CNN reporter Manu Raju asked Nancy Pelosi today about her decision to tear up President Trump’s State of the Union speech, asking if it was “dignified.” Pelosi gave a rambling five minute response, claiming she decided she had to do something to symbolize for America her distaste for what Trump was saying.

“I tore up a manifesto of mistruths,” Pelosi said. If you’ve been listening to Pelosi for long enough you can probably hear when she’s uncorking new talking points. “Manifesto of mistruths” definitely sounds like something she or her staff worked out in advance.

“It was necessary to get the attention of the American people to say this is not true and this is how it affects you,” she said. “And I don’t need any lessons from anybody, especially the President of the United States, about dignity.”

As an example of what offended her, Pelosi pointed out the chants of “four more years” that broke out at the start of the speech. But Trump didn’t start those chants or appear to encourage them. They were started by Republican elected officials in the chamber. They certainly weren’t part of the speech she tore up.

Pelosi then suggested CNN’s Manu Raju was out of line for even asking the question: “It’s appalling the things that he says and then you say to me ‘Tearing up his falsehoods, isn’t that the wrong message?’ No it isn’t.” “I have tried to be gracious with him. I’m always dignified,” Pelosi added.

Next, Pelosi took issue with Trump’s guests. “Now all presidents have guests…constant guests? That was not a State of the Union that was a state—his state of mind. We want a state of the union.”

Pelosi claimed she offered her hand to Trump in friendship because, “He looked to me like he was a little sedated. He looked that way last year too.” Didn’t newspapers recently express shock over videos which were circulated online to suggest Pelosi sounded drunk? Why is Pelosi suggesting the president was sedated? Not sedate, as in calm, but “sedated,” as in drugged.

Is this what dignity looks like, Nancy?

She wrapped up her marathon answer saying, “He has shredded the truth in his speech. He’s shredding the constitution in his conduct. I shredded his state-of-his-mind address.” Again, that sounds a bit like a scripted talking points.

Here’s Nancy:

Pelosi often counsels her members to be dignified in dealing with the president, so I asked her if tearing up the SOTU speech stepped on that message."No," she said, adding: "I don't need any lessons from anybody, especially the president of the United States, about dignity." pic.twitter.com/jNe7lTQHh6

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) February 6, 2020