‘Callous Reaction’: Twitterers Blast Pelosi for ‘Bizarre’ Clap When Biden Mentioned Iraq Burn Pits
19:25 GMT 02.03.2022 (Updated: 19:26 GMT 02.03.2022)
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US President Joe Biden used his speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday to request a new law expanding healthcare coverage to US veterans who suffered ill health effects after being exposed to toxic burn pits during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Biden’s Tuesday night State of the Union address was in many ways like any annual review of the nation’s affairs by a US head of state: the president laid out his political agenda for the coming year and gave shoutouts to special guests, as every sentence or two was punctuated by applause.
However, sometimes folks get a little thrown off, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who sat behind Biden in a position that enabled television cameras to see her every move, got caught making a very awkward response after Biden switched to an especially grim topic: the death of his son.
“[O]ur troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have faced many dangers. One being stationed at bases, breathing in toxic smoke from burn pits. Many of you have been there. I’ve been in and out of Iraq and Afghanistan over 40 times. These burn pits that incinerate waste, the waste of war — medical and hazardous material, jet fuel and so much more,” Biden told the assembled houses of Congress.
He later suggested a possible link between the toxic pits and the death of his son, US Army Maj. Beau Biden, of brain cancer, pledging additional support for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and calling on Congress to pass a bill that would expand healthcare coverage for US veterans whose health has suffered due to their exposure to burn pits.
However, Pelosi’s reaction to this appeared to be a bit…confused. She seemed to think it was time to clap, and then very awkwardly and slowly sat back down as she realized the inappropriateness of her response.
Nancy Pelosi's reaction to troops "breathing in toxic smoke from burn pits" is the weirdest/creepiest thing I've ever seen. pic.twitter.com/SJ1P7fnN3e
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) March 2, 2022
As one might expect, folks on Twitter took her to task, with many suggesting that she was intoxicated and it had affected her judgment, while others joked that the reaction exposed her as “actually a f**king demon.”
Pelosi wasn’t the only one to get confused about clapping that night, though, as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) also stood up too early, looking around somewhat embarrassedly for a few seconds before sitting down and immediately leaping back up with other lawmakers when it was actually time to clap.
Perhaps the greatest thing ever… pic.twitter.com/kDyIP0ikYW
— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) March 2, 2022
The awkward applause brings to mind another clapping incident by Pelosi in 2019, during a State of the Union address by US President Donald Trump. In that instance, Pelosi’s leaning clap, seemingly directed specifically at the Republican leader, was interpreted as sarcastic or patronizing by observers, although Pelosi later claimed the clap had no additional meaning.
