Nancy Pelosi Tore Up a Copy of Trump's State of the Union as Soon as He Was Finished

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made clear her feelings on President Donald Trump‘s latest State of the Union: As soon as he was done addressing Congress on Tuesday night, she stood and began tearing up her copy of his remarks.

The highly unusual moment — a reflection of the tension between House Democrats and the president, whom they impeached over his Ukraine scandal — took observers and TV pundits by surprise.

A Pelosi aide confirmed to PEOPLE that she indeed was tearing up Trump’s speech. He handed her a copy of it before addressing the assembled senators and representatives in his annual address about the nation.

Afterward, she told reporters, “It was the courteous thing to do considering the alternative.”

RELATED: Trump Ignores Pelosi’s Handshake at the State of the Union and She Shakes Her Head ‘No’ During His Speech

Here's the video, via CSPAN, of Pelosi tearing up Trump's speech. pic.twitter.com/dUnAg2csf0

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 5, 2020

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Trump, 73, and Pelosi, 79, have had a volatile relationship, with multiple altercations since he was elected in 2016.

Tuesday’s State of the Union, coming during Trump’s ongoing impeachment trial in the Senate on charges he abused his power and obstructed Congress, reflected that dissension.

RELATED: Nancy Pelosi Says President Donald Trump ‘Is Impeached for Life’ as She Warns of Senate ‘Cover-Up’

The president ignored Pelosi’s offer of a handshake when giving her a copy of his speech and, later, she was seen shaking her head “no” when he said, “I keep my promises.”

In a subtler sign of their differences, Pelosi also wore the same pin as when she opened the impeachment debate about Trump.