Although President Donald Trump tweeted Wednesday night that he would delay the State of the Union until after the current partial government shutdown ends so he can deliver the address in the House chamber, the president might just have a backup option in “Sweet Home Alabama” should he still want to speak to the nation next week.
Alabama Policy Institute Director of Policy Strategy Phil Williams, who just finished his two-term tenure as a state senator, tweeted words of welcome for Trump before he publicly decided to forgo finding an alternative location for January 29.
Williams said, “Mr. President, Alabama has a number of amazingly beautiful venues from which you could deliver the State of the Union. We would be glad to have you do so from the great State of Alabama!”
In a message to Yellowhammer News, he expounded on why he believes the Yellowhammer State could serve as a suitable location.
“The [State of the Union] is constitutionally required to be given annually By [sic] POTUS to Congress, although the actual location of the speech at the Capitol has been based largely on tradition and ceremony,” Williams outlined. “I believe that the long held tradition of giving the SoTU at the Capitol should continue. But Speaker Pelosi’s pettiness has overcome her professionalism and jeopardized that age old and historic practice.”
“[T]he people of the nation also deserve to hear from their President, and he deserves in equal measure to be heard. Alabama’s 4th Congressional District had the highest per capita vote in favor of Pres. Trump, and we are a truly red state with some of the most beautiful venues from which to give a public address. So I would argue that there is no better locale to address the nation than Sweet Home Alabama,” he added.
.@jimzeigler (jokingly) on alternative State of the Union location: “I can make arrangements for the President to speak at the famous FloraBama bar…”#SOTU
— Sean Ross (@sean_yhn) January 23, 2019
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
