Congresswoman caught playing Candy Crush during Trump speech

  • 02/02/2018

Three Democrat congresswomen have been caught undertaking various tasks on their phones while US President Donald Trump gave his State of the Union address.

Getty photographer Chip Somodevilla captured an image of the women sitting in the chamber of the US House of Representatives while Mr Trump spoke.

The image was taken at 9:42pm, when Trump was less than halfway through his address.

Bonnie Watson Coleman (left), Joyce Beatty (centre) and Brenda Lawrence (right).
Bonnie Watson Coleman (left), Joyce Beatty (centre) and Brenda Lawrence (right). Photo credit: Getty

New Jersey representative Bonnie Watson Coleman was snapped sifting through responses to a tweet she wrote criticising Mr Trump, while Ohio's Joyce Beatty read through a press release she was preparing to publish.

But it was Michigan representative Brenda Lawrence who has raised the most eyebrows, with the image clearly showing she was in the middle of a game of Candy Crush Saga.

Brenda Lawrence was snapped playing the addictive mobile game.
Brenda Lawrence was snapped playing the addictive mobile game. Photo credit: Getty

The hugely popular mobile app is a puzzle game that gets more difficult as one rises through the levels. It is not clear what level Rep Lawrence was on.

Neither Rep Lawrence nor Rep Watson Coleman explained their actions when approached by The Daily Mail.

Ms Beatty's spokesperson, however, told the publication that there ought to be no issue with her preparing a press release in response to Mr Trump's State of the Union address at such an early stage of the speech.

"That State of the Union is put out an hour in advance so Democrats and Republicans can read along," the spokesperson explained.

"While the speech was going on, she was putting together a statement in response."

Newshub.