President trump thank you. I stand before you before this fortress to pay tribute to the immortal souls that died to keep us free. Earlier today the first lady and i laid a wreath in their sacred honor at Arlington National cemetery. Now we come together to salute the flag they gave their lives to so boldly and bravely defined. We pledge in their Cherished Memories that this majestic flag will proudly live forever. We are joined for todays ceremony by secretary of defense mark esper, secretary of the interior david bernhard. Congressman andy harris and a number of Service Members and veterans of the armed forces. The dignity, daring, and devotion of the American Military is unrivaled. In recent months of our nation and the world have been engaged in a new form of battle against an invisible enemy. Once more the men and women of the United States military have answered the call to duty and raced into danger. Tens of thousands of Service Members and National Guardsmen are on the front lines of our war against this terrible virus, caring for patients, delivering critical supplies, and working night and day to safeguard our citizens. As one nation we mourn alongside every Single Family that is lost loved ones, including the families of our great veterans. Together we will vanquish the virus and america will arise from this crisis do new and even greater heights. As our brave warriors have shown us from the nations earliest days in america, we are the captains of our own face. No obstacle, no challenge, and no threat is a mat for the sheer determination of the american people. This towering beneath our feet. In this place, more than 200 years ago, american patriots stood their ground and repelled a british invasion in the battle of baltimore during the war of 1812. Early on in 1814, the british fleet launched an assault on this peninsula. From the harbors attacked this stronghold. Rockets rained down, bombs burst in the air, and the deck of one ship, a gallant Young American was held captive, his name was Francis Scott key. For 25 hours, key watched in dismay as fire crashed down upon this ground. Through torrents of rain and smoke in the din of battle, he could make out 15 broad stripes and 15 bright stars barraged and battered, but still there. American forces did not waver, they did not retreat, they stared down the invasion and the hill that they had to endure come of the fact is that they held like nobody could have held before. They held this fort. Francis scott key was so inspired wage that the very ground he wrote a poem. His ageless words became the anthem of our nation. The starspangled banner. Every time we sing our anthem, every time its rousing chorus we resume our call of loyalty to our fallen heroes. We think of the soldiers who spent their final hero moments on distant battlefields to keep us safe at home. We remember the Young Americans who never got the chance to grow old, but whose legacy to our families and loved ones they take flight in planes, soaked sailing ships, and marched into battle. Defending our people. They hoisted it up the masts of great battleships in manila bay, they fought through to raise it high atop and the Remote Island of the specific ocean called iwo jima. From new orleans to normandie, from saratoga to saipan, from the battle of baltimore to the battle of the bulge, americans gave their lives to carry that flag through piercing waves, blazing fires, sweltering deserts, and the storms of bullets and shrapnel. They climbed atop enemy tanks, jumped out of burning airplanes, and leapt on the live grenades. Their love was boundless, their devotion was without limit, their courage was beyond measure. Army green beret captain daniel ad carries grew up in cape coral florida, determined to continue his Family Tradition of military service. It was a great tradition. He attended the legendary citadel middle let Terry College in south carolina. Soon he met a beautiful cadet, rebecca. They fell in love, married, and had two sons. In 2004, daniel left for his second deployment in afghanist afghanistan. On the morning of may 29th, daniel and his team were courageously pursuing a group of deadly terrorists when he was killed by an improvised explosive device. This week is the 16th anniversary of the day that daniel made the supreme sacrifice for our nation. He laid down his life to defeat evil and to save his fellow citizens. At the time of his death, danielles sons, billy and john, where three and five years old. Today they have followed in daniels footsteps. Both students at the citadel planning to serve in the military. Their amazing mom, rebecca, has now served more than 23 years in the u. S. Army. Everywhere she goes she wears daniels gold star pin on the lapel of her uniform. Colonel Rebecca Ed Kurtz and her two sons are here today, along with daniels father, bill, and mother, margo. Your sacrifices beyond our ability to comprehend or repay. Today we honor daniels incredible life and exceptional valor and we promise you that we will treasure his blessed memory forever. Thank you very much for being here. Thank you very much. Please. Thank you. Thank you. Great family, thank you very much. To every gold star family here today and all across our land, our debt to you is infinite and everlasting. We stand with you today and all days to come remembering and grieving for americas greatest heroes. In spirit and strength, and loyalty and love, in character and courage, they were largerthanlife itself. They were angels. They are an angel sent from above and they are now rejoined with god in the glorious kingdom of heaven. Wherever the Stars Stripes fly at our schools, churches, town halls, fire houses, and national monuments, it is made possible because there are extraordinary americans willing to brave death so that we can live in freedom and live in peace. In the two centuries since Francis Scott key rode about the stirring site of our flag in battle, countless other american patriots have given thr own testimony about the meaning of the flag. One was world war ii veteran, jim kreps, from son barry ohio. Jim and his twin brother jack fought sidebyside and general pattons first army. At the battle of the bottled scum of the twins volunteered for a dangerous mission. Together they took out four enemy tanks, to machine gun nests, and a mother position that was very powerful loaded up with mortars. Jims brother, jack, is was mortally wounded. Jim held his dying brother and his arms praying together as it is twin passed away. Jim fought to victory and came home to build a Great American life. He married, had children, became an electrical engineer, and taught young people about war. As an old man jim was asked what about the American Flag and what it meant to him. Jim said the flag to me is as precious as the freedom that the flag stands for. Its as precious to me as the thousands of lives that have been lost defending her. Its that important to me, it gave me a value of life that i could never have gotten any other way. It gave me a value of my lord, my family, my friends, loved ones, and especially my country. What more could i ask . Last month, jim died peacefully at his home at the age of 94. This afternoon we are greatly honored to be joined by his friends andy and ron. Please, thank you very much. Thank you very much. [applause] like you very much for being here. Today as we remember the sacrifice of jims brother, jack, we honor jim service and we are moved by his beautiful words. Andy and ron, thank you for being here to remember your grandfather and his brother and what they did for us all. And most importantly, what they stood for. Heroes like these have poured out their blood and sweat and hard in tears for our country. Because of them, america is strong and safe and mighty and free. Because of them, two centuries on, the starspangled banner still proudly waves. For as long as our flag flies in this sky above, the names of these fallen warriors will be woven into its threads for as long as we have citizens willing to follow their example, to carry on their burden, to continue their legacy. Americas cause will never fail. American freedom will never, ever die. Today we honor our heroes we have lost. We pray for the loved ones that they left behind. And with god as our witness we solemnly vowed to protect and cherish this land they gave their last breath to defend and to defend so proudly. Thank you, god bless our military, god bless the memory of the fallen, god to bless our gold star families, and god bless america. Thank you very much. [applause] thats the president making remarks at foreign mckendree. This memorial day of course this is a outnumbered, im kennedy, and we are going to have a conversation about what a memorial day has turned into in this modern era and how to refocus ourselves what the president was doing in his remarks. He talked about Francis Scott key who watch the british barrage on fort mchenry. The fort was held and that was the impotence for the starspangled banner. Which he rode over 25 hours as he watched. He talked about two brothers in world war ii. One succumb to mortal injuries and died and his brothers arms, and of course touched on a hero who was killed in afghanistan. Paying tribute to the gold star families. One of my favorites here is johnny joey jones, who joins us on our virtual couch here. Joey, as you watch the president s remarks and you take stock in the landscape of where we are in the middle of a pandemic, have people sort of read and ignited focus on what memorial they should be and how can we do a better job elevating the conversation with our children and each other as to what this they should be . First of all, on a semithoughts and prayers with all the families out there that have lost family and service and thats where my mind is that i. The question they do act its real simple. Our generation mightve gotten us fooled with not really feeling that direct connection to the sacrifice. That is about connecting that that we went with the month where we didnt really feel like we have those freedom so we really firsthand understand that this connect. Now its just connected back to the men and women who have died in order to secure them, or obtain on them or keep them apart of our everyday lives. Then you go about your day and you keep that in your mind that thats how so joey, how can you do that on a day like this . People cant get outside. They cant go to monuments. They are unwilling to do that. The outcome you know every town is different right now. I live in georgia and weve been mostly reopened for a while. With a group of veterans yesterday i drove up to a Veterans Memorial and everyone observed social distancing. We went in waves. I found multiple tablets of five generations of people named horton. It put cold chills on me. The one thing i asked people to do is make it personal. Almost everyone knows somebody who has served and a lot of people know somebody who has perished. Think about that individual person. Not this is the 1. 1 million have died of the years but think about that one person that you may know and enjoy their memory and let them live on through you and abide by your actions as a medal of honor recipient, david bell if he has set, by taking inventory of your own life. Thats beautifully put an end great advice and we are going to talk about acts of kindness later in the show. Jillian, i want to get back to the president s speech. Did he hit the right tone and what did you make of his message and his remarks . The tone and at the delivery and the contents of the speech were right on point. Of course giving a speech on memorial day is one of the most important things the president of the United States does every single year. President trump did a fine job. That backdrop was probably the most spectacular bad drop that President Trump is ever had. That was incredible with those beautiful flags lined up behind him blowing in the wind it could not have been orchestrated more perfectly. Memorial day though is about not so much what you do, but how you reflect and contribute personally, individually to men and women who have died while serving in uniform. Its about connecting in whatever ways you can this year. Whether its online or social distancing. Also something i like that President Trump did his end on gold star families. That was the last line of the speech. Its important to always think about how we can take it a step further and reach out and think and pay tribute to the families of those fallen men and women. A very important to keep them in our hearts and in our minds this year. Quick note, kennedy, on covid coming into all of this earlier. Earlier when the president was at Arlington National, it looked very different. Only family members of the fallen are allowed in there right now. We couldnt see a lot of the audience members on camera at fort mchenry, but the reports told us that everybody was Wearing Masks and sitting 6 feet apart. A living breathing example from two different locations today about how we can continue to honor americans who are dead and keep Public Health top of mind. Laura, what did you make of the speech . For me its very personal because my husband served in the military and special operations for more than 20 years. It is very much present in our home all the time. What i was reminded of watching him and listening to them was the oath that all Service Members take they enlist, which is to see portend can defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies both foreign and domestic. For me this was a very important thing to remember at this particular moment in the countrys history because liberty and freedom is not a given. As we know, just look at all those graves in arlington cemetery. Many of them, by the way, but theyre in recent history from syria, iraq, afghanistan. They are not guaranteed by any stretch. If you know the journey within is much as is your enemies abroad come of those and freedoms are they are not a guarantee that. Such an important thing to remember at this particular moment. Because of where the country is politically right now. For me, what we try to instill in our home is those values and principles of freedom. They transcend all of us. Those are the things that we have a very strong sense of that in our home. It was foremost in my mind when i was listening to the president. And it is incredible to think of the people that fight for freedom with bravery and throw themselves into the great unknown. Sadly pay the ultimate price for it. We are seeing a certain level of bravery now during the pandemic and that was what the president touched on first. He talked about the pandemic come he talked about the people on the front lines who are in harms way and i want to get your reaction too. People defying social distancing goblins over the weekend. Jillian was talking about people and masks in the crowd watching the president , socially distant but weve seen massive crowds packing beaches up and down the florida coast, including one scene where police broke up a gathering at a boardwalk in daytona beach. In missouri, hundreds of people shoulder to shoulder at a pool party in the lake of the ozarks. Now Health Officials sounding the alarm amid the rising crowds packing into tourist hot spots. Watch. I am very concerned when people go out and told me didnt social distancing. What do we know that has changed . We now have excellent Scientific Evidence of how far droplets go when we speak. Or just simply talking to one another. We know that it is important for people to socially interact, but we also know that it is important that we have to have masks on if we are less than 6 feet. All right dr. Safire, obviously in some parts of the country people are completely ignoring some of these social distancing protocols. What do you make of some of the pictures we have seen from places like florida and missouri . Well, kennedy, this is memorial day weekend and it is important to remember that freedom is not free. The whole purpose of this weekend is to remember the lives lost and the family still left behind because of their sacrifices. We also want to remember that we have over a hundred thousand americans that have died from covid19 over the past few months. We also want to make sure that we are respecting in them where there are so many states throughout the country that we have rising cases. Yes, i want everybody to get together. I want people to be with their friends, be with their family is talking about the lives lost. But there are safe ways to do it. The good news is you are less likely to transmit the virus being outside. However that being said when youre in such close quarters or you are sharing the same beverages you are running the risk of having more increased virus cases throughout the country. We dont want to go backwards. We want to continue to go forwards. The president said it himself. He said we are the captains of our own fate. We have to make sure that we are also making smart decisions. With our freedom comes responsibility. Well said, dr. Safire. Joy, i want to ask you because you are seeing people sort of question authoritarianism. There has to be a balance between maintaining our sacred rights and being a total dumb dumbs and getting the virus and infecting others. How did he. Its really hard to blame 330 million americans for not trusting the information when the information seems to change and has become so political. Its easy to jump on the people crowding in the pools and i get that, i truly do. Experts and politicians across the board have somewhat politicized of those. Theres a reason why President Trump at this point refuses to wear a mask, its because the media has spent so much time making a thing about it. If you are a regular american sitting at home, how do you interpret that information . So that is the problem. Thats something we should all take responsibility for. Including myself. Anyone that gets to go on television, right and up come or speak out about