Trump snubbed Pelosi handshake attempt at start of State of the Union - Business Insider

President Donald Trump snubbed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi when she went to shake his hand at the Start of the State of the Union on Tuesday. Trump's speech, delivered before the House, came nearly two months after he was impeached in the chamber over his dealings with Ukraine. The president and Pelosi had not spoken for four months prior to the awkward moment. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.President Donald Trump refused to shake House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's hand at the start of his third State of the Union address on Tuesday, which came almost two months after his impeachment.

Pelosi reached out to shake the president's hand, and Trump snubbed her. The House Speaker looked somewhat surprised and bemused as he walked away to begin his address, which came on the eve of Trump's expected acquittal in his Senate impeachment trial. —Salvador Hernandez (@SalHernandez) February 5, 2020The president and Pelosi have long had a contentious relationship, but his impeachment exacerbated tensions. Less than a week before Tuesday's speech, Trump tweeted: “Nancy Pelosi wants Congress to take away authority Presidents use to stand up to other countries and defend AMERICANS. Stand with your Commander in Chiefs!”The president was tweeting in relation to House votes on measures aimed at limiting his ability to launch a war against Iran. Trump's decision on January 3 to order a drone strike that killed Iran's top military leader, Qassem Soleimani, has raised fears of a broader conflict between Washington and Tehran.

Trump became only the second president in US history, after Bill Clinton, to deliver a State of the Union address after being impeached.Though he was impeached relatively recently and his Senate trial is not yet over, the president just earned the highest approval ratings of his tenure thus far, according to a newly released Gallup poll. 49% of Americans approve of Trump's job performance, while 50% of disapprove, the poll found.