United States President Donald Trump on Thursday hit back at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, cancelling her planned foreign trip, citing the ongoing partial government shutdown.
Trump's response came a day after Pelosi asked him to postpone his State of the Union address to a later date after raising concerns about the security apparatus due to the shutdown.
In a letter addressed to Pelosi, Trump said that the House Speaker's seven-day visit to Brussels, Afghanistan and Egypt, which he dismissed it as a "public relations event", will be rescheduled after the shutdown is "over."
"Due to the Shutdown, I am sorry to inform you that your trip to Brussels, Egypt, and Afghanistan has been postponed. We will reschedule this seven-day excursion when the shutdown is over. In light of the 800,000 great American workers not receiving pay, I am sure you would agree that postponing this public relations event is totally appropriate," Trump said.
He added that it would be better if Pelosi was in Washington DC negotiating with him on funding his proposed border wall on the US-Mexico border that would end the shutdown.
"I also feel that, during this period, it would be better if you were in Washington negotiating with me and joining the Strong Border Security movement to end the Shutdown. Obviously, if you would like to make your journey by flying commercial, that would certainly be your prerogative," Trump further said.
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"I look forward to seeing you soon and even more forward to watching our open and dangerous Southern Border finally receive the attention, funding, and security it so desperately deserves!" the US President added.
On Wednesday, Pelosi told Trump in her letter that since the Secret Service is responsible for ensuring security and the agency has not been funded due to the shutdown, the State of the Union speech, that is set to be held on January 29, should be deferred to a later date.
Furthermore, the Democrat Senator from California suggested that Trump could give the State of the Union address in writing.
The shutdown, that has now entered its 27th day, was triggered on December 22 last year by a lack of consensus between Democratic lawmakers and the US President on the $5.7 billion funding for the wall on the border with Mexico, which was one of Trump's electoral promises.
The ongoing partial government shutdown is the longest in the history of the US. There is still no hope in sight for the end of the current shutdown.
An estimated 800,000 federal workers have been adversely affected by the lapse in funding.