Mike Pence Says He 'Wasn't Sure' if Pelosi Was 'Ripping Up' Trump's Speech or the Constitution

Vice President Mike Pence told Fox News that he "wasn't sure" if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was "ripping up [Trump's] speech or ripping up the Constitution," after President Donald Trump's State of the Union address.

Pence said he did not see Pelosi tear the speech in half, but he heard about it shortly after. He called it a "new low."

Pence also said that by ripping the speech, the house speaker tried to make the State of the Union about her, rather than America. "The contrast here was a president who spent an hour and making the speech about America, and Nancy Pelosi, in the final moments, tried to make it about her," he said. "I think the American people see through that." Pence also said he thinks that Pelosi will be "the last Speaker of the House to sit in that chair for a long time."

The vice president also said that Pelosi "dishonored the moment" by tearing the speech in half. "I really thought it was beneath the dignity of a joint session of Congress, and I think it'll be remembered as such," he said.

In a press release following the State of the Union, Pelosi said that the State of the Union is "always hopeful" and House Democrats "welcome any opportunity to extend the hand of friendship to find common ground on behalf of the American people." Pelosi also said that they were told Trump would have a positive message regarding health care to deliver.

"However, President Trump's address tonight gave no comfort to the 130 million Americans with pre-existing conditions or the families struggling to afford the prescription drugs they need," she said. Pelosi said that in the State of the Union, Trump "has sadly shown that he does not value the good health of the American people."

"Democrats continue to urge the President to abandon his assault on seniors and families and to join us to deliver real progress in lowering the price of prescription drugs and making the bold investments needed to rebuild America's infrastructure in a green and modern way," she said.

While Pelosi did not refer to her actions on Tuesday night, she did call the president's speech a "manifesto of mistruths." Pelosi said the State of the Union "should be a call to action for everyone who expect truth from the President and policies worthy of his office and the American people."

The White House and Nancy Pelosi's office did not immediately respond to Newsweek's request for comment.