Transcripts For KGO State Of The Union Address 20180131

Collusion. Rocket man. We are building a wall. Very fine people. On both sides. Hes fired. Hes fired. Announcer now, tonight, what will his message be to a divided congress and polarized america . Finally, we are putting america first. Announcer live from the nations capital, the state of the Union Address and the democratic response. Now reporting, george stephanopoulos. Announcer good evening, and welcome to abcs live coverage of President Trumps first state of the union. What a year it has been. Its been a year of conflict and controversy. Both for President Trump and the country he now leads. Its been exciting and exhausting, unusual in so many ways. With a president unlike any weve seen before. Tonight, a turn to tradition. Trumps chance to put his stamp on the year past and set the agenda for the year ahead in this most formal setting. And that was the moment, just moments ago when the first lady, melania trump, came in, as has become the tradition. Shell be surrounded by the president s guests today. And were surrounded by our Political Team tonight. I want to go to our jon karl in the chambers. And the president clearly going to take a victory lap tonight, take credit for the Strong Economy and the tax cut he thinks is going to make it stronger, but he is also entering the chamber with the lowest Approval Rating of any modern president one year in. White house Officials Say the speech is going to be both optimistic and inclusive. Those are not the first words that come to mind when you think of trumps first year. Right. The theme he has tonight is unity, but hes entering a chamber that is as divided as has ever been. I was here during the clinton impeachment and this feels even more divided than it was then. Many democrats here in this chamber see the president as not merely somebody they disagree with, but somebody who is a danger. And republicans in this chamber talk about this deep state conspiracy within the fbi to thwart this president. But the president s theme here will be optimism. In the trump world view, america is back. Stock market is roaring. Were in the midst of an historic rally there. Unemployment is down. And thanks to his tax cuts, American Companies are handing out bonuses. That really turned the corner for the president at the end of the year. Mary bruce also in the house tonight, over in statutory hall. Thats the big accomplishment for the majority in the house and senate. They got that Supreme Court justice, but many republicans fear theyre going to lose this majority because of the backlash against President Trump. George, polls show this president is deeply unpopular and so far, weve seen his party is paying the political price. The gop majority here is now on the line. And so, while the president tonight may try to strike more of an optimistic tone, a bipartisan tone as he tries to strike deals on everything from immigration to infrastructure to a spending deal, the reality is, he needs democrats now in order to get anything done, in order to get his agenda through. But george, democrats, they are already eyeing november and they hope eyeing retaking the majority. As the president has said many times, he needs 60 votes to get anything done. As you said, jon karl, healing the divide going to be a big theme of the president. Here with world news tonight david muir. We were at the white house today with the president. He talked about healing this divide. Also, it was interesting, towards the end of that lunch, he talked about what he learned as president this year, learned he has to work with heart and soul. Different from business. Absolutely. Because he campaigned on being a businessman. But he said a lot of the skills you learn as a businessman, hes brought to the white house with him. He said you really do whats best for purely monetary reasons when youre a businessman, you make your money, youre competing against people you often dont like, you want to win. But he said, in what is normally an off the record moment, he said, i have learned that it takes heart and compassion to govern. Here comes the sergeantatarms, paul irving. He will introduce the president. Mr. Speaker, the president of the United States. And the president will work his way down the aisle. Many members of Congress Looking for that grip and grin as he makes his way down. Matthew dowd, were talking about those members of Congress Looking for a second with the president. You got about 20 minutes with the president today alone, while we were, after we were having lunch, he called you in for a meeting and reinforced this theme here that weve been talking about. Yeah, the white house reached out this morning and asked if i could have a meeting at the oval office and it was a oneonone meeting with the president and i. And i emphasized to the president , i said to the president , this country is as divided as its ever been in our history and he as the president of the United States, he needs to do something about that. I told him, its going to take more than just a speech tonight. He understood the importance of the teach. Its going to take a series of actions in the aftermath of this speech. He seemed to understand howdy slided the country is and he needs to step up. And cecilia vega, one of the issues going to be front and center tonight, immigration. Its divided democrats and republicans, different regions of the country. And the president has seemed to be of a divided mind on this, as well. Sometimes talking about compromise, taking quite a hard line on immigration. And thats been exceptionally frustrating for the people trying to negotiate a deal with him. Remember, Chuck Schumer said negotiating with donald trump has been negotiating with jello. The clock is ticking on this congress and this president to save these dreamers, as many would say. He needs the democrats to do this. We are told that immigration will be a big focus tonight. We also know that among the main speechwriters who helped the president on this speech is stephen miller, his Senior Adviser who helped write this speech. You know, immigration has been a real test for this president. This is the president , the art of the deal president who so far has been unable to reach a deal on immigration, his big selling point, the wall, still not funded. Pushing for that deal, george. Its bedevilled president s before. George w. Bush couldnt get a bipartisan immigration deal, nor could barack obama. The president , byron pitts, hoping the economy is the glue that holds people together, as he works his way up to the podium. He talked about lowest black unemployment in years, but charlottesville, on many minds, also those comments he made about african haiti. People in this country believe hes against them. You talk about those employment numbers, yes, historic. Lowest theyve been for africanamericans, but consider this. This is the slowest drop in unemployment for blacks in five years. And black unemployment is still twice that of white america. So, he has to impact those numbers before he changes minds. The president handing his speech to the speaker of the house, paul ryan, Vice President mike pence. Looks like hes ready to get to work. Martha raddatz, we saw the president work his way past several generals there, including many that work for him. Many, many generals working for him. Secretary mattis, retired general, of course, h. R. Mcmaster, and john kelly, his chief of staff. You saw him pass by the joint chiefs. I often have people ask me why they are so serious and stern at these things, theyre not supposed to clap unless its about the troops. So, well keep our eye on that. Only clap in support nothing policy or politics. And we remember when the president had that infamous Cabinet Meeting and he was surrounded by praise from his fellow cabinet members, it was general mattis. And thats all he did. Everyone else said something very nice about President Trump, and general mattis said, were proud of our troops. Democratic leader of the house, nancy pelosi there. Now well hear from the speaker. Attorney general jeff sessions. Members of congress, i have the high privilege and the distinct honor of presenting you to the president of the United States. Another big round of applause as the president takes that in. I want to welcome in our newest abc contributor, former governor of new jersey, chris christie. One thing the president wont mention tonight, something thats hung over his head for much of this last year, the russia investigation. Special counsel robert mueller. No, he wont, george. And i think thats good for the country and good for the president. It aggravating him, it angers him and thats not the president we need to see tonight. The president we need to see tonight is the one who spoke to us on Election Night of 2016. Inspirational and aspirational. One more standing ovation for the president from his staff, from republicans in congress. 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 have never 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 americas soul and the steel in americas 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 ashley lepert, who is here tonight in the gallery with melania. [ applause ] ashlee was aboard one of the first helicopters on the scene during 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. Hes 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. Were incredibly grateful for the heroic efforts of the Capital Police officers, theal sand dree ya police and the doctors, nurses and paramedics who saved his life and the lives of many others, some in this room. And the aftermath yes. Yes. [ applause ] and 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 ] thank you. 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 theres a frontier, we cross it. If theres a challenge, we tame it. If theres an opportunity, we seize it. So, lets 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 45year low. And something im very proud of, africanamerican unemployment stands at the lowest rate ever recorded. [ applause ] and hispanicamerican unemployment has also reached the lowest levels in history. Small Business Confidence is at an alltime 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 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. Now, the first 24,000 earned by a married couple is completely tax free. We also doubled the child tax credit. A typical family of four making 75,000 will see their tax bill reduced by 2,000, slashing their tax bill in half. 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 couldnt afford governmentordered health plans. We repealed the core of the disastrous obamacare. The individual mandate is now gone. Thank heavens. [ applause ] we slashed the business tax rate from 35 all the way down to 21 , so American Companies can compete and win against anyone else, anywhere in the world. These changes alone are estimated to increase average Family Income by more than 4,000. A lot of money. Small businesses have also received a massive tax cut and cannot deduct 20 of their business income. Here tonight are steve staub and Sandy Keplinger of staub manufacturin manufacturing, a small, beautiful business in ohio. They have just finished the best year in their 20year 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. One of staubs employees, corey adams, is also with us tonight. Corey is an allamerican 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 hes a great welder. I was told that by the man that owns that company thats 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 its 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, exxon mobil announced a 50 billion investment in the United States. Just a little while ago. 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 youve been or where youve 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 were going to have, and what kind of a nation were 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. 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 12yearold boy from reading, california, who noticed that veter 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. 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 youve done, preston. Thank you very much. Prestons 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. 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 health care decisions. [ applause ] last and i signed, the landmark v. A. Accountability act. Since its passage, my administration has already removed more than 1,500 v. A. Employees who fail to give our veterans the care they deserve, and we are hiring talented people who love our vets as much as we do. Zbl [ applause ] zbl and i will not stop until our vets are properly taken care of, which has been my promise to them from the very beginning of this great journey. All americans deserve accountability and respect, and thats what we are giving to our wonderful heroes, our veterans. Thank you. 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. In our drive to make washington accountab 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 coal. We are now very proudly an exporter of energy to the world. In detroit, i halted government mandates that crippled americas great, beautiful autoworkers, so that we can get motor city revving its engines again, and thats whats happening. Many Car Companies are now building and expanding plants in the United States, something we havent 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 havent seen this in a long time. Its 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, theyre coming back, they want to be where the action is, they want to be in the United States of america. Thats where they want to be. 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 countrys history. We also believe that patients with terminal conditions, terminal illness, should have access to experimental treatment immediately, that could potentially save their lives. People who are termally 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. Its 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. In many other countries, these drugs cost far less than what we pay in the United States and its very, very unfair. That is why ive directed my administration to make fixing the injustice of high drug prices one of my Top Priorities for the year. 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 were 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 theyll be good ones, but theyll be fair. And we will protect American Workers and American Intellectual property, through strong enforcement of our trade rules. 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. Isnt it a disgrace that it can now take ten years just to get a minor permit approved for the building of a simple road . Im asking both parties to come together to give us safe, fast, reliable and modern inf infrastructure that our economy needs and our people deserve. Tonight, im 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 inf infrastructure deficit, and we can do it. 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. 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. We want every american to know the dignity of a hard days 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. As tax cuts create new jobs, lets invest in Work Force Development and lets invest in job training, which we need so badly. Lets open great vocational schools so our future workers can learn a craft and realize their full potential. [ applause ] and lets support working families by supporting paid family leave. 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. 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. Theyve 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 were Close Friends on long island. But in september 2016, on the eve of nises 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 ms13 gang have been charged with kayla and nises 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 nises 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 ] [ applause ] i want you to know that 320 million hearts are right now breaking for you. We love you. Thank you. 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 ms13 and other criminal gangs to break into our country. We have proposed new legislation that will fix our immigration laws and support our i. C. E. 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. 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 americas children, americas struggling workers and americas 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 investigation special ajegent celestino 15 years in the air force before becoming an i. C. E. Agent and getting dangerous criminals off of our streets. Tough job. At one point, ms13 leaders ordered c. J. 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 ms13 gang members. And i have to tell you, what the Border Patrol and i. C. E. Have done, we have sent thousands and thousands and thousands of ms13 horrible people out of this country or into our prisons. So, i just want to congratulation you, c. J. , youre a brave guy. Thank you very much. [ applause ] and i asked c. J. , whats the secret . He said, were just tougher than they are, and i liked that answer. Now, lets get congress to send you and all of the people in this Great Chamber have to do it, we have no choice, c. J. , were going to send you reinforcements and were going to send them to you quickly. Its what you need. 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. 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 as a young age. That covers almost three times more people than the Previous Administration covered. 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 12year period. The second pillar fully secures the border. [ applause ] that means building a great wall on the s southern border and it means hiring more heroes like c. J. To keep our communities safe. 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. 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. Its time to begin moving toward a meritbased 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. 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. 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. Its time to reform. Its time to reform these outdated immigration rules and finally bring our immigration system into the 21st century. 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. So, lets come together, set politics aside and finally get the job done. 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 americans to drug overdoses. 174 deaths per day, seven 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 is 27 years old, an officer with the Albuquerque Police department. Hes 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 didnt 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 americas 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. Perhaps some day 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 alsopledged 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 of the territory just recently held by these killers in iraq and in syria and in other locations, as well. 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 raqqah 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 boobytrapped 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 justins Selfless Love for his fellow warrior. Tonight, kenton is recovering in texas. Raqqah is liberated. And justin is wearing his new bronze star with a have thave tt valor. Staff sergeant peck, all of america salutes you. [ applause ] [ 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. 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 fool ishli 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, im 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. At the same time, as of a few months ago, our warriors in afghanistan have new rules of engagement. Along with their heroic afghan partners, our military is no longer undermined by artificial timelines and we know 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 americas 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 oured adversarie 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 always imposed tough sanctions on the communist and socialistic dictatorships in cuba and venezuela. But no regime has 0 prooppressed own citizens more totally than the cruel dictatorship in north korea. North koreas 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. Ottos wonderful parents, fred and cindy, are here with us tonight, along with ottos 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 ottos memory with total american resolve. Thank you. Finally more witness to the ominous nature of this regime. His name is is is is is is is he 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 tormenters wanted to know if hed met any christians. He had, and he resolved after that to be free. He 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 understand you still keep those old crutches as a reminder of how far youve come. Your great sacrifice is an inspiration to us all. Please. Thank you. [ applause ] [ applause ] his 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 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 nified 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. 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 capit capitol, this living monument, this is the monument to the American People. [ applause ] were 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 its 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. Good night. President trump wrapping up his first state of the union. It was a long one. And hour and 20 minutes. Not the longest ever, bill clinton has that record. President repeating some of his signature lines, saying the American People are making America Great again. Says the era of economic surrender is over. Says he wants an imgramigration policy that puts america first. Came into this chamber today promising to try to heal the divides of america, bring america together. Were going to find out in the coming days what america thought about that. First, want to go inside the chamber, as the president works his way back, to jon karl who was there for it all. One thing is pretty clear, jon. He did not unify that chamber tonight. George, ive never seen anything like it. Right now, the democrats have basically run for the exits. I mean, usually when the president leaves, you still have members applauding. He did not unify this chamber, particularly on the issue of immigration. Not a single democratic applause on his immigration proposal. Yeah, and mary bruce, our senior congestiressional correspondent, this was supposed to be the big compromise, thats not what democrat heard and you could hear the audible groans when he was talking about the pillars in the immigration plan. Exactly. A fair compromise is how the president may be describing the plan that hes outlined, but that is certainly not how democrats see it. And members of the president s own party have objections to this deal. Look, this is the most pressing issue facing congress right now and it took the president about 45 minutes to address it. There is an urgent looming deadline here and republicans and democrats are no closer to solving this and, george, you have to think about those dozens of dreamers in the audience tonight. What they are thinking, as they hear the president talk about this, as they see the divisions there on the floor, concerned that they could face deportation come the beginning of march. And what the dreamers were thinking when they heard the president say that line that will likely be one of the most memorable moments, when he said americans are dreamers, too. Senior White House Correspondent cecilia vega, we heard that line, we heard a lot about the dangers of unenforced borders, echoes of his announcement speech back in june of 2015. Exactly. One of the things that he said, though, george is that he to set t have the country sete the differences and went on to talk about undocumented immigrants as ms13 gang members, demonizing them. Hes going to have a tough sell when hes trying to sell again, sort of stoking, i think many would say, racial tensions by bringing up the issue out of kneeling at the national anthem. People will see this as clear and concise from this president. And meghan mccain, from the view also joining us tonight, did the president did you hear any avenues of bipartisan compromise tonight or was this more the president who is deciding to stick with his base . It was actually surprisingly not as bipartisan as i anticipated. As cecilia talked about kneeling, or standing for the national anthem, his commitment to the Second Amendment, enfa sizing in god we trust, those are things that will certainly make his base happy, but not necessarily something i anticipated in this kind of state of the union speech. Like i said, it was a lot more divisive than i anticipated, but im sure conservatives will be happy tonight. Matthew dowd, did the president deliver what he talked to you about earlier today . What i was thinking as i was listening to the speech, is that the president met with me after the speech, i would say to him, well, that was how not to give a unifying speech. So, lets going back and give unifying speech. Calling this a healing speech is almost like calling, going on a diet by drinking a diet coke and eating a pizza. Thats as much of a healing speech this was. David, the president sounded like he meant it when he said it. He really did, and, you know, to Meghan Mccains point, it will make conservatives happy, i was thinking about the voters we talked to in pennsylvania, michigan, wisconsin, in particular to districts where it was less than 1 , the difference between donald trump and hillary clinton, and then when we were at that lunch today at the white house, and i asked him, what will he say to the people who are still not convinced he hasnt brought anymore people into the fray in many of the places we talked to them, and he said, i would consider it a great achievement if we could make our country united. Thats what we told us today, if i could unite this country. As you can see in that chamber tonight, democrats rarely standing, and certainly not on any of the policy proposals. Not even on infrastructure, george, which is something the democrats have talked long about, as well. Martha raddatz, he did try to get bipartisan support for supporting the troops. Thats an easy one, for supporting the troops. Youre going to get applause for that. It was just a particularly gloomy speech. I mean, he didnt mention the word carnage, but he talked a lot about carnage. It was a sad speech there at the end and did not unify, exactly what everybody is saying about not unifying the democrats. They respect people in the country who probably feel how they do. Chris christie, are we missing something here . It was a traditional state of the union speech. I thought it was too long, but in the end, george, i would disagree with martha and some of the others on this, the democrats were not standing for anything. Nothing. Even the things that everybody can be unified on. They didnt stand on. The fact of the matter is, theyre in 2018 Midterm Election war footing. Now, the president maybe could have done things differently, shortened it, got a bigger and more unifying theme, but in the end, i dont know if they would have even stood up then. That was a pretty glum looking group of democrats all through the evening. Cokie roberts, was that a mistake for the democrats . Well, they probably should have been some what more enthusiastic when the president came in. We havent seen them not clapping for a president who enters the chamber, but he did do a variety of things that clearly did make them angry, and, you know, talking about the Nation National standing for the national anthem, there were many memb members there wearing african cloth. The president never mentioned africa, never said anything like that, so, there was not anything there for them to relate to. President has left the chamber. Were going to take a quick break. When we come back, the democratic response with congressman joe feoseph kennedy. Announcer next, hes the grandson of liberal icon Bobby Kennedy and the grand nephew of senator ted kennedy. 37yearold congressman from massachusetts, joe kennedy iii. How will he respond . Abc news live coverage of the state of the union and the democratic response will continue in a moment. Whthe answer is simple really. Americans make America Great. You are the lifeblood of the nation. And your rights as americans must be safeguarded. Theres only one solution to keep our country great. A new tradition. Participate today and nothin will make you more prouder than when your boy looks up at you and says, dad, i wanna purge too. The first purge. In theaters july 4th. This film is not yet rated. You were borne to travel. Borne to rock. Borne to piggyback. And you dont want anything stopping you from doing what you love. So if youre looking to give your immune system extra support. Only airborne plus betaimmune booster is made with a crafted blend of vitamins and minerals, plus an added ingredient proven to boost your natural defenses. Keep doing what you were borne to do. Airborne plus beta immune booster. And we are back. About to get the democratic response from congressman joe kennedy from fall river, massachusetts. A Third Generation of kennedys. I want to bring in stephanie cutter, who has worked closely with the kennedy family. A grandson of Bobby Kennedy. Thats right. Congressman kennedy has a strong reputation of being a workhorse. Now a show boat, which, as you know, is unusual in congress. Hes very popular at home in massachusetts. And i think what well see tonight is unlike what was billed for the president s speech, this will be a real unifying speech. Thats what thats where his passion is, in bringing people together. Hes solutionoriented. Thats his reputation in massachusetts. And i think well see it. He will be speaking before a small crowd in fall river, massachusetts. Congressman joe kennedy, coming up right now. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. It is an absolute privilege to join you all tonight. We are here in fall river, massachusetts, a proud American City. An American City built by immigrants. From tech tiles to robots, this is a place that knows how to make great things. The students that are with us here this evening in the Auto Tech Program carry on that rich legacy. Like Many American hometowns, fall river has faced its share of storms. But the 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. And many have spent the last year anxious, angry, afraid. We all feel the fractured fault lines across our country. We hear the voices of americans who are forgotten and feel 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 kneedeep in our democracy. An allout 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 classro classrooms, concerts and congregations. Targeting our safest sacred places. And this nagging, sinking feeling, no matter your political beliefs, that this is not right. This is not who we are. [ applause ] folks, it would be easy to dismiss this past year as chaos, partisanship, politics. But its far, far bigger than that. This administration isnt just targeting the laws that protect us, theyre targeting the very idea that we are all worthy of protection. For them, dignity isnt something youre 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 to our highest american eye deem, the belief that we are all worthy, that we are all equal, that we all count, in the eyes of our law and our leaders, our god and our government. That is the american promise. [ applause ] but today, ladies and gentlemen, today that promise is being broken. By an administration that callusly appraises our wort worthiness and decides who makes the cut and who can be bargained away. They are turning American Life into a zero sum game where for one to win, another must lose. Where we can guarantee americas safety if we slash our safety net. Where we can extend health care in mississippi if we gut it in massachusetts. We can cut taxes for corporations today if we raise them on families tomorrow. Where 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, a teacher in tulsa and a day care worker in birmingham are bitter rivals rather than mutual casualties of a system forcefully rigged towards those at the top. As if the parent who lies awake, terrified that their transgender son or daughter will be beaten and bullied at school is anymore or less legitimate than a parent whose heart is shattered by a daughter in the grips of an opioid addiction. So, here is the answer that democrats offer tonight. We choose both. We fight for both. Because the greatest, strongest, richest nation in the world should not have to leave anyone behind. We choose a better deal for all who call our country home. We choose a living wage and paid leave and affordable child care your family needs to survive. Pensions that are solvent, trade pacts that are fair, roads and bridges that wont rust away, a good education that you can afford. We choose a Health Care System that offers you 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 their average worker is not right. We choose fall river. We choose the thousands of American Communities whose roads arent paved with power or privilege, but with honest effort, with good faith and the resolve to build Something Better for your kids. That 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. And imperfect promise for a nation struggling to become a more perfect union. It grew with every freedom riders voice and with every weary soul we welcomed to our shores, and to all the dreamers out there watching tonight, let me be absolutely clear are part of our story. We will fight for you. And we will not walk away. [ applause ] america, we carry that story on our shoulders. You swarmed washington last year to ensure that no parent has to worry if they can afford to save their childs life. You proudly marched together last weekend, thousands deep, on the streets of las vegas and philadelphia and nashville. You sat high atop your moms 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 floodwaters, battle hurricanes, brave wildfires and mudslides, to save a stranger. You battle your own quiet battles every single day. You drag your weary bodies to that extra shift so that your families wont feel the sting of scarcity. You leave loved ones at home to defend our country overseas, patrol our neighborhoods at night. You serve. You rescue. You help. You heal. That, more than any law or leader, debate or disagreement, that is what drives us towards progress. Bullies may land a punch, they may 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. Politici politicians [ applause ] politician 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 is who we are. Out of many, one. Ladies and gentlemen, have faith. Have faith. The state of our union is hopeful, resilient and enduring. God bless you. God bless your families. And may god bless the United States of america. Thank you. Congressman joe kennedy, the democratic response. Well be right back with a final thought. Well i think you sound great. Move over. Easy booger man. Take mucinex dm. Itll take care of your cough. Fine ill text you in 4 hours when your cough returns. One pill lasts 12 hours, so. Looks like im good all night. Ah david, please, listen. Still not coughing. Not fair you guys waffles are my favorite ah why take 4hour coughmedicine . Just one mucinex lasts 12 hours. Start the relief. Ditch the misery. Lets end this. Not all Fish Oil Supplements provide the same omega3 power. Introducing megared advanced triple absorption it supports your heart, joints, brain, and eyes. And is absorbed by your body three times better. So one megared has more omega3 power than three standard fish oil pills. Megared advanced triple absorption. When you have a cold, stuff happens. [ dog groans ] [ coughs and sneezes ] nothing relieves more symptoms than alka seltzer plus maximum strength liquid gels. 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And, which is more, youll be a man, my son. [ whispering ] rudyard kipling. Dad, what are you shh. Im hugging you. Why . [ normal voice ] because today is the day you stop being a boy and start being a man. Yeah take a lip. When your mom and i found out we were having a baby boy, you know the first thing i did . Cried in the car listening to james taylor. Mom already told me. No, i drove to the drugstore and bought two things a roll of celebratory mentos for myself and a Gillette Atra plus for you. Eddie, ive kept that razor in my closet for 14 years waiting for the day you would need to use it