Nancy Pelosi has broken a federal law prohibiting the destruction of government records by ripping up President Trump’s State of the Union address.

The copy of Donald Trump's speech that was destroyed by Nancy Pelosi was not a government record hence she did not violate the federal law.

The copy of Donald Trump's speech that was destroyed by Nancy Pelosi was not a government record hence she did not violate the federal law.The law code '18 USC 2071: Concealment, removal, or mutilation generally' of United States reveals that people are punishable only if they destroy documents filed or deposited with any clerk or officer of any court of the United States, or in any public office, or with any judicial or public officer of the United States. Therefore it means that destructing government record is illegal.

The gesture (tearing the copy) made by Nancy Pelosi cannot be considered as an act of violation of the law because the copy destroyed by her is not an official government record.