Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) made a "power play" on Wednesday, according to the media, when she sent a letter to President Donald Trump requesting they reschedule his State of the Union speech due the government shutdown.
"Sadly, given the security concerns and unless government reopens this week, I suggest we work together to determine another suitable date after government has re-opened for this address or for you to consider delivering your State of the Union address in writing to the Congress on January 29th," Pelosi wrote.
Twenty-four hours later, Trump appeared to respond by informing Pelosi in a letter of his own that her seven-day international trip would have to be postponed.
"Due to the Shutdown, I am sorry to inform you that your trip to Brussels, Egypt, and Afghanistan has been postponed," Trump wrote in a letter. "We will reschedule this seven-day excursion when the Shutdown is over."
The media covered the two letters in very different ways. Pelosi's letter was described as a "power play," "brilliant," "bold," by reporters and anchors such as Andrea Mitchell, Erin Burnett, and Alisyn Camerota. Pundits described Pelosi as a "badass" for her move. Meanwhile Trump's letter was met with hysteria that he suggested Pelosi fly commercial to a "war zone" and that it was petty and accomplished nothing.
CNN’s chief political analyst Gloria Borger described Pelosi's letter as a "badass move." She described Trump's letter as "silly" and a "dumb tit-for-tat."
CNN's chief legal analyst Jeffery Toobin echoed Borger's "badass" comment about Pelosi, and so did senator-turned-MSNBC-pundit Claire McCaskill.
MSNBC anchor Nicolle Wallace claimed Pelosi's letter deprived Trump of "life-blood" of airtime, while Trump's letter had "victims."
It should not come as a surprise that the media is covering Pelosi so favorably since they gave us a preview of her coverage when Democrats won in 2018 and when she officially became speaker for a second time.