House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) received swift criticism for handing out special pens after she signed and sent the two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate.
Before the signing of the articles, Yahoo News correspondent Hunter Walker shared a picture of several pens with Pelosi’s signature written in gold, sitting on silver platters.
https://twitter.com/hunterw/status/1217574617348497408
CNN’s Dana Bash noted that it’s normal for politicians to hand out pens after ceremonial events — such as when the president signs legislation — but said it was “unusual” to see House Democrats smiling and receiving pens at such an event.
“It was unusual to see that kind of ceremony and making, you know handing out the pens, smiling for a picture in this kind of situation, where the House Speaker has bent over backwards to say publicly and privately, ‘This is somber. This is not a time for celebration.'”
Watch her comments below:
CNN's Wolf Blitzer: "They'll have those pens for the rest of their lives"
— Liz Harrington (@realLizUSA) January 15, 2020
But a lot of them won't have their seats in Congress much longer!
31 Dems in Trump-won districts: "I came to Congress and all I got was this lousy Pelosi pen"pic.twitter.com/zG4mcfdyKY
Conservatives quickly blasted Pelosi for handing out what they called “souvenirs” during the event.
Nancy Pelosi’s souvenir pens served up on silver platters to sign the sham articles of impeachment…She was so somber as she gave them away to people like prizes. https://t.co/RMOiNeoMu0
— Kayleigh McEnany 45 Archived (@PressSec45) January 15, 2020
Wait… did Pelosi delay the impeachment trial so she could get those souvenir pens printed up? 🤦♂️
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) January 16, 2020
Apparently the “solemn” and “somber” impeachment requires a ton of pens for Pelosi to use to sign.🤔
— Lee Zeldin (@LeeMZeldin) January 16, 2020
Impeachment is so “Prayerful” that Pelosi was handing out pens in celebration.
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 16, 2020
Pathetic.
pic.twitter.com/HWQ39juuH3
Nancy Pelosi smiled and laughed for the cameras and handed out dozens of pens after signing the articles of impeachment.
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) January 16, 2020
This whole thing is a joke. pic.twitter.com/WD2DkzjfyA
Just walked through aftermath of this “signing ceremony.” Dems were giddy with excitement in Capitol hallway, asking, “Did you get your pen?”
— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) January 15, 2020
The American people will hold House Dems accountable for making a mockery of their duty to the Constitution. pic.twitter.com/nASTD2oc6V
So much for “somber” and “solemn.”
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) January 15, 2020
House Dems are so excited about impeachment that they’re passing out commemorative pens and grinning for photos at a celebration ceremony.
Unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/GQUfG8VZQi
They claim it's a somber, serious occasion they're heartbroken over… and then they pass out impeachment-signing pens with special cases. Folks. You can't make it up. https://t.co/jl9VKD8cUc
— Mark Meadows (@MarkMeadows) January 15, 2020
Pelosi has handled the optics of impeachment well, right up until that signing ceremony, which was awkward. Handing out pens should have been done in private. This was not some celebratory moment.
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) January 15, 2020
Given the circus in the House, I’m surprised she didn’t use crayons. 🎪 🖍 🎪 https://t.co/hGTIGvb2Ey
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 16, 2020
The impeachment case will now go to the Senate, where the trial is expected to begin next week.