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Nancy Pelosi I Ripped Up Trump's Speech ... Because it Was 'A Manifesto of Mistruths'

Nancy Pelosi took a page out of President Trump's playbook ... and then ripped it up, and now she's explained why.

Status: Pelosi stole some of the President's thunder when she played to the camera and tore up her copy of the State of the Union address. She said in a Congressional hallway following the address she did it because the speech was a pack of lies ... what she called "a manifesto of mistruths."

TMZ.com

The evening was about as partisan as ever before on both sides ... with chants of "4 more years" from the Republicans and protests from the Democrats.

After the speech, reaction to Pelosi's move was swift and predictable. Former California Rep. Katie Hill was in DC and felt Trump got off easy -- Pelosi should have used the gavel on him.

Republican Senator Ted Cruz was outraged, calling Pelosi's move "pitiful" and "disgusting."

It was acrimonious from the get-go ... Trump blew off Pelosi's gesture to shake hands, and then she introduced him by simply acknowledging "the President of the United States." She did not hold to tradition and say, "I have the high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you the President of the United States."

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