United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said he will deliver his annual address to the joint session of the US Congress as scheduled on January 29, despite her request that he delay his speech because of security concerns until a partial government shutdown is resolved.

The move is the latest in a game of political brinkmanship between Trump and Pelosi as they remain in loggerheads over the president's demand for border wall funding that has forced a partial government shutdown that is now in its second month. Pelosi has become the face of Democratic opposition to Trump in Congress.

'There are no security concerns regarding the State of the Union address. Therefore, I will be...fulfilling my constitutional duty to deliver important information to the people and Congress of the United States of America...,' Trump wrote in the letter dated January 23.

The letter was sent in response to a January 3 letter from the Speaker of the House in which she had requested the president to reschedule his State of the Union Address, expressed concern over the security of such a high-profile event in the wake of the ongoing partial government shutdown which has badly hit the functioning of the law enforcement agencies.

Insisting that he would be delivering the State of the Union address on January 29, Trump said, "It would be so very sad for our country if the State of the Union were not delivered on time, in schedule and very importantly, on location!"

Trump refused to give up his demand of a border wall as the partial government shutdown entered 33rd day, which is the longest in the US history and has virtually brought to standstill the functioning of the key departments.

'Build a Wall and Crime will fall! Trump said on twitter twice on Wednesday morning and asserted that this will be his new theme for the next two years.

'BUILD A WALL & CRIME WILL FALL! This is the new theme, for two years until the Wall is finished (under construction now), of the Republican Party. Use it and pray!' Trump said.

His demand for more than $5 billion to build the wall triggered a partial government shutdown that has lasted 33 days and counting. The shutdown has resulted in at least 800,000 federal employees not receiving their salaries for two consecutive fortnights now.  -- PTI