“It’s the same old same old coming from this White House and this president," said Rep. Gerry Connolly. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo state of the union 2019 Democrats condemn Trump's 'shameful' attack on investigations "He threatened the United States Congress not to exercise its constitutional responsibility of oversight," Pelosi says.

Congressional Democrats accused President Donald Trump of using Nixonian intimidation tactics during his State of the Union address when he denounced “ridiculous partisan investigations,” vowing to press on with their probes into the president’s administration, campaign and personal finances.

“Frankly, it reminded me of Richard Nixon’s last state of the union address to a joint session of Congress,” Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said after ducking out of the House chamber before Trump finished delivering his address. “It’s the same old same old coming from this White House and this president. So disappointing and inappropriate and, frankly, the worst of Richard Nixon.”


Connolly’s disgust — accentuated by his head-shaking as he left the chamber — came just moments after Trump took an implicit dig at House Democrats, who are launching wide-ranging investigations that could soon ensnare the president and his associates.

“An economic miracle is taking place in the United States — and the only thing that can stop it are foolish wars, politics, or ridiculous partisan investigations,” Trump said, prompting some boos from the Democratic side of the chamber. “If there is going to be peace and legislation, there cannot be war and investigation. It just doesn't work that way.”

Democrats said they were stunned that Trump used the platform to push back on the various investigations.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said that even though Trump spoke of the honor of being in the House chamber to deliver the State of the Union, “he threatened the United States Congress not to exercise its constitutional responsibility of oversight.”

Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.), a former police chief and a member of the Judiciary and Intelligence committees, accused the president of trying to “interject his own personal issues” into the speech, which typically focuses on policy goals and achievements.

“To use that platform when the American people are waiting anxiously for something to be said that will make them feel more hopefully, more encouraged, he takes this very special time to plead his own case, and I just thought it was shameful,” Demings said.

Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) called Trump’s remarks “an outrage” and said the president was trying to intimidate not only congressional investigators, but also special counsel Robert Mueller.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), a vocal Trump antagonist, said the president’s comments represented “more evidence of trying to delay, derail and obstruct,” adding, “It’s just a throwaway line without any real meaning in terms of where he’s going. This investigation is continuing, it’s going to reach a conclusion, and the walls are closing in on the president or his family.”

Blumenthal introduced bipartisan legislation last week that would require Mueller’s final report to be made public, a key goal of newly empowered House Democrats who said Tuesday night they were unfazed by Trump’s harangues against their investigations.

“I think that telegraphed a certain nervousness,” said Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), a member of the House Intelligence and Foreign Affairs panels. “He was doing his best stave off those investigations but it’s not going to work.”

“We have to refuse to be bullied by threats and we’re not going to succumb to that,” added Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), a member of the powerful House Oversight Committee. “He tries to be provocative, deliberately so, and that was one of those moments where he decided that he was going to stick it to the people on oversight.”

Other lawmakers said they’ve grown accustomed to Trump’s attacks on the various investigations targeting him and his associates, including his references to the Mueller probe as a “witch hunt.”

“He’s basically saying that despite the fact there is very serious allegations ranging from inappropriate money in the 2016 election to interactions with Russians to collude, that it would just need to be dropped. Who says that?” Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Texas). “When you say so many things that are just unbelievable and incredible that they would pass through your lips people sadly start to ignore it.”

John Bresnahan, Heather Caygle and Laura Barron-Lopez contributed reporting.