Nancy Pelosi's enigmatic golf clap at Trump was at least as memorable as Trump's State of the Union speech

Nancy Pelosi claps at Trump during 2019 State of the Union

(Image credit: Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images)

last updated 6 February 2019

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, this photo of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi clapping at President Trump may well be remembered more than any of the 5,000+ words Trump spoke in Tuesday's State of the Union address. Pelosi was ... applauding? ... this aspirational line from Trump: "We must reject the politics of revenge, resistance, and retribution, and embrace the boundless potential of cooperation, compromise, and the common good."

Embed from Getty Images//

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

There were theories. Comedian Patton Oswalt congratulated Pelosi for "inventing the 'f--k you' clap." Frequent tweeter Dr. Eugene Gu suggested that Pelosi "dog walked Trump with a single clap. This is her house, and Trump is an undocumented guest." And Slate's Christina Cauterucci captioned the photo: "Nancy Pelosi distracts out-of-control toddler with rendition of 'Baby Shark.'" Time's Molly Ball found the Baby Shark theme fitting:

Explore More

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox