Christal Hayes | USA TODAY

USA TODAY

WASHINGTON – It was an instant meme.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rising to her feet, stretching out her arms so she could clap loudly at President Donald Trump's call to end the "politics of revenge."

While continuing her seemingly targeted applause, she locked eyes with the president and smirked. Video of the moment went viral with many concluding that the California Democrat had invented a petty version of applause.

But, Pelosi claims that wasn't her attempt.

"It wasn't sarcastic," she told reporters on Wednesday.

Pelosi said that Trump's remarks, asking everyone to "reject the politics of revenge, resistance and retribution and embrace the boundless potential of cooperation, compromise and the common good," were very welcome by Democrats.

"Look at what I was applauding," Pelosi added. "I wanted him to know that was a very welcome message."

That hasn't stopped many online from both analyzing and propping up Pelosi's reaction as a heroic gesture for liberals everywhere.

Her daughter, Christine Pelosi, even chimed in and offered her insight into what the clap meant.

Christine Pelosi posted to Twitter on Wednesday that the image reminded her of her teen years: "She knows. And she knows that you know. And frankly she’s disappointed that you thought this would work. But here’s a clap. #youtriedit"

DOUG MILLS, AFP/Getty Images

The interaction came amid a bitter a standoff between Trump and Democrats, led by Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, over funding for a wall along the southern U.S. border.

The impasse over Trump's request for $5.7 billion to construct the barrier led to a 35-day government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history.

Trump ended up signing a bill that temporarily ended the shutdown and did not include any additional funding for a wall. The bill allowed lawmakers three weeks to continue negotiating over the border wall while also giving federal workers, who hadn't been paid in a month, financial relief.

The temporary fix expires on Feb. 15 and so far lawmakers have not offered any plan to prevent another shutdown.

The president has also continued to hint at the possibility of him declaring a national emergency, which would curtail Congress and redirect funding for a wall.

Contributing: Eliza Collins and Joel Shannon

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President Trump's second State of the Union address