Government shutdown: Trump blocks Pelosi's trip in State of the Union spat as State Department calls in workers
Comes as Democrat-led House withdrew a bill they had passed to reopen the shuttered portions of the government
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump has escalated his spat with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over a possible delay to the annual State of the Union address by cancelling her upcoming trip to Belgium, Egypt and Afghanistan.
The White House postponed Ms Pelosi's ability to use military aircraft, which is Mr Trump's perogative as commander-in-chief. It comes a day after Ms Pelosi asked Mr Trump to delay the annual State of the Union address. Both blamed the partial government shutdown.
The episode shows how neither side appear close to backing down over the border wall funding issue that sparked the government closure now into its 27th day.
To follow how events unfolded, follow our liveblog below
Please allow a moment for the liveblog to load
The Trump administration trip to the World Economic Forum at Davos is still on.
Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin will lead the delegation from 22 to 25 January. Mr Trump was scheduled to go but cancelled over the shutdown.
White House officials, including acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, began discussing potentially canceling House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip early this morning, according to two people with knowledge of how things unfolded who spoke to CNN.
They felt completely caught off guard when Mr Pelosi publicly released her letter calling on President Trump to postpone his State of the Union address, or deliver it in writing.
The White House is at pains to point out that Ms Pelosi's trip is just postponed.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments