.
But Thomas Jefferson cut off the practice, feeling it looked too much like the speech the British king gives.
Instead, he and subsequent presidents offered a written version. That was followed for every president until Woodrow Wilson.
Former President Herbert Hoover also skipped the speech in the House chamber.
Pelosi, in a war with Trump over his border wall request, and other Democrats are concerned that the president will use the event to promote his side. In her letter, the California Democrat suggested a delay until a deal is cut and in the meantime suggested a written copy of the address be submitted on the scheduled date of Jan. 29.
“I suggest that we work together to determine another suitable date after government has re-opened for this address or for you to consider delivering your State of the Union address in writing to the Congress on January 29th,” she wrote.
