Pelosi raises the option of postponing Trump's State of the Union address

Nancy Pelosi has raised the stakes in her battle with Donald Trump over the government partial shutdown. She has written a letter to the president suggesting it's too risky to hold the annual State of the Union address on January 29 because of insufficient security staff available to keep the Capitol safe. Wow! She must be a fan of the television drama, Designated Survivor, which starts off with the Capitol building being blown up by terrorist bombs during the State of the Union, killing the president, the vice president and every member of the cabinet and Congress and Supreme Court. Except the housing minister, who was not allowed to attend the State of the Union occasion because he had been selected to become president in the event of a catastrophe killing the president and all those authorised under the constitution to succeed him in such circumstances. For the State of the Union on January 29, anyone who is anyone will be there, including the service chiefs and, of course the whole of Congress. Only one member of the House of Representatives and one member of the cabinet will be absent, just in case of an attack. Nancy Pelosi says that with the partial shutdown now in its fourth week it would be unsafe to let the State of the Union take place on January 29, unless the shutdown is lifted. The responsibility for securing the Capitol for this annual event is down to the Department of Homeland Security and the Secret Service. But for an occasion like this it seems highly unlikely that Homeland Security and the Secret Service will be unable or unwilling to provide the necessary staff even without pay. The Secret Service is carrying out its normal duties anyway. So I think Pelosi is just trying to turn the political screw a little tighter. On the other hand, it could be argued that the president should not address the nation when his government is partially forced into furlough. Perhaps Pelosi and Trump should set a deadline, fix the shutdown/wall argument by January 28!