Pelosi invites Trump to deliver State of the Union on February 5

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has invited President Donald Trump to deliver his State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday, February 5, 2019. Photo / Bloomberg photo by Al Drago

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, on Monday invited President Donald Trump to give his State of the Union address on February 5, putting the president on track to deliver his prime time speech to a nation still reeling from the longest federal shutdown in history and facing the prospect of a second one next month.

Pelosi, who stood firm and got Trump to concede to reopen the government last week without funding for his long-promised US-Mexico border wall, will be seated behind the president as he delivers his speech.

"When I wrote to you on January 23rd, I stated that we should work together to find a mutually agreeable date when government has reopened to schedule this year's State of the Union address," Pelosi said in a letter to Trump on Monday (local time).

"In our conversation today, we agreed on February 5th," she added. "Therefore, I invite you to deliver your State of the Union address before a Joint Session of Congress on February 5, 2019 in the House Chamber."

The annual speech to a joint session of Congress had been scheduled for January 29, but Pelosi suggested to Trump that he postpone the address during the partial government shutdown.

Pelosi has suggested to Trump during the partial government shutdown that he postpone the address. Photo / Bloomberg photo by Eric Thaye

In retaliation, Trump cancelled a trip by Pelosi and other House Democrats to Afghanistan. He later insisted he would deliver the speech, then relented after she said no.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Trump had accepted the invitation. A House Democratic leadership aide said Pelosi initiated Monday's phone call with Trump.

At a regular news briefing shortly before Pelosi released her letter, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said that Trump "looks forward to addressing the American people" and would do so as soon as he received Pelosi's invitation.

The partial shutdown ended on Friday with Trump agreeing to temporarily reopen the government without any money for his wall. The deal reopened the government through February 15, meaning that Trump will be delivering his address as the threat of a second shutdown looms.

Trump is mulling declaring a national emergency if a bipartisan, bicameral congressional committee does not produce a deal that includes $5.7 billion in border wall funding.

"The president's commitment is to defend the nation, and he will do it either with or without Congress," acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said on "Fox News Sunday."