Senator James Lankford (R-OK) tells Brian Kilmeade that Speaker Nancy Pelosi asking President Trump to reschedule his State of the Union speech is all about trying to keep the President form having a one hour national speech to lay out his argument for border security.
(Brian Kilmeade) We’re talking to Senator James Lankford, so we don’t know how the government is going to get open but if it does get open by the end of the week it’s the Speaker of the House’s belief according to a letter that is written that the President should not deliver the State of the Union if he wanted to he could just hand it off but not come because it would be a security risk. With so many overstretched would you what’s your reaction?
(Senator James Lankford) I think it’s an overreach to say it’s going to be a security risk for him to come. The folks that are going to be able to be there. Most of those folks are still on payroll obviously but it is up to the speaker of the House that the tradition of the House the Speaker of the House actually extends the invitation to the President to come speak in that chamber. If the Speaker of the House decides I’m going to rescind the invitation that we sent I think it just becomes another leverage point. My bigger issue is the politics of it is that I think Nancy Pelosi is trying to keep the President from having a one hour national speech to be able to lay out his argument and she’s just concerned what he’ll say and how he will say it and so she’s trying to find a way to stop him from delivering a State of the Union and other one hour of the national attention.
(Kilmeade) So she’s not concerned about security is that what you’re saying?
(Lankford) I don’t see why you would be worried about security because again the security folks that take care of the President, incredibly good at what they do . The Capitol Hill police are all paid because they’re not part of the government shutdown. So I don’t understand what the security question will be and what gets thrown in there. I think this is more of a political issue.
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Senator James Lankford (R-OK) spoke with Brian Kilmeade about the latest on negotiations with democrats to end the government shutdown, why he feels Speaker Nancy Pelosi asking President Trump to reschedule his State of the Union speech is just a political way to stop the President from having a one hour national speech to lay out his argument for border security and William Barr’s confirmation hearings.
Watch here for the full interview:
