Anderson Cooper: It’s A ‘Little Hard to Believe’ Pelosi Canceled SOTU for Security Reasons

While interviewing Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI), CNN’s Anderson Cooper cast doubt on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) claim she had to disinvite President Donald Trump from delivering the State of the Union for safety reasons.

“But does Speaker Pelosi share any of the blame as well? She is claiming security concerns based on the shutdown for saying that the president shouldn’t do the state of the union. But that seems a little hard to believe,” Cooper said.

“Anderson, frankly, I think we should get our sights back on who can end this shutdown. So this back and forth, et cetera, I don’t think the president should be giving a state of the state, state of the union speech so that he can for 45 minutes carry on about all the great things he has done at a time when the government is shut down,” Hirono replied.

Hirono also cast blame on Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) for not reopening the government.

“That’s why the president of our country are awakening to that responsibility that Mitch is running away from, and there are billboards now in his own statement saying where are you, Mitch. Do your job,” she said.

After Pelosi expressed her concerns about security due to the shutdown, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen said her department is more than able to keep the Capitol building safe.

“The Department of Homeland Security and the US Secret Service are fully prepared to support and secure the State of the Union. We thank the Service for their mission focus and dedication and for all they do each day to secure our homeland,” she tweeted.

Watch above, via CNN

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