House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., holds up a copy of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress that she tore up on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020. At left Rep. Billy Long, R-Mo. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

George Washington University law school professor Jonathan Turley is someone who is an equal opportunity critic when it comes to analyzing the words and actions of Democrats and Republicans. But in recent months, Turley has relentlessly criticized Democrats over their obsession with trying to impeach President Trump, which has not exactly endeared him to liberals.

Not that it likely matters to him, but his reaction to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s post-State of the Union speech-ripping stunt will only further ostracize him from the good graces of the left. Pelosi’s actions not just after the speech but during it clearly bothered the distinguished professor, and he took to the Twitter machine to let it be known that he felt Pelosi was setting “new lows” for Congressional leadership.

First, though, for those who didn’t watch the speech or who didn’t otherwise catch Pelosi’s deliberate and drawn-out ripping up of Trump’s speech on national TV, watch below:

Criticism of the moment poured in on social media, with a lot of us calling it childish and unbecoming of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. It was especially appalling when you consider what a stickler Pelosi has been in the past when it comes to decorum in the House, as exemplified by her relentless targeting of Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) after he shouted “You lie” at President Obama during the former president’s September 2009 speech on healthcare reform.

“Speaker Pelosi agrees to plan to scold Rep. Wilson for ‘You lie’ outburst'” was the headline from The Hill at the time.

Turley first took aim at how Pelosi reacted during the speech:

There has long been a revered SOTU tradition that the Speaker of the House does not exhibit opposition or ridicule for the remarks of a president (even if he is from the opposing party). Pelosi is shattering that tradition by nodding in the negative and shaking her head.

— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) February 5, 2020

As Speaker at the SOTU, Pelosi represents the entire House (Republicans and Democrats alike). She is not there as a member of the opposition, but as the representative of the institution of the House of Representatives. . . .

— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) February 5, 2020

The facial expressions and head shaking is a new low for the House. Moreover, the protests of members was incredibly inappropriate. A president speaks at the SOTU as a guest of both houses. . . .

— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) February 5, 2020

You do not have applaud or to stand, but to heckle, mock, and interrupt destroys both the decorum and traditions of the House. I can understand why the address was objectionable to the opposition but that is no excuse for this sad departure of history.

— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) February 5, 2020

After the speech was over and Pelosi made it a point to draw out the ripping up of the speech, Turley unloaded:

Trump was wrong not to shake the hand of the Speaker. Likewise, the Speaker was wrong in skipping the traditional words welcoming the President as a "distinct honor." The ripping up of the speech reduced the Speaker to the level of troll.

— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) February 5, 2020

Pelosi's act dishonored the institution and destroyed even the pretense of civility and decorum in the House. If this is the Speaker's "drop the mike" moment, it is a disgrace that should never be celebrated or repeated. In a single act, she obliterated decades of tradition.

— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) February 5, 2020

I concur.

A lot of Democrats were defending Pelosi last night by saying she did it to get back at Trump for not shaking her hand, but that’s not an excuse. If you were blinking, you might have missed the fact that Trump didn’t shake her hand. Not only that, but I’d be reluctant to shake someone’s hand after they’d impeached me, too. But Pelosi’s actions were deliberate and she knew they would be broadcast in living color for the world to see.

As Turley correctly pointed out, she thoroughly dishonored the institution with her stunts. Shame on her.