Yeah, a great history going all the way back to LBJ.
I stand by my earlier suggestion: Release the SOTU in a 56-part Tweet, or on whitehouse.gov. If he doesn't give a speech, then there is no requirement for a rebuttal speech either.
There is no way to sugar-coat this: Trump caved to Pelosi, and the Leftists are correct to gloat.
I have made a similar suggestion elsewhere on this board. I'm sure others in positions of real influence with Trump must have made the same suggestion, to him. My belief is that his narcissism craves the spotlight and show so much that he refuses to end this particular part of the stand off by delivering a SOTU in any manner other than the now-traditional address to a joint session.
Trump lost this round. To suggest otherwise is to believe that giving up a touchdown is part of a winning team's game plan.
And surely we all realize the "progressive" wing of the Democrat party will insist this time next year that Nancy should again refuse to have the SOTU in the House chamber. The precedent is now established; naughty boy Trump must be denied the dignity of the office to which he was duly elected.