After a week of posturing and threatening to defy House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Donald Trump has surrendered and agreed to delay his State of the union address until after the US Government Shutdown is over.

At 11:00 PM on Wednesday night in Washington, Trump tweeted:  "This is her prerogative - I will do the Address when the Shutdown is over."

The US Constitution requires the president to update Congress "from time to time" about the state of the union.  But it does not specify how - in the past, presidents would often just send a letter to congressional leaders.  The modern version of the State of the Union Address (SOTU), with the president coming to Congress stared in 1913. 

Last week, Pelosi said it would be inappropriate for Trump to deliver a State of the Union address while 800,000 US Government workers are furloughed or forced to work without pay during the government shut down.  She also cited security concerns while Federal law enforcers weren't being paid.

Trump chafed at being denied an opportunity to speak before a large TV audience, and even declared that he would give he address in the House chamber as scheduled despite Pelosi's objection.  That would have forced the opposition Democrats to formally disinvite him from delivering the yearly message.

Pelosi picked up the dare and sent a letter to Trump:  "I am writing to inform you that the House of Representatives will not consider a concurrent resolution authorizing the President's State of the Union address in the House Chamber until the government has opened," Pelosi wrote.

There had been speculation that Trump would hold one of his campaign rallies in a far-flung rural area and deliver the SOTU there. 

"I am not looking for an alternative venue for the State of the Union Address because there is no venue that can compete with the history, tradition and importance of the House chamber," Trump tweeted on Wednesday night.