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Gothmog

(144,919 posts)
Tue Jan 22, 2019, 03:52 PM Jan 2019

Under the Constitution, the SOTU must be given to Congress and not a rally

Last edited Tue Jan 22, 2019, 07:42 PM - Edit history (1)

The SOTU is a speech to congress and cannot be given at a rally https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-political-rally-second-state-of-the-union

Technically, though, State of the Union speeches are delivered to Congress, not crowds at political rallies.

Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution states that the President “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”

Following the first State of the Union addresses delivered in-person to Congress by George Washington and John Adams, presidents delivered these updates in written form for more than 100 years, until 1913 when Woodrow Wilson revived the practice of delivering them in-person.

But the addresses have never been — and seemingly cannot be, constitutionally — delivered in the form of a political rally.
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Under the Constitution, the SOTU must be given to Congress and not a rally (Original Post) Gothmog Jan 2019 OP
The GOP could care less about the Constitution . . . Iliyah Jan 2019 #1
give a speech anywhere, anytime, but it's not the SOTU Hermit-The-Prog Jan 2019 #2
As long as Congress is given an "official" (text) copy of the "report" (speech) BumRushDaShow Jan 2019 #3
This, the Constitution does not specify format Amishman Jan 2019 #6
Yep. This writer (not the OP) has a very poor understanding of what the Constitution requires hueymahl Jan 2019 #11
All he has to do is send Congress a piece of paper, saying marylandblue Jan 2019 #4
He can submit a written report to Congress. Scoopster Jan 2019 #5
The Constitution requires only that the president "report" to Congress "from time to time." The Velveteen Ocelot Jan 2019 #7
He will send a draft of his speech to congress. joshcryer Jan 2019 #8
As long as the Congress gets a copy of the "speech," he's probably covered. Vinca Jan 2019 #9
It will still be wrong to call the speech given at a rally the SOTU Gothmog Jan 2019 #13
It should be wrong to call him speaking in front of Congress the SOTU. Vinca Jan 2019 #15
You hit on the key issue-the media should refused to cover it Gothmog Jan 2019 #21
Iit nowhere states it has to be a speech. SQUEE Jan 2019 #10
Washington gave it as a speech but Jefferson did it in writing Gothmog Jan 2019 #12
They don't care about the Constitution! redstatebluegirl Jan 2019 #14
Ha! As if Trump and his cult care about the Constitution. progressoid Jan 2019 #16
It can be done at a rally... WeekiWater Jan 2019 #17
This is very silly. He could deliver his remarks in writing and perform the speech anywhere he likes tritsofme Jan 2019 #18
Pelosi never said he couldn't give the speech lunatica Jan 2019 #19
Congress has to adopt a joint resolution which has not happened Gothmog Jan 2019 #20
The constitution is kind of vague about the Voltaire2 Jan 2019 #22
The media will need to do their job. Specify that the SOTU was presented to Congress in crayons. LiberalFighter Jan 2019 #23
The media should not cover any rally Gothmog Jan 2019 #24

Hermit-The-Prog

(33,245 posts)
2. give a speech anywhere, anytime, but it's not the SOTU
Tue Jan 22, 2019, 03:55 PM
Jan 2019

He can give a speech anywhere he wants, but it won't be -the- State of the Union address, because he can't be sure Congress noticed. He can deliver that "Information of the State of the Union" in writing, as Speaker Pelosi suggested, so long as it is delivered to Congress.

BumRushDaShow

(128,440 posts)
3. As long as Congress is given an "official" (text) copy of the "report" (speech)
Tue Jan 22, 2019, 03:56 PM
Jan 2019

that would fulfill the requirement, regardless of whether it is given orally or not.

Amishman

(5,554 posts)
6. This, the Constitution does not specify format
Tue Jan 22, 2019, 03:58 PM
Jan 2019

He would be trampling tradition but technically following the requirements

hueymahl

(2,447 posts)
11. Yep. This writer (not the OP) has a very poor understanding of what the Constitution requires
Tue Jan 22, 2019, 04:04 PM
Jan 2019

Clickbait.

marylandblue

(12,344 posts)
4. All he has to do is send Congress a piece of paper, saying
Tue Jan 22, 2019, 03:56 PM
Jan 2019

"America is Great Again," and that would meet the Constitutional requirements. He can have a regular rally on the same night as the planned speech.

Scoopster

(423 posts)
5. He can submit a written report to Congress.
Tue Jan 22, 2019, 03:57 PM
Jan 2019

...and then he can go have his two hours hate someplace else that isn't Congress, which is what he's gonna do.

The Velveteen Ocelot

(115,584 posts)
7. The Constitution requires only that the president "report" to Congress "from time to time."
Tue Jan 22, 2019, 04:00 PM
Jan 2019

There doesn't have to be a speech; the report was delivered in writing until Woodrow Wilson decided to do it by making a speech. It doesn't have to be on January 29 or any other date in particular, or even annually. "From time to time" can mean almost anything. In recent years it's become kind of a partisan rah-rah speech for presidents ("The state of the union is totally awesome because of the great work of me and my party" ), and Trump is certain to push that trend way over the top. But I would argue that we don't need a SOTU speech or any other report because we already know that the state of the union is a total dumpster fire.

joshcryer

(62,265 posts)
8. He will send a draft of his speech to congress.
Tue Jan 22, 2019, 04:00 PM
Jan 2019

And the media will cover his rally.

Despite it being unconstitutional gibberish.

The media should boycott it even though they won't because of the ad revenue.

Vinca

(50,236 posts)
9. As long as the Congress gets a copy of the "speech," he's probably covered.
Tue Jan 22, 2019, 04:02 PM
Jan 2019

It's all bullshit anyway. I hope the networks don't cover the thing . . . whatever it is.

Gothmog

(144,919 posts)
13. It will still be wrong to call the speech given at a rally the SOTU
Tue Jan 22, 2019, 04:12 PM
Jan 2019

Any written speech given to Congress will satisfy the requirements of the constitution but a speech given at a rally is technically not a SOTU address

Vinca

(50,236 posts)
15. It should be wrong to call him speaking in front of Congress the SOTU.
Tue Jan 22, 2019, 04:20 PM
Jan 2019

He has no idea what he's reading off the teleprompter or what any of it means. It's all a bad reality show and there should not be an official SOTU address. Even if it's in the script.

Gothmog

(144,919 posts)
21. You hit on the key issue-the media should refused to cover it
Tue Jan 22, 2019, 07:35 PM
Jan 2019

The networks and media are not covering trump's rallies. Even fox has stopped covering trump's rallies and so the media should also ignore this event

Gothmog

(144,919 posts)
12. Washington gave it as a speech but Jefferson did it in writing
Tue Jan 22, 2019, 04:08 PM
Jan 2019

If trump does a rally, that rally cannot technically be called the SOTU

 

WeekiWater

(3,259 posts)
17. It can be done at a rally...
Tue Jan 22, 2019, 04:31 PM
Jan 2019

As long as the SOTU is handed to congress. The rally would just be a rally.

tritsofme

(17,369 posts)
18. This is very silly. He could deliver his remarks in writing and perform the speech anywhere he likes
Tue Jan 22, 2019, 04:33 PM
Jan 2019

lunatica

(53,410 posts)
19. Pelosi never said he couldn't give the speech
Tue Jan 22, 2019, 04:37 PM
Jan 2019

She just disinvited him from doing it in Congress with every single branch of government in attendance. She said the security required isn’t there due to the government shutdown.

Voltaire2

(12,957 posts)
22. The constitution is kind of vague about the
Tue Jan 22, 2019, 11:21 PM
Jan 2019

details. For a long time it was simply a written message from the president to Congress. There is no requirement for a speech to a joint session.

LiberalFighter

(50,779 posts)
23. The media will need to do their job. Specify that the SOTU was presented to Congress in crayons.
Tue Jan 22, 2019, 11:36 PM
Jan 2019

And not cover the rally.

Maybe somehow get it in his head that if he has a rally it needs to be outside. In the evening would be great and would be much colder. And knowing how he loves to talk it would be extremely long.

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