JUDY WOODRUFF: Welcome to our "PBS NewsHour" special live coverage of President Trump's
first State of the Union address.
I'm Judy Woodruff.
Mr. Trump is said to want to strike some bipartisan notes before a Congress and a nation deeply
divided.
He will refer to building a safe, strong and proud America, touting his economic record.
The future of an immigration deal and the fate of so-called dreamers face a looming
deadline.
Some members of Congress have invited undocumented immigrants to be their guests for tonight's
speech.
Our Lisa Desjardins is there at the Capitol, and our Yamiche Alcindor is at the White House.
And here with me at our studio at the table tonight, syndicated columnist Mark Shields
and New York Times columnist David Brooks, The Cook Political Report's Amy Walter is
here, along with the chair of the American Conservative Union, Matt Schlapp.
And Karine Jean-Pierre, she's a senior adviser to MoveOn.org.
Welcome to all of you, as we keep one eye -- or both eyes, I should say, what's going
on in the Capitol, in the House chamber, where the president is about to come in.
Mark Shields, it's the president's first State of the Union.
He's been in office for a year.
What are we looking for tonight?
MARK SHIELDS: We're looking for the president to be presidential, which he said nobody could
be presidential like he is.
This is a ceremony of state.
This is something that Donald Trump is totally unfamiliar with, never having been in the
Congress or been a person in Washington.
So, it will be interesting to see how he fits into this, what Americans have come to expect
about really this major ceremony in national life.
JUDY WOODRUFF: David, what are you looking for?
DAVID BROOKS: Well, it's been one year of Trump, which is 37 human years, compared to
our life's dial.
(CROSSTALK)
DAVID BROOKS: And I'm looking -- he's done these reasonably well.
He's bring his uptown Trump when he does these things.
The id gets put away.
And I expect he will be reasonably presidential.
I guess I'm looking for actual policies.
He does actually have a policy process in the White House.
And we know he will talk about immigration, but that's not going to fill a year.
And so what -- how is he going to fill the rest of the year?
And so most of these addresses are famously laundry lists of policies.
And it will be interesting actually if he could have a laundry list.
I would curious to know what's on that, beyond immigration and some vague jab at infrastructure.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, Amy, we don't know if it's uptown or downtown Donald Trump that
we're going to see tonight.
But from an American's perspective -- and you have been looking at a lot of polls, thinking
about what the voters are thinking right now.
What do you think they're looking for tonight?
AMY WALTER, The Cook Political Report: Well, the president can come in with a laundry list
of things, as David said, of things that they have actually gotten done.
He has a good economy behind him.
A lot of the things he talked about in his first -- it wasn't a State of the Union, but
address to Congress, he's been able to accomplish, whether it's on immigration, crossing the
border, right, the lowest number of border crossing arrests that we have had in years,
regulations being cut.
And yet he also comes in as the most unpopular president at this point in a first term.
And he -- making that connection between how he can be successful on the one hand and still
be seen so negatively by a majority of Americans, it's really all about him.
It's the personality, it's not the policies, that is driving perceptions of him, and it's
likely to drive the 2018 election as well.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Matt Schlapp, does the president carry a special burden with him tonight, more
than most presidents would?
MATT SCHLAPP, Former White House Director of Political Affairs: I really don't think
so.
I think, if the president's going to govern like most politicians, try to find a way to
use language at these big events where -- to kind of often their image, look for that soft,
reassuring language -- he just doesn't do that.
I think David's right.
I think he's going to sound presidential.
It is going to be a presidential speech.
But, look, he is who he is.
He's governing the way he's comfortable with governing.
He believes, at the end of the day, it's the results that will indicate whether or not
he's a successful politician.
Is the economy growing?
Did we defeat ISIS?
Do people feel greater security?
That's kind of where he's -- that's where he's putting his trust in the American people,
that they will like the results.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Karine Jean-Pierre, what about that?
He very well probably is counting, to a large degree, on people looking at results.
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, Democratic Strategist: Right.
That's exactly right.
Look, I have to tell you I hate the word presidential now.
I just -- I just can't stand it, because I think that it doesn't matter.
This night actually, to me, doesn't matter at all, because he's going to probably stay
on the teleprompter, but we know who Trump really is, is once he's off the teleprompter.
It doesn't -- maybe he will -- the presidential kind of sense of Trump will stay for more
than an hour, maybe more than a day, but we know exactly who he is.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Here's the president.
There they are announcing him now.
(CROSSTALK)
MAN: The president of the United States!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
JUDY WOODRUFF: And this is the tradition.
This is the ritual.
Mark Shields, this is the way it has been done for president after president.
MARK SHIELDS: Since Harry Truman, 1947, when it went on television for the first time,
and members realized that they could also appear next to the president in living rooms
all over America.
JUDY WOODRUFF: And, David, he makes his way down the aisle.
Again, we have seen this -- this scene so many times before.
It's usually the members of the president's own party who get the closest.
It's interesting to see if any Democrats are going to be reaching out to shake his hand.
DAVID BROOKS: Yes.
If I were a good reporter, I would have been there at 5:00 p.m., which was when they used
to start hoarding around the aisle seats to get the -- into the shot.
It would be still a good of bonus for a lot of people in a lot of seats, so they probably
had a little of that -- probably a little less than past presidents.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Amy, we're watching -- Mark.
MARK SHIELDS: I just wanted to disagree with David earlier in the evening.
(LAUGHTER)
MARK SHIELDS: And that is, it makes no difference what the president proposes.
The only time it's made a difference, what the president proposed, was 1965, when Lyndon
Johnson proposed Medicare, Medicaid, voting rights, and really changed America on federal
aid to education.
He had 290 Democrats in the House and 68 in the Senate.
Donald Trump doesn't have a governing legislative majority or coalition at this point.
So, he could propose joining the League of Nations, blowing up the League of Nations.
(CROSSTALK)
DAVID BROOKS: Mark is completely wrong about that.
(LAUGHTER)
MATT SCHLAPP: I would like to tape that answer and keep playing it back when people say,
why isn't he getting everything through the Senate?
Because you're right.
DAVID BROOKS: Well, no, it matters tremendously within the administration, because the State
of the Union is the marching orders for people within the organization.
It's a great organizing document.
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Right.
MARK SHIELDS: It's a great document to get listed in.
JUDY WOODRUFF: And while we -- while we discuss what he is or isn't going to get done, the
president is making his way down the center aisle in the House of Representatives.
We're catching a glimpse now and then of the first lady, Melania Trump, up in the balcony
area with a number of guests who are guests of the president and the first lady tonight.
We're going to be hearing about them in a minute.
But, right now, the president is shaking hands.
We see the House majority leader, Kevin McCarthy.
And now we're beginning to see the Pentagon, officials from the Pentagon, members of the
president's Cabinet.
The president seems to be moving briskly at this point.
(LAUGHTER)
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Yes, he really does look like he's moving pretty fast.
AMY WALTER: To be able to get this done.
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Yes, get this done, make the speech, stay on teleprompter.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Amy, we are -- we just -- we just -- here we go.
Let's listen to this just a second.
Shaking hands with, of course, his own vice president and with House Speaker Paul Ryan.
And he is getting right to it.
I think it took him just a couple minutes to get to the lectern.
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Yes.
JUDY WOODRUFF: And he's about to speak, the president of the United States.
This is where he gives each of them a copy of the speech.
MATT SCHLAPP: Not everybody is standing.
JUDY WOODRUFF: No.
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: No.
JUDY WOODRUFF: And let it be known that Matt Schlapp was the one who...
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
JUDY WOODRUFF: We always look to see whether members of the other party stand, applaud,
and so forth.
And, right now -- and we will be talking about this later in the evening -- different people
tonight wearing different colors symbolic of different issues and making different points.
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: And you have boycotts, too, Democrats who have boycotted.
JUDY WOODRUFF: That's right.
I think there are 13 Democrats that we know of who have said they are not going tonight.
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: That's right.
Yes.
JUDY WOODRUFF: I think eight of them are members of the Congressional Black Caucus.
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: That's right.
JUDY WOODRUFF: But there are a few, a handful of others as well.
But, right now, the applause sustained, and that is typical for most presidents.
Most members of Congress, most State of the Union addresses, accord the president the
respect...
MARK SHIELDS: Yes.
JUDY WOODRUFF: ... that the office deserves.
MARK SHIELDS: I mean, that's why Joe Wilson was such an aberration...
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Yes.
Yes, "You lie," yes.
MARK SHIELDS: ... when he said, "You lie," to the president.
And the sergeant at arms has the authority to evict any member who is obstreperous or
makes an outburst.
So...
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
REP.
PAUL RYAN (R-WI), Speaker of the House: Members of Congress, I have the high privilege and
the distinct honor of presenting to you the president of the United States.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
JUDY WOODRUFF: And here comes another opportunity for members of Congress, especially those
who are friendly to the president, to applaud.
DAVID BROOKS: The room is a lot smaller than it looks on TV.
And so the atmosphere is a lot more intense.
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Can I just point how Melania is wearing white?
And because a lot of the MeToo women are wearing black.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Are wearing black.
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Yes.
I don't know if that -- there's any correlation, connection, but that's really interesting
that she is wearing white.
JUDY WOODRUFF: I'm actually noticing that the president and the speaker are wearing
blue ties.
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Blue ties, yes.
(LAUGHTER)
DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States:
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, the First Lady of the United States,
and my fellow Americans:
Less than one year has passed since I first stood at this podium, in this majestic chamber,
to speak on behalf of the American people and to address their concerns, their hopes,
and their dreams.
That night, our new administration had already taken very swift action.
A new tide of optimism was already sweeping across our land.
Each day since, we have gone forward with a clear vision and a righteous mission -- to
make America great again for all Americans.
(Applause.)
Over the last year, we have made incredible progress and achieved extraordinary success.
We have faced challenges we expected, and others we could never have imagined.
We have shared in the heights of victory and the pains of hardship.
We have endured floods and fires and storms.
But through it all, we have seen the beauty of America's soul, and the steel in America's
spine.
Each test has forged new American heroes to remind us who we are, and show us what we
can be.
We saw the volunteers of the Cajun Navy, racing to the rescue with their fishing boats to
save people in the aftermath of a totally devastating hurricane.
We saw strangers shielding strangers from a hail of gunfire on the Las Vegas strip.
We heard tales of Americans like Coast Guard Petty Officer Ashlee Leppert, who is here
tonight in the gallery with Melania.
(Applause.)
Ashlee was aboard one of the first helicopters on the scene in Houston during the Hurricane
Harvey.
Through 18 hours of wind and rain, Ashlee braved live power lines and deep water to
help save more than 40 lives.
Ashlee, we all thank you.
Thank you very much.
(Applause.)
We heard about Americans like firefighter David Dahlberg.
He's here with us also.
David faced down walls of flame to rescue almost 60 children trapped at a California
summer camp threatened by those devastating wildfires.
To everyone still recovering in Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands
-- everywhere -- we are with you, we love you, and we always will pull through together,
always.
(Applause.)
Thank you to David and the brave people of California.
Thank you very much, David.
Great job.
Some trials over the past year touched this chamber very personally.
With us tonight is one of the toughest people ever to serve in this House -- a guy who took
a bullet, almost died, and was back to work three and a half months later: the legend
from Louisiana, Congressman Steve Scalise.
(Applause.)
I think they like you, Steve.
(Laughter.)
We are incredibly grateful for the heroic efforts of the Capitol Police officers, the
Alexandria Police, and the doctors, nurses, and paramedics who saved his life and the
lives of many others; some in this room.
In the aftermath -- (applause) -- yes.
Yes.
In the aftermath of that terrible shooting, we came together, not as Republicans or Democrats,
but as representatives of the people.
But it is not enough to come together only in times of tragedy.
Tonight, I call upon all of us to set aside our differences, to seek out common ground,
and to summon the unity we need to deliver for the people.
This is really the key.
These are the people we were elected to serve.
(Applause.)
Over the last year, the world has seen what we always knew: that no people on Earth are
so fearless, or daring, or determined as Americans.
If there is a mountain, we climb it.
If there is a frontier, we cross it.
If there's a challenge, we tame it.
If there's an opportunity, we seize it.
So let's begin tonight by recognizing that the state of our Union is strong because our
people are strong.
(Applause.)
And together, we are building a safe, strong, and proud America.
Since the election, we have created 2.4 million new jobs, including -- (applause) -- including
200,000 new jobs in manufacturing alone.
Tremendous numbers.
(Applause.)
After years and years of wage stagnation, we are finally seeing rising wages.
(Applause.)
Unemployment claims have hit a 45-year low.
(Applause.)
It's something I'm very proud of.
African American unemployment stands at the lowest rate ever recorded.
(Applause.)
And Hispanic American unemployment has also reached the lowest levels in history.
(Applause.)
Small-business confidence is at an all-time high.
The stock market has smashed one record after another, gaining $8 trillion, and more, in
value in just this short period of time.
The great news -- (applause) -- the great news for Americans' 401(k), retirement, pension,
and college savings accounts have gone through the roof.
And just as I promised the American people from this podium 11 months ago, we enacted
the biggest tax cuts and reforms in American history.
(Applause.)
Our massive tax cuts provide tremendous relief for the middle class and small business.
To lower tax rates for hardworking Americans, we nearly doubled the standard deduction for
everyone.
(Applause.)
Now, the first $24,000 earned by a married couple is completely tax-free.
(Applause.)
We also doubled the child tax credit.
(Applause.)
A typical family of four making $75,000 will see their tax bill reduced by $2,000, slashing
their tax bill in half.
(Applause.)
In April, this will be the last time you will ever file under the old and very broken system,
and millions of Americans will have more take-home pay starting next month -- a lot more.
(Applause.)
We eliminated an especially cruel tax that fell mostly on Americans making less than
$50,000 a year, forcing them to pay tremendous penalties simply because they couldn't afford
government-ordered health plans.
(Applause.)
We repealed the core of the disastrous Obamacare.
The individual mandate is now gone.
Thank heaven.
(Applause.)
We slashed the business tax rate from 35 percent all the way down to 21 percent, so American
companies can compete and win against anyone else anywhere in the world.
(Applause.)
These changes alone are estimated to increase average family income by more than $4,000.
A lot of money.
(Applause.)
Small businesses have also received a massive tax cut, and can now deduct 20 percent of
their business income.
Here tonight are Steve Staub and Sandy Keplinger of Staub Manufacturing, a small, beautiful
business in Ohio.
They've just finished the best year in their 20-year history.
(Applause.)
Because of tax reform, they are handing out raises, hiring an additional 14 people, and
expanding into the building next door.
Good feeling.
(Applause.)
One of Staub's employees, Corey Adams, is also with us tonight.
Corey is an all-American worker.
He supported himself through high school, lost his job during the 2008 recession, and
was later hired by Staub, where he trained to become a welder.
Like many hardworking Americans, Corey plans to invest his tax‑cut raise into his new
home and his two daughters' education.
Corey, please stand.
(Applause.)
And he's a great welder.
(Laughter.)
I was told that by the man that owns that company that's doing so well.
So congratulations, Corey.
Since we passed tax cuts, roughly 3 million workers have already gotten tax cut bonuses
-- many of them thousands and thousands of dollars per worker.
And it's getting more every month, every week.
Apple has just announced it plans to invest a total of $350 billion in America, and hire
another 20,000 workers.
(Applause.)
And just a little while ago, ExxonMobil announced a $50 billion investment in the United States,
just a little while ago.
(Applause.)
This, in fact, is our new American moment.
There has never been a better time to start living the American Dream.
So to every citizen watching at home tonight, no matter where you've been, or where you've
come from, this is your time.
If you work hard, if you believe in yourself, if you believe in America, then you can dream
anything, you can be anything, and together, we can achieve absolutely anything.
(Applause.)
Tonight, I want to talk about what kind of future we are going to have, and what kind
of a nation we are going to be.
All of us, together, as one team, one people, and one American family can do anything.
We all share the same home, the same heart, the same destiny, and the same great American
flag.
(Applause.)
Together, we are rediscovering the American way.
In America, we know that faith and family, not government and bureaucracy, are the center
of American life.
The motto is, "In God We Trust."
(Applause.)
And we celebrate our police, our military, and our amazing veterans as heroes who deserve
our total and unwavering support.
(Applause.)
Here tonight is Preston Sharp, a 12-year-old boy from Redding, California, who noticed
that veterans' graves were not marked with flags on Veterans Day.
He decided all by himself to change that, and started a movement that has now placed
40,000 flags at the graves of our great heroes.
(Applause.)
Preston, a job well done.
(Applause.)
Young patriots, like Preston, teach all of us about our civic duty as Americans.
And I met Preston a little while ago, and he is something very special -- that I can
tell you.
Great future.
Thank you very much for all you've done, Preston.
Thank you very much.
(Applause.)
Preston's reverence for those who have served our nation reminds us of why we salute our
flag, why we put our hands on our hearts for the Pledge of Allegiance, and why we proudly
stand for the National Anthem.
(Applause.)
Americans love their country, and they deserve a government that shows them the same love
and loyalty in return.
For the last year, we have sought to restore the bonds of trust between our citizens and
their government.
Working with the Senate, we are appointing judges who will interpret the Constitution
as written, including a great new Supreme Court justice, and more circuit court judges
than any new administration in the history of our country.
(Applause.)
We are totally defending our Second Amendment, and have taken historic actions to protect
religious liberty.
(Applause.)
And we are serving our brave veterans, including giving our veterans choice in their healthcare
decisions.
(Applause.)
Last year, Congress also passed, and I signed, the landmark VA Accountability Act.
(Applause.)
Since its passage, my administration has already removed more than 1,500 VA employees who failed
to give our veterans the care they deserve.
And we are hiring talented people who love our vets as much as we do.
(Applause.)
And I will not stop until our veterans are properly taken care of, which has been my
promise to them from the very beginning of this great journey.
(Applause.)
All Americans deserve accountability and respect, and that's what we are giving to our wonderful
heroes, our veterans.
Thank you.
(Applause.)
So, tonight, I call on Congress to empower every Cabinet Secretary with the authority
to reward good workers and to remove federal employees who undermine the public trust or
fail the American people.
(Applause.)
In our drive to make Washington accountable, we have eliminated more regulations in our
first year than any administration in the history of our country.
(Applause.)
We have ended the war on American energy, and we have ended the war on beautiful clean
coal.
(Applause.)
We are now very proudly an exporter of energy to the world.
(Applause.)
In Detroit, I halted government mandates that crippled America's great, beautiful autoworkers
so that we can get Motor City revving its engines again.
And that's what's happening.
(Applause.)
Many car companies are now building and expanding plants in the United States -- something we
haven't seen for decades.
Chrysler is moving a major plant from Mexico to Michigan.
Toyota and Mazda are opening up a plant in Alabama -- a big one.
And we haven't seen this in a long time.
It's all coming back.
(Applause.)
Very soon, auto plants and other plants will be opening up all over our country.
This is all news Americans are totally unaccustomed to hearing.
For many years, companies and jobs were only leaving us.
But now they are roaring back.
They're coming back.
They want to be where the action is.
They want to be in the United States of America.
That's where they want to be.
(Applause.)
Exciting progress is happening every single day.
To speed access to breakthrough cures and affordable generic drugs, last year the FDA
approved more new and generic drugs and medical devices than ever before in our country's
history.
(Applause.)
We also believe that patients with terminal conditions, and terminal illness, should have
access to experimental treatment immediately that could potentially save their lives.
People who are terminally ill should not have to go from country to country to seek a cure.
I want to give them a chance right here at home.
It's time for Congress to give these wonderful, incredible Americans the right to try.
(Applause.)
One of my greatest priorities is to reduce the price of prescription drugs.
(Applause.)
In many other countries, these drugs cost far less than what we pay in the United States.
And it's very, very unfair.
That is why I have directed my administration to make fixing the injustice of high drug
prices one of my top priorities for the year.
(Applause.)
And prices will come down substantially.
Watch.
America has also finally turned the page on decades of unfair trade deals that sacrificed
our prosperity and shipped away our companies, our jobs, and our wealth.
Our nation has lost its wealth, but we're getting it back so fast.
The era of economic surrender is totally over.
From now on, we expect trading relationships to be fair and, very importantly, reciprocal.
(Applause.)
We will work to fix bad trade deals and negotiate new ones.
And they'll be good ones, but they'll be fair.
And we will protect American workers and American intellectual property through strong enforcement
of our trade rules.
(Applause.)
As we rebuild our industries, it is also time to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure.
(Applause.)
America is a nation of builders.
We built the Empire State Building in just one year.
Isn't it a disgrace that it can now take 10 years just to get a minor permit approved
for the building of a simple road?
(Applause.)
I am asking both parties to come together to give us safe, fast, reliable, and modern
infrastructure that our economy needs and our people deserve.
(Applause.)
Tonight, I'm calling on Congress to produce a bill that generates at least $1.5 trillion
for the new infrastructure investment that our country so desperately needs.
Every federal dollar should be leveraged by partnering with state and local governments
and, where appropriate, tapping into private sector investment to permanently fix the infrastructure
deficit.
And we can do it.
(Applause.)
Any bill must also streamline the permitting and approval process, getting it down to no
more than two years, and perhaps even one.
Together, we can reclaim our great building heritage.
(Applause.)
We will build gleaming new roads, bridges, highways, railways, and waterways all across
our land.
And we will do it with American heart, and American hands, and American grit.
(Applause.)
We want every American to know the dignity of a hard day's work.
We want every child to be safe in their home at night.
And we want every citizen to be proud of this land that we all love so much.
We can lift our citizens from welfare to work, from dependence to independence, and from
poverty to prosperity.
(Applause.)
As tax cuts create new jobs, let's invest in workforce development and let's invest
in job training, which we need so badly.
(Applause.)
Let's open great vocational schools so our future workers can learn a craft and realize
their full potential.
(Applause.)
And let's support working families by supporting paid family leave.
(Applause.)
As America regains its strength, opportunity must be extended to all citizens.
That is why this year we will embark on reforming our prisons to help former inmates who have
served their time get a second chance at life.
(Applause.)
Struggling communities, especially immigrant communities, will also be helped by immigration
policies that focus on the best interests of American workers and American families.
For decades, open borders have allowed drugs and gangs to pour into our most vulnerable
communities.
They've allowed millions of low-wage workers to compete for jobs and wages against the
poorest Americans.
Most tragically, they have caused the loss of many innocent lives.
Here tonight are two fathers and two mothers: Evelyn Rodriguez, Freddy Cuevas, Elizabeth
Alvarado, and Robert Mickens.
Their two teenage daughters -- Kayla Cuevas and Nisa Mickens -- were close friends on
Long Island.
But in September 2016, on the eve of Nisa's 16th Birthday -- such a happy time it should
have been -- neither of them came home.
These two precious girls were brutally murdered while walking together in their hometown.
Six members of the savage MS-13 gang have been charged with Kayla and Nisa's murders.
Many of these gang members took advantage of glaring loopholes in our laws to enter
the country as illegal, unaccompanied alien minors, and wound up in Kayla and Nisa's high
school.
Evelyn, Elizabeth, Freddy, and Robert: Tonight, everyone in this chamber is praying for you.
Everyone in America is grieving for you.
Please stand.
Thank you very much.
(Applause.)
I want you to know that 320 million hearts are right now breaking for you.
We love you.
Thank you.
(Applause.)
While we cannot imagine the depths of that kind of sorrow, we can make sure that other
families never have to endure this kind of pain.
Tonight, I am calling on Congress to finally close the deadly loopholes that have allowed
MS-13, and other criminal gangs, to break into our country.
We have proposed new legislation that will fix our immigration laws and support our ICE
and Border Patrol agents -- these are great people; these are great, great people -- that
work so hard in the midst of such danger so that this can never happen again.
(Applause.)
The United States is a compassionate nation.
We are proud that we do more than any other country anywhere in the world to help the
needy, the struggling, and the underprivileged all over the world.
But as President of the United States, my highest loyalty, my greatest compassion, my
constant concern is for America's children, America's struggling workers, and America's
forgotten communities.
I want our youth to grow up to achieve great things.
I want our poor to have their chance to rise.
So, tonight, I am extending an open hand to work with members of both parties, Democrats
and Republicans, to protect our citizens of every background, color, religion, and creed.
(Applause.)
My duty, and the sacred duty of every elected official in this chamber, is to defend Americans,
to protect their safety, their families, their communities, and their right to the American
Dream.
Because Americans are dreamers too.
(Applause.)
Here tonight is one leader in the effort to defend our country, Homeland Security Investigations
Special Agent Celestino Martinez.
He goes by "DJ" and "CJ."
He said, "Call me either one."
So we'll call you "CJ."
Served 15 years in the Air Force before becoming an ICE agent and spending the last 15 years
fighting gang violence and getting dangerous criminals off of our streets.
Tough job.
At one point, MS-13 leaders ordered CJ's murder.
And they wanted it to happen quickly.
But he did not cave to threats or to fear.
Last May, he commanded an operation to track down gang members on Long Island.
His team has arrested nearly 400, including more than 220 MS-13 gang members.
And I have to tell you, what the Border Patrol and ICE have done -- we have sent thousands
and thousands and thousands of MS-13 horrible people out of this country or into our prisons.
So I just want to congratulate you, CJ.
You're a brave guy.
Thank you very much.
(Applause.)
And I asked CJ, "What's the secret?"
He said, "We're just tougher than they are."
And I like that answer.
(Laughter and applause.)
Now let's get Congress to send you -- and all of the people in this great chamber have
to do it; we have no choice.
CJ, we're going to send you reinforcements, and we're going to send them to you quickly.
It's what you need.
(Applause.)
Over the next few weeks, the House and Senate will be voting on an immigration reform package.
In recent months, my administration has met extensively with both Democrats and Republicans
to craft a bipartisan approach to immigration reform.
Based on these discussions, we presented Congress with a detailed proposal that should be supported
by both parties as a fair compromise, one where nobody gets everything they want, but
where our country gets the critical reforms it needs and must have.
(Applause.)
Here are the four pillars of our plan: The first pillar of our framework generously offers
a path to citizenship for 1.8 million illegal immigrants who were brought here by their
parents at a young age.
That covers almost three times more people than the previous administration covered.
(Applause.)
Under our plan, those who meet education and work requirements, and show good moral character,
will be able to become full citizens of the United States over a 12-year period.
(Applause.)
The second pillar fully secures the border.
(Applause.)
That means building a great wall on the southern border, and it means hiring more heroes, like
CJ, to keep our communities safe.
(Applause.)
Crucially, our plan closes the terrible loopholes exploited by criminals and terrorists to enter
our country, and it finally ends the horrible and dangerous practice of catch and release.
(Applause.)
The third pillar ends the visa lottery, a program that randomly hands out green cards
without any regard for skill, merit, or the safety of American people.
(Applause.)
It's time to begin moving towards a merit-based immigration system, one that admits people
who are skilled, who want to work, who will contribute to our society, and who will love
and respect our country.
(Applause.)
The fourth and final pillar protects the nuclear family by ending chain migration.
(Applause.)
Under the current broken system, a single immigrant can bring in virtually unlimited
numbers of distant relatives.
Under our plan, we focus on the immediate family by limiting sponsorships to spouses
and minor children.
(Applause.)
This vital reform is necessary, not just for our economy, but for our security and for
the future of America.
In recent weeks, two terrorist attacks in New York were made possible by the visa lottery
and chain migration.
In the age of terrorism, these programs present risks we can just no longer afford.
(Applause.)
It's time to reform these outdated immigration rules, and finally bring our immigration system
into the 21st century.
(Applause.)
These four pillars represent a down-the-middle compromise, and one that will create a safe,
modern, and lawful immigration system.
For over 30 years, Washington has tried and failed to solve this problem.
This Congress can be the one that finally makes it happen.
Most importantly, these four pillars will produce legislation that fulfills my ironclad
pledge to sign a bill that puts America first.
(Applause.)
So let's come together, set politics aside, and finally get the job done.
(Applause.)
These reforms will also support our response to the terrible crisis of opioid and drug
addiction.
Never before has it been like it is now.
It is terrible.
We have to do something about it.
In 2016, we lost 64,000 Americans to drug overdoses -- 174 deaths per day; 7 per hour.
We must get much tougher on drug dealers and pushers if we are going to succeed in stopping
this scourge.
(Applause.)
My administration is committed to fighting the drug epidemic and helping get treatment
for those in need, for those who have been so terribly hurt.
The struggle will be long and it will be difficult, but as Americans always do -- in the end,
we will succeed.
We will prevail.
(Applause.)
As we have seen tonight, the most difficult challenges bring out the best in America.
We see a vivid expression of this truth in the story of the Holets family of New Mexico.
Ryan Holets is 27 years old, an officer with the Albuquerque Police Department.
He's here tonight with his wife Rebecca.
(Applause.)
Thank you, Ryan.
Last year, Ryan was on duty when he saw a pregnant, homeless woman preparing to inject
heroin.
When Ryan told her she was going to harm her unborn child, she began to weep.
She told him she didn't know where to turn, but badly wanted a safe home for her baby.
In that moment, Ryan said he felt God speak to him: "You will do it, because you can."
He heard those words.
He took out a picture of his wife and their four kids.
Then, he went home to tell his wife Rebecca.
In an instant, she agreed to adopt.
The Holets named their new daughter Hope.
Ryan and Rebecca, you embody the goodness of our nation.
Thank you.
(Applause.)
Thank you, Ryan and Rebecca.
As we rebuild America's strength and confidence at home, we are also restoring our strength
and standing abroad.
Around the world, we face rogue regimes, terrorist groups, and rivals like China and Russia that
challenge our interests, our economy, and our values.
In confronting these horrible dangers, we know that weakness is the surest path to conflict,
and unmatched power is the surest means to our true and great defense.
For this reason, I am asking Congress to end the dangerous defense sequester and fully
fund our great military.
(Applause.)
As part of our defense, we must modernize and rebuild our nuclear arsenal, hopefully
never having to use it, but making it so strong and so powerful that it will deter any acts
of aggression by any other nation or anyone else.
(Applause.)
Perhaps someday in the future, there will be a magical moment when the countries of
the world will get together to eliminate their nuclear weapons.
Unfortunately, we are not there yet, sadly.
Last year, I also pledged that we would work with our allies to extinguish ISIS from the
face of the Earth.
One year later, I am proud to report that the coalition to defeat ISIS has liberated
very close to 100 percent of the territory just recently held by these killers in Iraq
and in Syria and in other locations, as well.
(Applause.)
But there is much more work to be done.
We will continue our fight until ISIS is defeated.
Army Staff Sergeant Justin Peck is here tonight.
Near Raqqa, last November, Justin and his comrade, Chief Petty Officer Kenton Stacy,
were on a mission to clear buildings that ISIS had rigged with explosive so that civilians
could return to that city hopefully soon, and hopefully safely.
Clearing the second floor of a vital hospital, Kenton Stacy was severely wounded by an explosion.
Immediately, Justin bounded into the booby-trapped and unbelievably dangerous and unsafe building,
and found Kenton, but in very, very bad shape.
He applied pressure to the wound and inserted a tube to reopen an airway.
He then performed CPR for 20 straight minutes during the ground transport, and maintained
artificial respiration through two and a half hours and through emergency surgery.
Kenton Stacy would have died if it were not for Justin's selfless love for his fellow
warrior.
Tonight, Kenton is recovering in Texas.
Raqqa is liberated.
And Justin is wearing his new Bronze Star, with a "V" for "valor."
Staff Sergeant Peck, all of America salutes you.
(Applause.)
Terrorists who do things like place bombs in civilian hospitals are evil.
When possible, we have no choice but to annihilate them.
When necessary, we must be able to detain and question them.
But we must be clear: Terrorists are not merely criminals.
They are unlawful enemy combatants.
(Applause.)
And when captured overseas, they should be treated like the terrorists they are.
In the past, we have foolishly released hundreds and hundreds of dangerous terrorists, only
to meet them again on the battlefield -- including the ISIS leader, al-Baghdadi, who we captured,
who we had, who we released.
So today, I'm keeping another promise.
I just signed, prior to walking in, an order directing Secretary Mattis, who is doing a
great job, thank you -- (applause) -- to reexamine our military detention policy and to keep
open the detention facilities in Guantanamo Bay.
(Applause.)
I am asking Congress to ensure that, in the fight against ISIS and al Qaeda, we continue
to have all necessary power to detain terrorists, wherever we chase them down, wherever we find
them.
And in many cases, for them, it will now be Guantanamo Bay.
(Applause.)
At the same time, as of a few months ago, our warriors in Afghanistan have new rules
of engagement.
(Applause.)
Along with their heroic Afghan partners, our military is no longer undermined by artificial
timelines, and we no longer tell our enemies our plans.
(Applause.)
Last month, I also took an action endorsed unanimously by the U.S. Senate just months
before.
I recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
(Applause.)
Shortly afterwards, dozens of countries voted in the United Nations General Assembly against
America's sovereign right to make this decision.
In 2016, American taxpayers generously sent those same countries more than $20 billion
in aid.
That is why, tonight, I am asking Congress to pass legislation to help ensure American
foreign-assistance dollars always serve American interests, and only go to friends of America,
not enemies of America.
(Applause.)
As we strengthen friendships all around the world, we are also restoring clarity about
our adversaries.
When the people of Iran rose up against the crimes of their corrupt dictatorship, I did
not stay silent.
America stands with the people of Iran in their courageous struggle for freedom.
(Applause.)
I am asking Congress to address the fundamental flaws in the terrible Iran nuclear deal.
My administration has also imposed tough sanctions on the communist and socialist dictatorships
in Cuba and Venezuela.
(Applause.)
But no regime has oppressed its own citizens more totally or brutally than the cruel dictatorship
in North Korea.
North Korea's reckless pursuit of nuclear missiles could very soon threaten our homeland.
We are waging a campaign of maximum pressure to prevent that from ever happening.
Past experience has taught us that complacency and concessions only invite aggression and
provocation.
I will not repeat the mistakes of past administrations that got us into this very dangerous position.
We need only look at the depraved character of the North Korean regime to understand the
nature of the nuclear threat it could pose to America and to our allies.
Otto Warmbier was a hardworking student at the University of Virginia -- and a great
student he was.
On his way to study abroad in Asia, Otto joined a tour to North Korea.
At its conclusion, this wonderful young man was arrested and charged with crimes against
the state.
After a shameful trial, the dictatorship sentenced Otto to 15 years of hard labor, before returning
him to America last June, horribly injured and on the verge of death.
He passed away just days after his return.
Otto's wonderful parents, Fred and Cindy Warmbier, are here with us tonight, along with Otto's
brother and sister, Austin and Greta.
Please.
(Applause.)
Incredible people.
You are powerful witnesses to a menace that threatens our world, and your strength truly
inspires us all.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
(Applause.)
Tonight, we pledge to honor Otto's memory with total American resolve.
Thank you.
(Applause.)
Finally, we are joined by one more witness to the ominous nature of this regime.
His name is Mr. Ji Seong-ho.
In 1996, Seong-ho was a starving boy in North Korea.
One day, he tried to steal coal from a railroad car to barter for a few scraps of food, which
were very hard to get.
In the process, he passed out on the train tracks, exhausted from hunger.
He woke up as a train ran over his limbs.
He then endured multiple amputations without anything to dull the pain or the hurt.
His brother and sister gave what little food they had to help him recover and ate dirt
themselves, permanently stunting their own growth.
Later, he was tortured by North Korean authorities after returning from a brief visit to China.
His tormentors wanted to know if he'd met any Christians.
He had -- and he resolved, after that, to be free.
Seong-ho traveled thousands of miles on crutches all across China and Southeast Asia to freedom.
Most of his family followed.
His father was caught trying to escape and was tortured to death.
Today he lives in Seoul, where he rescues other defectors, and broadcasts into North
Korea what the regime fears most: the truth.
Today, he has a new leg.
But, Seong-ho, I understand you still keep those old crutches as a reminder of how far
you've come.
Your great sacrifice is an inspiration to us all.
Please.
Thank you.
(Applause.)
Seong-ho's story is a testament to the yearning of every human soul to live in freedom.
It was that same yearning for freedom that nearly 250 years ago gave birth to a special
place called America.
It was a small cluster of colonies caught between a great ocean and a vast wilderness.
It was home to an incredible people with a revolutionary idea: that they could rule themselves;
that they could chart their own destiny; and that, together, they could light up the entire
world.
That is what our country has always been about.
That is what Americans have always stood for, always strived for, and always done.
Atop the dome of this Capitol stands the Statue of Freedom.
She stands tall and dignified among the monuments to our ancestors who fought, and lived, and
died to protect her.
Monuments to Washington, and Jefferson, and Lincoln, and King.
Memorials to the heroes of Yorktown and Saratoga; to young Americans who shed their blood on
the shores of Normandy and the fields beyond; and others, who went down in the waters of
the Pacific and the skies all over Asia.
And freedom stands tall over one more monument: this one.
This Capitol -- this living monument -- this is the moment to the American people.
(Applause.)
AUDIENCE: USA!
USA!
USA!
THE PRESIDENT: We're a people
whose heroes live not only in the past, but all around us, defending hope, pride, and
defending the American way.
They work in every trade.
They sacrifice to raise a family.
They care for our children at home.
They defend our flag abroad.
And they are strong moms and brave kids.
They are firefighters, and police officers, and border agents, medics, and Marines.
But above all else, they are Americans.
And this Capitol, this city, this nation, belongs entirely to them.
(Applause.)
Our task is to respect them, to listen to them, to serve them, to protect them, and
to always be worthy of them.
Americans fill the world with art and music.
They push the bounds of science and discovery.
And they forever remind us of what we should never, ever forget: The people dreamed this
country.
The people built this country.
And it's the people who are making America great again.
(Applause.)
As long as we are proud of who we are and what we are fighting for, there is nothing
we cannot achieve.
As long as we have confidence in our values, faith in our citizens, and trust in our God,
we will never fail.
Our families will thrive.
Our people will prosper.
And our nation will forever be safe and strong and proud and mighty and free.
Thank you.
And God bless America.
Goodnight.
(Applause.)
JUDY WOODRUFF: President Trump concludes his State of the Union address.
He went an hour and 20 minutes.
If State of the Union addresses normally are a laundry list of policy proposals, this one
certainly outlined what the president sees as his economic successes in his one year
in office.
And it was a call to reach across the aisle seeking Democratic support for his immigration
proposal, to come up with an infrastructure relief plan, but, as much as anything, Mark
Shields, I think, in the last half-hour, a celebration of American survival and courage,
with, I think, one guest after another in the audience, a North Korean defector, the
police officer who adopted the baby of an addicted -- a couple addicted of heroin, the
parents of two teenage girls who were murdered by gang members.
There were some emotional moments during this hour and 20 minutes.
MARK SHIELDS: Very emotional moments.
And it -- several of them were really quite special, especially the police officer and
his wife with four children who adopted the unborn child of the heroin addict, which is
really rather remarkable.
But it was a different Donald Trump certainly from the inaugural.
There was no carnage.
There was no dark and bleak.
It was quite upbeat.
What struck me is the willingness to applaud.
I noticed that Speaker Ryan didn't stand up and applaud when the president endorsed family
leave, paid family leave, and that it's the one exception.
But, I mean, the infrastructure, those were big items.
And the call for unity, Judy, while appealing, we will see how long-lasting it is.
It has a rather limited shelf life when the president calls people on the other side -- at
last count, he had personally insulted 83 Democratic elected members by name in his
tweets.
And we will see if that has been -- tonight, it was a bigger Donald Trump and sort of a
reaching across the aisle.
You're right.
And...
JUDY WOODRUFF: But, David -- I was just going to say, David, there were many Democrats who
were not standing when the president was speaking.
DAVID BROOKS: No, it's weird.
Now you seem to write speeches designed to get the people, the opposition to not stand,
and you hope they look bad.
That's one of the designs of these speeches.
I actually disagree with Mark on the tone of the speech.
I was struck first by the amazing number of people that he cited in the balcony.
Lenny Skutnik was the first one in 1982 that Ronald Reagan cited.
I have never seen so many cited.
MARK SHIELDS: No.
DAVID BROOKS: But when he put the tapestry of the stories together, you get a pretty
grim view.
He starts with some uplift about the economic numbers, but most of the stories are about
people getting killed.
It's about death in North Korea, death -- near death in Iraq, death from MS-13.
And so you evoke an emotional atmosphere of survivorship against hardship and against
malevolence and against threat.
And that's an emotional atmosphere designed to minimize compassion, to minimize hope,
and to shrink certain emotions and grow certain tough-minded ones.
JUDY WOODRUFF: The president making his way out of the chamber, greeting members of Congress.
Amy, I wrote down the word survival there toward the end.
AMY WALTER: I wrote down safety and security.
I'm with -- with David.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Yes.
AMY WALTER: I think, if we go through the speech and look at the amount of time the
president spent on the economy and jobs, the issue that he talked about obviously a lot
on the campaign, but that Americans are saying they feel the best about, compared to the
amount of time he spent on MS-13, ICE, Border Patrol, drug pushers and dealers, terrorists,
Guantanamo Bay, rebuilding our nuclear arsenal, North Korea, I think that would outweigh the
talk about jobs and the economy.
And there was very little -- there was a laundry list.
There always is in these things.
Very, very little specifics, if any, on infrastructure, lowering prescription drug costs, reforming
prisons, even on trade.
We're in the middle of negotiating -- the U.S. is -- in the middle of negotiating NAFTA.
No hints there about where we're going to go with a very, very big trade deal.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Matt Schlapp, what about the tone?
What about what Amy said about the tone of the speech not being one that is uplifting?
MATT SCHLAPP: Well, Amy wanted a longer speech, because she wanted more details.
(LAUGHTER)
MATT SCHLAPP: I think it was a plenty long speech.
And I think the policy coverage is there.
He kind of touched everything.
And the tone, I completely disagree, respectfully, with David.
I actually think these are American stories.
These are stories that need to be told.
Like Donald Trump or don't like Donald Trump, his election surprised a lot of people, because
he was talking to and connecting to people who aren't always listened to.
And the stories of the people today were stories that we haven't all heard.
Some of them really are uplifting stories, and stories of bravery, stories of cops, stories
of soldiers, stories of people being decent, yes, and people having to experience death
because of maybe bad policies.
And I think actually, weaving it together, Donald Trump built this speech on the plain
stories of American people.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Karine Jean-Pierre?
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Yes.
So, I agree with Amy and David on this one.
I think, there was, to me, a lot of dog whistle with this, like, carnage that was twisted
in this positive way.
And I think he was definitely talking to his base.
And it didn't seem partisan to me at all, and then...
JUDY WOODRUFF: Did or didn't?
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Did not.
And I think there was this other part of it, too, that where -- there were just a lot of
untruths, right?
And when I talk about the dog whistle, he talks about -- when he talks about immigrants,
he talks about terrorism, and that's how -- that's why we need to have this immigrant policy,
by using terrorism, MS-13, like Amy was saying, ICE and Border Patrol.
So, there was a lot of this kind of red meat that he -- I think he was very much throwing
together his base.
And then there was these -- the fact-checking that you needed to do about coal, about African-American
unemployment, which he shouldn't get credit for.
The hurricane -- FEMA announced today that it was cutting food and services to Puerto
Rico.
So there was a lot of that as well.
JUDY WOODRUFF: And you're right.
I mean, there was a listing.
And all night, we're seeing tweets of factual corrections.
The president is leaving -- leaving the House chamber.
It looks to me like it's cleared out surprisingly quickly.
MARK SHIELDS: Boy.
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, wow.
(LAUGHTER)
JUDY WOODRUFF: We're used to seeing people stick around for a little bit longer.
(CROSSTALK)
JUDY WOODRUFF: I just want to say, we are going to be hearing...
MARK SHIELDS: OK.
JUDY WOODRUFF: ... I think in about five or 10 minutes now from Congressman Joe Kennedy,
who will give the Democratic response.
There's a countdown from the time the president walks out that door until we hear from Congressman
Kennedy.
MARK SHIELDS: OK.
JUDY WOODRUFF: But, Mark, I don't want to stand in your way.
MARK SHIELDS: Yes.
All right.
OK.
Let me identify -- let me associate myself with Matt, which I have never said before...
(LAUGHTER)
MARK SHIELDS: ... and disassociate myself with David.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
MATT SCHLAPP: The hour must be late.
(LAUGHTER)
MARK SHIELDS: No, let me just say, I mean, were the facts wrong?
Sure.
I mean, it was the lowest, slowest job growth in the last six years, 2017 was, I mean, yes.
But I really do -- I do think the bar is low, but Donald Trump showed a side of himself
this evening which he hasn't shown.
I mean, he's been a divisive, personalizing president, criticizing, not establishing relations
with people on the other side, many on his own side.
He's driven two senators of his own party to retirement who disagree with him, Bob Corker
and Jeff Flake.
And -- but, at the same time, he did -- he did tonight show a side that was more civil.
AMY WALTER: Yes.
And I will say this.
He spent less time talking about himself and allowing other people...
(CROSSTALK)
MARK SHIELDS: Himself.
That was the point I was going to make about the anecdotes.
AMY WALTER: I agree.
MARK SHIELDS: He wasn't talking about Donald Trump all the time.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Before you -- before you go any further, I want to go our White House
correspondent, Yamiche Alcindor.
She's there at the big White House.
Yamiche, you were listening to this.
You had gotten a sense earlier today what the president wanted to say.
Did that come across?
YAMICHE ALCINDOR: I think it very much came across.
The president essentially had a laundry list of ideas and goals that he wanted to communicate
to the American people, chief among them immigration.
The line that sticks out to me is that Americans are dreamers, too.
For the base, that really, I think, is going to make them very happy.
But for the people that are still struggling with immigration, it shows that he might be
putting Americans -- pitting Americans against immigrants.
The other thing I thought about was the idea that he was bringing into the chamber people
who were affected by crime that was committed by immigrants.
There is this idea that this administration is being accused of using stereotypes, mainly
that immigrants are both a drag on the social safety net, but also criminality, that they
could be criminals, that that's something that people could take away from the speech.
He did, however, hit on topics that could be bipartisan.
He talked about the opioid crisis.
He talked about infrastructure.
But this is a speech that was written by so many different people, with H.R. McMaster
and Stephen Miller and Gary Cohn weighing in, that the president really just had to
deliver what was in the teleprompter.
He didn't go off-speech.
I was following along with the speech most of the time, and he very -- he did very little
ad-libbing.
So, that is something that the president was able to at least keep that in line.
But he did clap for himself a lot.
(LAUGHTER)
YAMICHE ALCINDOR: So, you could tell that he was up there having a good time.
JUDY WOODRUFF: We -- yes, we were noticing that.
Yamiche, we're only a minute or so away from the Democratic response, but, just very quickly,
the president made several calls to Democrats to reach across the aisle.
Is the White House serious about that?
YAMICHE ALCINDOR: The White House says that they are very serious about reaching across
the aisle, but they also have very clear lines.
They said the word chain immigration again today.
He said the word chain immigration.
That's something that is very, very -- that makes Democrats very, very angry.
They think that families should have the right to be united.
But he cast it as families -- as protecting nuclear families by ending families coming
together from immigration.
There is this idea that he wants to work with the Democrats, but he wants to work on his
terms.
Of course, the Republicans control all the seats of government.
They have the House, the Senate and the White House.
So, working with the Democrats might turn into, you need to sign on and agree with what
we have because we're the ones with the power.
He's hinted that Mitch McConnell should change the rules of the Senate to make it easier
for Republicans to pass legislation only for Republicans, only supported by Republicans.
So, that tells me that, even though the president wants to work with Democrats, they also are
ready to use a backup plan, which would completely circumvent Democrats.
JUDY WOODRUFF: A so-called filibuster rule.
Yamiche, we are going to come back to you later.
We are just a few seconds away, I think, from hearing the Democratic response.
It's going to come from the third-term congressman from the state of Massachusetts.
He is Joseph Kennedy, 37 years old.
He is the son of a former congressman, Joe Kennedy, the grandson of an attorney general,
the late Robert F. Kennedy, and, of course, great nephew of President John F. Kennedy.
This is -- there was a lot of conversation about who the Democrats should have chosen.
We are going to get a chance to hear him right now, Congressman Joe Kennedy.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
REP.
JOE KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
REP.
JOE KENNEDY: Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
REP.
JOE KENNEDY: Thank you.
Good evening ladies and gentlemen.
It is a privilege to join you tonight.
We are here in Fall River, Massachusetts – a proud American city, built by immigrants.
From textiles to robots, this is a place that knows how to make great things.
The students with us this evening in the autoshop at Diman Regional Technical School carry on
that rich legacy.
Like many American hometowns, Fall River has faced its share of storms.
But people here are tough.
They fight for each other.
They pull for their city.
It is a fitting place to gather as our nation reflects on the state of our union.
This is a difficult task.
Many have spent the past year anxious, angry, afraid.
We all feel the fault lines of a fractured country.
We hear the voices of Americans who feel forgotten and forsaken.
We see an economy that makes stocks soar, investor portfolios bulge and corporate profits
climb but fails to give workers their fair share of the reward.
A government that struggles to keep itself open.
Russia knee-deep in our democracy.
An all-out war on environmental protection.
A Justice Department rolling back civil rights by the day.
Hatred and supremacy proudly marching in our streets.
Bullets tearing through our classrooms, concerts, and congregations.
Targeting our safest, sacred places.
And that nagging, sinking feeling, no matter your political beliefs: this is not right.
This is not who we are.
It would be easy to dismiss the past year as chaos.
Partisanship.
Politics.
But it's far bigger than that.
This administration isn't just targeting the laws that protect us – they are targeting
the very idea that we are all worthy of protection.
For them, dignity isn't something you're born with but something you measure.
By your net worth, your celebrity, your headlines, your crowd size.
Not to mention, the gender of your spouse.
The country of your birth.
The color of your skin.
The God of your prayers.
Their record is a rebuke of our highest American ideal: the belief that we are all worthy,
we are all equal and we all count.
In the eyes of our law and our leaders, our God and our government.
That is the American promise.
But today that promise is being broken.
By an Administration that callously appraises our worthiness and decides who makes the cut
and who can be bargained away.
They are turning American life into a zero-sum game.
Where, in order for one to win, another must lose.
Where we can guarantee America's safety if we slash our safety net.
We can extend healthcare to Mississippi if we gut it in Massachusetts.
We can cut taxes for corporations today if we raise them for families tomorrow.
We can take care of sick kids if we sacrifice Dreamers.
We are bombarded with one false choice after another:
Coal miners or single moms.
Rural communities or inner cities.
The coast or the heartland.
As if the mechanic in Pittsburgh and the teacher in Tulsa and the daycare worker in Birmingham
are somehow bitter rivals, rather than mutual casualties of a system forcefully rigged for
those at the top.
As if the parent who lies awake terrified that their transgender son will be beaten
and bullied at school is any more or less legitimate than the parent whose heart is
shattered by a daughter in the grips of opioid addiction.
So here is the answer Democrats offer tonight: we choose both.
We fight for both.
Because the strongest, richest, greatest nation in the world shouldn't leave any one behind.
We choose a better deal for all who call this country home.
We choose the living wage, paid leave and affordable child care your family needs to
survive.
We choose pensions that are solvent, trade pacts that are fair, roads and bridges that
won't rust away, and good education you can afford.
We choose a health care system that offers mercy, whether you suffer from cancer or depression
or addiction.
We choose an economy strong enough to boast record stock prices AND brave enough to admit
that top CEOs making 300 times the average worker is not right.
We choose Fall River.
We choose the thousands of American communities whose roads aren't paved with power or privilege,
but with honest effort, good faith, and the resolve to build something better for their
kids.
That is our story.
It began the day our Founding Fathers and Mothers set sail for a New World, fleeing
oppression and intolerance.
It continued with every word of our Independence – the audacity to declare that all men are
created equal.
An imperfect promise for a nation struggling to become a more perfect union.
It grew with every suffragette's step, every Freedom Riders voice, every weary soul we
welcomed to our shores.
And to all the Dreamers watching tonight, let me be clear: Ustedes son parte de nuestra
historia.
Vamos a luchar por ustedes y no nos vamos alejar.
You are a part of our story.
We will fight for you.
We will not walk away.
America, we carry that story on our shoulders.
You swarmed Washington last year to ensure no parent has to worry if they can afford
to save their child's life.
You proudly marched together last weekend – thousands deep -- in the streets of Las
Vegas and Philadelphia and Nashville.
You sat high atop your mom's shoulders and held a sign that read: "Build a wall and
my generation will tear it down."
You bravely say, me too.
You steadfastly say, black lives matter.
You wade through flood waters, battle hurricanes, and brave wildfires and mudslides to save
a stranger.
You fight your own, quiet battles every single day.
You drag your weary bodies to that extra shift so your families won't feel the sting of
scarcity.
You leave loved ones at home to defend our country overseas, or patrol our neighborhoods
overnight.
You serve.
You rescue.
You help.
You heal.
That – more than any law or leader, any debate or disagreement – that is what drives
us toward progress.
Bullies may land a punch.
They might leave a mark.
But they have never, not once, in the history of our United States, managed to match the
strength and spirit of a people united in defense of their future.
Politicians can be cheered for the promises they make.
Our country will be judged by the promises we keep.
THAT is the measure of our character.
That's who we are.
Out of many.
One.
Ladies and gentlemen, have faith: The state of our union is hopeful, resilient, enduring.
Thank you, God Bless you and your families, and God Bless the United States of America
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
JUDY WOODRUFF: Third-term Democratic Congressman Joe Kennedy speaking from a training -- a
vocational training school in Fall River, Massachusetts, in his congressional district,
lifting up a Democratic vision of fairness and calling out President Trump and his administration
for what he called a zero-sum game approach.
Let's go quickly to our Lisa Desjardins at the Capitol.
Lisa, how are they reacting to the president's speech and to this?
LISA DESJARDINS: Speaking to a few members of Congress, who, you were right, Judy, got
out of that chamber pretty quickly, members of both parties used a single word, Judy -- and
it was interesting -- it was subdued.
Talking to a Republican, he said that was a good thing.
And talking to a Democrat, they said they're not sure what it means.
I can tell you, it wasn't just the president's speech that was subdued.
The atmosphere here in general, Judy, has a much lower energy quality to it than State
of the Unions I have seen in the past.
I don't know if that has to do with all of the dynamics swirling around the Capitol,
but it's something I have certainly noticed tonight.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, I know, Lisa, you have been talking to members of Congress.
And we're going to be putting that online for our viewers to watch.
Just very quickly, Mark Shields, David Brooks, we have got about a minute.
Takeaway from the whole night, Mark?
MARK SHIELDS: I will take 55 seconds.
(LAUGHTER)
MARK SHIELDS: Thirty-seven years old, younger than the president's son.
That was a generational change.
That was the message tonight.
He -- the messenger was the message.
DAVID BROOKS: Yes.
And I would say Donald Trump used a lot of us/them distinctions.
And Democrats have a tendency to fall into that, of class warfare.
Kennedy, because he heralds from his family, did the "all of us" theme, and it's probably
a better theme for Democrats.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Amy?
AMY WALTER: Except it felt a lot like the Hillary Clinton 2016 stronger together speech,
just repackaged in this year, and it wasn't a particularly successful strategy in 2016.
This time, different now that Trump is actually president.
We will wait and see.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Matt Schlapp?
MATT SCHLAPP: I give him credit.
I think they set up the speech well.
I liked the enthusiasm to begin with.
I just think it was a little harshly partisan.
I don't think that was the right way to go, but give the young man some credit.
I think he had an exuberant speech.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Karine Jean-Pierre?
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: I think he kind of had this Obamaesque quality to -- that's what
I saw, 37 years old, young, really reaching out to the millennials out there.
I think the Democrats were doing that.
And I think that's important to do.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, we want to thank each and every one of you for being here tonight
for the president's State of the Union.
We're going to continue to cover this online.
But, for now, that wraps up our special live coverage of President Trump's State of the
Union address and the Democrats' response, which you just heard.
I want to thank all of our guests again, everyone who joined us.
I'm Judy Woodruff.
Stay with us as our coverage continues, as we said, online.
For all of us at the "PBS NewsHour," thank you, and we'll see
you soon.
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