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Vice President Biden and Speaker Paul Ryan look on as President Obama delivers his State of the Union Address on Jan. 12, 2016.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Andrew P. Scott, USA TODAY)
Delivering a State of the Union Address undoubtedly is a challenge. House Speaker Paul Ryan says just sitting there is a challenge of its own.
In his first interview after Tuesday’s big speech, Ryan told Capital Download about the difficulties of keeping a poker face for an hour while he was visible in the camera shot, staring at the back of President Obama’s head.
“Basically, I disagreed with much of what he had to say, and I just wanted to be respectful and not wince or grimace or do anything,” he told USA TODAY’s weekly video newsmaker series. “So I just kind of poker-faced the whole thing, just out of respect for the institution, the office. The State of the Union is a great thing, and i just basically wanted to be wallpaper and not be a part of it from an expression point of view.”
That wasn’t meant to signal that he agreed with the president.
“I guess what I was thinking is, every time he was saying something, I’m sort of refuting it in my mind,” he said. “Or if I agree with it I’m agreeing with it my mind, or if he’s adding up numbers, I’m adding those up in my mind.
“That’s basically what I do and I just have a blank stare on my face,” he said, laughing.
Ryan's poker face got plenty of attention on Twitter, too.
USA TODAY
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