On Tuesday night, President Trump delivered his State of the Union speech. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was seen ripping her copy of the speech while standing behind Trump afterwards.The moment went viral on Twitter almost immediately. When asked why, Pelosi responded: it was “a courteous thing to do considering the alternative. It was such a dirty speech.”

According to USA Today, Trump and Pelosi have had a tumultuous relationship since the beginning of his presidency. This friction has steadily intensified since the Democrats took control of the house last January and the recent impeachment allegations against Trump. Before his address, Trump is seen avoiding Pelosi’s attempt to shake his hand.  Their animosity garnered differing reactions from both Republicans and Democrats. During “Fox and Friends,” Vice President Mike Pence criticized Pelosi’s actions by saying he “wasn’t sure if she was ripping up the speech or ripping up the Constitution.” Alternatively, Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen defended Pelosi for doing “what a lot of us were feeling,” claiming the President had “turned the House chamber into his campaign circus event.”