Shutdown is no time for celebratory State of the Union. No time is. Let's scrap it.

Pelosi was right to suggest that Trump delay or cancel the State of the Union address. In fact we should scrap it forever. It's an appalling spectacle.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested that President Donald Trump either postpone the State of the Union message until the government shutdown is over, or submit it in writing. Her judgment is correct.

In her letter to Trump, the speaker noted that the event places enormous demands on the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security, which have not received funding in weeks and are already under strain from furloughs.

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen disagrees with the speaker, claiming that matters are well in hand. (Nielsen’s record of factual accuracy is not exactly spotless.) But even if Nielsen in telling the truth in this case, moving forward with the standard presidential address would still be inappropriate.

President Donald Trump after delivering the State of the Union address, Jan. 30, 2018, Washington, DC
President Donald Trump after delivering the State of the Union address, Jan. 30, 2018, Washington, DC

A State of the Union Address has the air of a celebration, with ceremonial trappings and raucous cheers from the president’s partisans. Such an event would stand in jarring contrast to the harsh reality of the shutdown. Citizens are not getting important services, and thousands of government workers are worrying about how they can get by without paychecks. (Unlike the incumbent president, most Americans believe in paying their bills.)

Shutdown or no shutdown, the State of the Union always poses big problems. Each year, security officials have to block off a large swatch of Washington, hampering the capital’s day-to-day operations. And despite all the security, there is always a daunting risk. With so many high-ranking officials in one place at one time, an attack or some other disaster could decapitate the federal government. That’s why one Cabinet officer always stays away as the "designated survivor,” who would become president in case of doom. An ABC series of that name spins out the consequences of one such scenario, which we would never want to see in real life.

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There is no good reason to incur these costs and risks, and there is no reason to continue the extravaganza that the State of the Union has become. The Constitution merely says that the president “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” It does not mandate an oral address, and until Woodrow Wilson, presidents usually sent their messages in writing.

If presidents want to orate, do it on YouTube

If the president really wants to provide Congress and the public with information about the country’s condition, there are better ways to do it. A written document or a web page can provide far more detail than an hour-long speech. If the president prefers to deliver an oration, a YouTube video will do just fine.

Presidents like the State of the Union because they think it gives them a political boost. There is little evidence, however, that these speeches have a major long-term impact on public opinion. Their approval rating depends on the actual state of the union, not speeches about the state of the union.

Founders would be appalled by spectacle

Over the years, the State of the Union has degenerated into a reality show. Democrats clap for this, Republicans clap for that, and the president tries to score rhetorical points against critics. When the speech makes partisan point about the courts or the armed forces, the people in judicial robes and military uniforms are silently uncomfortable, knowing that they cannot respond. The whole mess would appall the Founders.

The case for scrapping the oral address is especially strong this time. Pelosi’s letter is a reminder that a president cannot set foot in the House chamber without permission. It is an important lesson in the separation of powers, and this president needs all the constitutional schooling that he can get.

It is also a lesson in behavior. Trump has disrespected the legislative branch in many ways, most recently by storming out of a meeting with congressional leaders. “It’s again, a temper tantrum by the president,” Pelosi said. “I’m a mother of five, grandmother of nine, I know a temper tantrum when I see one.”

Like a good parent, she knows how to handle a temper tantrum. We’ve just seen her do it.

John J. Pitney Jr. is the Roy P. Crocker Professor of Politics at Claremont McKenna College. Follow him on Twitter: @jpitney

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shutdown is no time for celebratory State of the Union. No time is. Let's scrap it.