- [Announcer] This isspecial live coverage

from the CBN News Channel.

- The great American comeback,

that is the theme of President Trump's

State of the Union Address tonight.

Thanks for joining us forthis special live coverage

of the president's speech.

I'm John Jessup.

- And I'm Jenna Browder.

This speech is scheduledto begin at nine o'clock,

so in about 30 minutes here,

and this is the president'sthird address to Congress,

a historic night as it happens.

I mean a backdrop of the impeachment cloud

hanging over the president.

- And an acquittal expected tomorrow

on party-line vote in the Senate.

Tonight, of course, it's gonna create

a little bit of an awkward moment, Jenna,

when he enters the chamberwhere House lawmakers

voted for him to be impeached.

- Tonight, really, it's an opportunity

for the president to lay out his vision

and to kick off 2020.

Tonight, we do have team coverage,

so we have Ben Kennedy on Capitol Hill.

We'll get to him here shortly.

And then joining us in studio,

David Brody and and Jennifer Wishon.

We wanna go to Ben first.

Ben, we understand you just spoke

with one Democratic lawmaker.

- I did, Jenna.

I spoke to Representative Ro Khanna,

who is a Democratic congressman.

He said it was importantfor him to be here,

show bipartisanship.

He brought with him, Reverend Moore,

a local faith leader in his community

who also said he hopes the president

talks about unity in his upcoming speech.

We have heard from the White House.

Trump plans to tout the economy jobs,

and the latest trade dealswith China, Canada, and Mexico.

In fact, we got some excerpts moments ago.

Trump plans to say we arerestoring our nation's

manufacturing might.

And many politicians come and went,

pledging to change or replace NAFTA

only to do absolutely nothing.

As you were guys weretalking about earlier.

He'll delivered the thirdState of the Union Address

just one day before the Senate votes

on two articles of impeachment.

And during Monday's closing arguments,

both President Trump's defense team

and House managers focused on history

and how they feel thisimpeachment will be remembered.

Take a listen.

- But presidential impeachment

was not designed toremove an amoral leader

that the nation had knowinglyand willingly elected.

It was designed to rescue the nation

from a leader who abuses the public trust.

Can one abused the public trust

by behaving exactly as expected?

The Senate impeachmentprocess answered my question.

In 1974, senators of both parties

were willing to condemn extremepresidential misconduct.

- Well, the Senate must dowhat we were created to do.

We've done our duty.

We've considered all the arguments.

We've studied the quote,mountain of evidence, end quote.

And tomorrow we will vote.

We must vote to rejectthe House abuse of power,

vote to protect our institutions,

vote or reject newpresidents that would reduce

the framers' design to rubble.

It is unclear if President Trumpwill talk about the trials,

and Press Secretary Hogan Gidley says

he has seen the speech and, quote,

did not see the word impeachment.

Now President Trump isknown to go off script,

so we'll see if he does happento stick to the prompter.

He plans to use the addressto relaunch his 2020 campaign,

for the White House release

the president's special guest list,

which does include military veterans,

a US Border Patrol deputy chief,

a mom and her child who atjust 21 weeks and six days

was one of the youngestbabies to survive in the US.

The child is now two.

They are among thecommander in chief's guests,

and the odds are he'lltalk more about them

during his address.

John and Jenna, you might hear things

have kind of quietedhere in Statuary Hall.

Right now behind a photographer Jerome,

we have several congressmenand women and lawmakers

walking in with their guests,

and everyone is trying tofind out who is coming in,

and also pulling them asideto get their thoughts.

- All right, Ben Kennedy on Capitol Hill.

Thanks, Ben.

And as Ben just mentioned,

we are providing live coverage

of the State of the Union Address.

As soon as we see activityhappening on the House floor,

we will show that to you.

But for right now we'd like to bring in

again Chief Political Analyst David Brody

and Senior WashingtonCorrespondent Jennifer Wishon.

David,

this is the first Stateof the Union Address

where a president iscoming in under impeachment

since President Clinton.

Do you believe that President Trump

will take President Clinton's cue

and address the elephant in the room?

- No, I think he's going to pretty much

stay away from impeachment.

My sources told me that's going to happen.

In essence, it's just for very little.

The impeachment probablywon't even be used.

We'll hear some language thatmight kind of allude to that.

But no, I think it's gonna be Donald Trump

probably at his presidential best,

which is different from the Twitter.

Some would say best or worse,

but the point is that he'll bepretty presidential tonight.

It was interesting what Bensaid about special guests.

I can now report.

I couldn't report it earlier,

but it's now out that Rush Limbaugh

will be in attendance tonight

at the State of the Union Address,

of course suffering fromadvanced lung cancer.

Donald Trump invited him.

He had a procedure this morning.

He's now in Washington,

and he will be presented thePresidential Medal of Freedom.

And so I think that's interesting too,

to see that all of that'sgonna transpire tonight.

He'll talk about it atthe State of the Union.

- And I wonder if we can take

a shot of the chamber in there.

We see Vice President Pence walking in.

There he is shaking hands.

Right behind him, SenateMajority Leader Mitch McConnell.

- [John] You know what I love about these

State of the Union Addresses is

it's always regal and full of pomp

and circumstance, Jennifer.

Probably the closest thing thatwe here in the United States

can get to royalty.

- [Jennifer] Right, and Ithink what David said that

the president tends torise to the occasion.

This is the greatestshow in America tonight.

You have all three branchesof government under one roof

and the president of United States

is commanding their attention.

He's commanding the attentionof millions of Americans,

and he loves that.

That is where he thrives.

And as long as he stayson teleprompter and...

I think, typically, there'sbeen bipartisan praise,

even reluctantly from some Democrats,

that he does well on the stage.

- This is really an opportunity for him to

lay out his vision for thefuture, for this upcoming year,

but it's also, in this election year,

an opportunity for him tokick off his 2020 campaign.

David, what do you expect on that front?

- [David] Yeah, well, a couple things.

First of all, he's going to talk about--

- [John] And David as youanswer, let's just point out

what's happening right now.- Yeah, you bet.

- [John] The President and his motorcade

leaving the White House,

on their way to that short commute,

that short trip down Pennsylvania Avenue,

from 1600 Pennsylvania downthat stretch to the US Capitol.

Please continue.

- Yeah, so he's going to.

We have a few excerpts and Ithought it was interesting.

What he's gonna talk about is how

his administration has added jobs,

but then he specifically talks about

previous administrations,basically, in essence,

dropping the ball or losing jobs.

So, it's not just thislook at our administration,

but he actually comparesthis administration

to past administrations,

and I'm not quite sureif that's necessarily

the tone he wants to set by,

starting to compare toother administrations,

but he's gonna do it.

It's kinda Trumpian, if you will.

- And speaking of contrast,

do you think that we'llsee him painting contrast

between him and theRepublicans and Democrats

as we head into 2020 andinch closer to November?

- Yeah, go ahead, Jennifer,

because you're good atsocialism I know for sure.

- Right, right. I meanI think we're gonna see

the president paint acontrast clearly between.

When it comes to something like

reducing costs of healthcare,

how you can do that effectivelyunder a capitalist system

versus a socialist system.

And so I think we're gonnahear him talk about that.

That obviously is a direct,

directed towards BernieSanders and Elizabeth Warren.

Bernie Sanders comingout of Iowa, it seems,

is gonna be very strong.

And so that will be animportant contrast tonight.

- Jennifer as we weretalking earlier about

the president's address,

of course one of the themes,

and there you see NancyPelosi, speaker of the House,

standing right besideVice President Mike Pence.

They will oversee tonight'sState of the Union Address,

but I thought it was interesting how

when we were talking earlier

during our Faith Nation program,

you had mentioned the strong economy

and how Americans tend notto throw out presidents

when the economy is doing quite well.

- Right, well, this is a huge part

of the president'sreelection campaign strategy,

and this is turning out tobe a great week for him.

He has, we found out today,

the highest approvalratings of his presidency.

And in those numbers, wesee that 63% of Americans,

not just Republicans, Americans,

approve of the way he'shandling the economy.

And we know that African-Americans,Hispanics, Asians,

women are doing better in the job market

than they have for decades if not ever.

African-American youth have the highest

employment records everrecorded in history.

That matters, and so that's gonna be

a huge part of the president'sreelection campaign.

We're gonna hear a lot about that tonight.

As David pointed out,he's gonna be contrasting

what he's been able to do

versus what Barack Obama was able to do.

And so, this is a goodmoment for the president

and it's important thathe capitalizes on it.

- Real quickly, can wetalk about that record?

What has the president,

what will he say thathe has been able to do

that perhaps Barack Obamaand previous administrations

weren't able to do?

- Well, he'll talk aboutmanufacturing jobs.

He'll talk about unemployment numbers.

A lot of is gonna focus on the economy.

He'll say he's building a wall.

Barack Obama had nodesire to build a wall.

He won't say it in those terms,

but that'll be a somethingalong those lines.

He's also gonna talk about healthcare,

and he's gonna specifically say,

and there's even a line in the speech,

and I'll just read this.

He says we will never let socialism

destroy American healthcare,

and that's clearly not a shot at Bernie,

but definitely with withBernie in mind for sure.

Because look, BernieSanders could be the nominee

of the Democratic Party,

believe it or not, a socialistand, his words, not mine,

could be taking on Trump in 2020.

I was about to say 2016.

- [John] You have to take it back.

Can we not go back?

- No, let's not goback, let's not go back.

- And it sounds like a Speaker Pelosi

and Vince president Pence arestarting to take their seats.

You can see though there.

They would be sittingdirectly behind the president,

so that's also an interesting visual,

to see Speaker Pelosi, whois the head of the House,

who impeached President Trump,

sitting directly behind him

as he gives the State of the Union speech.

Amid all of this happening,

a lot of good news for the president,

but there is the impeachment,

the cloud of impeachment hanging over him.

David, you were at the White House today

in that Anchor Luncheon.

What was your sense?

What was his mood?

- His mood was. I'm notgonna call it upbeat,

but it wasn't dour or sour.

I think he was matter-of-fact about it.

He says "I'm not bitter," basically,

and he also basicallyhas this feeling that

everything's fine,

I don't have time to stressout about all of this stuff,

because all of it comes.

There's so much incoming here.

I think what he's frustrated about,

what his White House is frustrated about

is that Democrats has just beenout to get him from day one.

Those are his words and thewords from the White House,

and that it's unfortunate

because he wanted to doinfrastructure reform,

he wanted to do prescription drug prices.

But you know how are you gonna work with a

Democratic Congressthat's looking to get you

left, right and center?

Having said that USMCA was passed,

so there was something there,

though Nancy Pelosi saysshe'll take credit for it.

- Right, well, last year,

he had talked about gettinginfrastructure done.

Do you think we'll seehim say that tonight?

- No I don't think so.

I think that train's left the station.

I think he's gonna concentrateon a few other things,

definitely more campaignrelated agenda items.

- Jennifer, I see you chomping at the bit,

wanting to weigh in.

- Well, just going back to impeachment,

there is a cloud hanging over him.

He has been impeached by the House,

but this is not a good week for Democrats.

Speaker Pelosi is looking at tomorrow,

this process that she started

is gonna end with thepresident being victorious,

and so she can't be happy about that,

and not to mention themess coming out of Iowa.

They're just having a really bad week,

and here they have to watch the president

stand there and be presidentialfor an hour and a half.

It can't feel good.

- Well, and it's exactly whatNancy Pelosi feared all along

and why she did not wanna godown the impeachment road,

and then she did it

based on the way her caucuswas feeling at the time,

and this is exactlywhat she was afraid of.

And here we are,

not to mention there were problems in Iowa

and that just makes it even worse.

If we are on schedule,

they are about five minutes away

from announcing the escort party,

the official escort party,

both Republicans and Democrats,

to go get the president and corral him

so that they can do the typical

call for the sergeant at arms in the House

to announce the president.

So we're about five minutesaway from the escort party

being led out to get the president.

David, Jennifer was mentioning

and you were just alludingto the Democratic Party

and we're seeing a lot of momentum

heading into the Democratic primary

to challenge President Trump.

But what we're really seeing,

as you all both were discussing,there's a lot of disarray.

Tonight, after the President's speech,

there is a Democratic response,

but there's four of them.

Does that not show a littlebit of a little bit of

part of the their massive effort to try to

get the party united in orderto challenge the president?

- For sure, not muchunison really right now,

and that's what this is all about.

Bernie Sanders is gonna speak

from Manchester, New Hampshire.

So that'll be kinda likethe the prime time speech.

But Jennifer and I weretalking earlier about how

AOC and a few other.

Was it 10, Jennifer?- 10.

- Yeah, 10 Democrats justnot showing up at all

for the State of the Union tonight.

You have to wonder, Imean let's just be honest.

you talk about thedivisiveness, devisiveness,

divisiveness in this country,

and it just seems like thatkind of plays into all of that,

this idea that you'renot gonna even show up

for the President's Stateof the Union Address.

I mean if you wanna solvedivisiveness in this country

and you wanna kinda come together,

why in the world wouldn't you show?

I don't know, I think it'sa problem for some folks.

It's not just Democrats.

Some Republicans maybe in thepast had done that as well.

- And here we see senator LisaMurkowski of Alaska entering.

She was one of the senatorswho was on the fence

when it came to calling witnesses

in the Senate impeachment case.

She ultimately votednot to call witnesses,

and that is what has led tothe acquittal vote tomorrow

that we are expecting.

Here we're watching more lawmakers enter.

Tonight you'll see many dignitaries,

you'll see lawmakers,

you'll see many familiar faces.

This is a historic night that happens

once a year in Washington,

the president giving reallywhat is the state of the union.

- And, you know, this is aconstitutional responsibility

of the president of the United States.

And John, you mentionedthat soon we're gonna see

a bipartisan group oflawmakers bringing them in.

Let's listen to the speaker.

- The chair appoints hismembers of the committee

on the part of the House

to escort the presidentof the United States

into the chamber.

The gentleman from Maryland, Mr. Hoyer,

the gentleman from SouthCarolina, Mr. Cliburn,

the gentleman from New Mexico, Mr. Lujan,

the gentleman from New York, Mr. Jeffries,

the gentlewoman fromMassachusetts, Ms. Clark,

the gentlewoman fromIllinois, Mrs. Bustos,

the gentlewoman from California, Ms. Chu,

the gentlewoman from Kansas, Ms. Davis,

the gentleman from NewMexico, Ms. Haaland,

the gentleman fromCalifornia, Mr. McCarthy,

the gentleman from Louisiana, Mr. Scalise,

the gentlewoman from Wyoming, Ms. Cheney,

the gentleman from Minnesota, Mr. Emmer,

the gentleman from Alabama, Mr. Palmer,

the gentleman from NorthCarolina, Mr. Walker,

the gentleman from Missouri, Mr. Smith,

the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Brady,

the gentleman from Oklahoma, Mr. Cole.

- The president of the Senateof the direction of that body

appoints the followingsenators as members--

(gavel pounding)

of the committee on the part of the Senate

to escort the Presidentof the United States

in the House chamber.

The senator from Kentucky, Mr. McConnell,

the senator from South Dakota, Mr. Thune,

the senator from Iowa, Mr. Grassley,

senator from Wyoming, Mr. Barrasso,

senator from Iowa, Ms. Ernst,

the senator from Missouri, Mr. Blunt,

the senator from Indiana, Mr. Young,

the senator from New York, Mr. Schumer,

the senator from Illinois, Mr. Durbin,

the senator from Wisconsin, Ms. Baldwin,

the senator from Maryland. Mr. Cardin,

the senator from NewHampshire, Mrs. Shaheen,

and the senator from Delaware, Mr. Coons.

Thank you Mr. Vice President.

The members of the escort committees

will exit the chamber throughthe Speaker's Lobby's doors.

- Jennifer, just before they gaveled in,

you were talking about the President

and Congress'sconstitutional duty for this.

And maybe this being a missed moment

for some of the Democratswho've chosen not to show up.

- Right, I mean this is,

I mean he's fulfillinghis constitutional duty,

and I think that it's importantfor members to be there

And even if you don'tapprove of the president,

he was duly elected bythe American people,

and he's fulfilling hisconstitutional duty,

and I think that that's somethingthat you can applaud for,

even if you don't wannaapplaud for the man.

There's a moment when youcan say this is wonderful.

And for the world watching this,

I don't wanna get toosentimental about this,

but you look at theway our country started

in George Washingtonpeacefully handing over power.

And what that has meantfor the world to see

and for the world to see the the turmoil

that our country has been inwith the impeachment hearings,

and then to see again three...

What's what am I trying to say?

- Branches.- Branches of government,

thank you, under oneroof tonight peacefully

and being able to, for the most part,

applaud for this man andto applaud for America.

It's really special.

- And I would also just saylet's not lose sight of the fact

that this is a unified Republican Party

behind Donald Trump.

Now if you put some truth serum in there,

some Republicans would say,

"I don't think the President

"should've done this x, y, and z."

But the truth of the matter is

Trump has unified these Republicans

and there's just not votes.

They're not going against this president.

I mean he's been able to corral them

like really no other Republican president

that I can remember in modern history,

and that's testament to his

staying power.- Madam Speaker,

the dean of the diplomatic corps.

(audience applauding)

(applauding drowns out speaker)

- [John] Enter into the House chamber.

I believe it was Jennifer.

Maybe it was you who alludedto some of the guests.

Do you mind just kindof walking us through?

I know we talked aboutRush Limbaugh who announced

his lung cancer earlier this week,

but some of the other guestsand some of the other themes.

I believe there was an abortion survivor.

- Right.

Yeah, this is RobinSchneider of Kansas City

and her daughter, Ellie.

Ellie was born a miracle at 21 weeks.

And any woman who's been pregnant knows

that that's just after the time

when you can tell the genderof a child on an ultrasound.

So it's it's kind ofmidway in the pregnancy.

And this is what pro lifeactivists will point to.

This is really an importantguests for the president,

because they'll say God'sdefinition of life never changes,

but the doctors definition will change

as technology improves,

and she's proof that a childcould be born at 21 weeks.

So that's a way of sendinga message the president is

to the pro life communitythat he's with them,

and he is celebrating life.

- David How much doyou think the president

will touch on these culturalissues like abortion,

and Israel, and the judges?

- Yeah, I think they'll be there,

but I think there'll be a line or two.

I don't think it's gonna be too much.

I mean he's gonna do his bread and butter,

which is the economy, the border.

Those are the two big things.

He needs to make someinroads on healthcare.

We already see a line in the speech

about how he's not gonnatouch pre-existing conditions.

Democrats ding him for that all the time,

and he's gonna say tonight,"What are you talking about?"

"I don't wanna eliminatepre-existing conditions."

So I think we'll hear aboutthose three big time pillars.

There's gonna be so much more,

but those are the big ones.

- Real quickly, if youwere just watching along,

I saw an interesting shot ofZoe Lofgren and Jerrold Nadler,

two of the House impeachment managers

who were arguing the case for impeachment

in the Senate impeachment trial,

and then we just saw a shot of advisors,

White House advisors, but also family,

kin to the president, Ivanka Trump

and her husband, Jared Kushner.

And that was just Adam Schiff

who presided over theHouse impeachment trial

and played a big role in that.

- And soon I think we're gonna see the

justices of the Supreme Court come in,

which will be anotherinteresting historic moment,

because we've just seenChief Justice John Roberts

preside over the Senate trial.

- It always feels alittle strange to just,

like what are the reactions gonna be

when Trump comes down and shakes hands?

Which Democrats, you know,because people line up,

these congressmen--

- For hours.- For hours.

And most of them areRepublicans in this case.

But there'll be someDemocrats to shake his hand.

Typically, that's how it is.

This time around, watch how many Democrats

shake the President's hand

in this impeachment sagathat we're going through?

I think that's going tobe interesting to watch.

- And you notice many of the women,

they are dressed in white this evening,

a symbolic...

- The women's suffrages movement.

They've been doing thisfor the past several years.

They did this last year.

Of course when the HouseDemocrats retook control

in the 2018 midterm electionsand it's of course to show

unification of women.

And I think what's also interesting is

the number of women that Democratsare pushing to the front,

again, even with the Democratic responses.

The official responsesoutside of Bernie Sanders

are all women.

- You know it's gonna beinteresting to see what

Nancy Pelosi and Donald Trump,

what that dynamic is gonna be like.

He's saying that it's not gonnabe a problem, but we'll see.

- Madam Speaker, the chiefjustice and associate justices

of the Supreme Court.

(audience applauding)

- It'll be interesting to see

which justices show up.

Of course there's ChiefJustice John Roberts

as we mentioned earlierwho has been presiding over

the impeachment trial.

You're about to mentionRuth Bader Ginsburg.

- [David] I wonder if she's--

- That's what I was about to say.

It'd be interesting to see.

She's weathered so manyhealth issues recently.

And if she shows up,

I think it'll just be another testament

to her ability to fight.

I think also as far as orchestration,

watching nights like this, as we have,

it's always interestingduring the actual address

to watch the response in the crowd

and to see the chief justiceand the justices of the court,

as well as the militarycourt, never applaud.

The only time that youever see them stand up

if it's something that's non-political.

And I think for viewers at home

who aren't always attuned to this,

it might seem like, well,why aren't they standing?

But it's because they're trying to present

a nonpartisan front.

- The way it should be.

- Our bureau chief was remindingus before the broadcast

that this is a rare look at the chamber.

It's rare to have so many members there,

but you're also seeing the chamber

from different camera angles.

Usually it's just trainedon whomever speaking.

- That's right, the C-stand.

- Right, exactly.

So this is really a treat for Americans.

I mean look at that beautifulshot of the House chamber.

- Jennifer, you and Icovered Capitol Hill,

as well as David for a time.

- Back in the day, John.

- Back before I wasn't born.

But we know just howmajestic that room is,

and how much history hasbeen made in that room,

and how impactful the laws are

that affect not justpeople here in Washington,

but of course peopleacross the United States,

and really affect howwe deal with nations.

- We'll have to get you.

I've been looking.

They haven't revealed yet

who the designatedsurvivor is for tonight.

I've looked.

I mean if it's not on the internet,

then I don't know where it is.

- It doesn't.- It doesn't exist, right.

But I will say this, in a way,

you can make a case that Donald Trump

is pretty much the designated survivor

because he's been surviving every day,

and it's been an onslaught,

and you wonder how many people

could survive something like this.

But you know he's not a politician,

so he has a different vantage point.

- And we understand the President

has arrived at the Capitol,

so we should be seeing him intothe chamber any moment now.

The speech is set to beginin about five minutes

at nine o'clock.

But as we were mentioning,

this is the president'sthird address to Congress.

David and Jennifer, howdo you think this speech

will differ from the two previous ones

that he's given in years past?

- I think it's gonna bepretty similar actually.

When I say similar, similar in tone,

and I think that's really important.

He got rave reviews on the first two,

and I think that's exactlywhat we're going to see here.

I mean it would be relatively foolish

to do something renegade here.

There's no reason for that.

And honestly, this formatdoesn't really allow that so much

because he's on prompterand this is not a time

where it's a campaign rallyand the Democrats have

their Make America Great Again hats on.

They don't.

- And real quickly, Jennifer,

before we get to you,I just wanna point out,

if we're on schedule, whatwe're about to see next,

the next shot of the door,

you should be seeingthe president's cabinet

began to walk through it,

so the secretary ofstate, secretary defense,

and all the rest ofthe president's Cabinet

are expected to be comingthrough those doors

at any moment, Jennifer.

- Well. I think David's right.

I mean, again, he typicallyrises to the occasion,

and I think one of the things we're gonna

hear from him tonight is optimism

and trying to bring thecountry back together.

I think he's gonna try to

use a lot of language that's inclusive.

He's gonna talk aboutbuilding an economy for all,

and how we're all united bythe flag. and we saw some...

He had an ad on Twitteractually right before the speech

that showed his guests standingin front of American flag

and talking about what it means to them.

And so...

And I think, as all these speeches,

presidents try to strike a patriotic tone.

They are the presidentof the United States,

and that's everyone.

And so I think we'regonna hear that from him.

- [Jenna] Do you thinkwe'll see him go off script

at all tonight?

- That's the $10 million question.

(laughing)

He does a little bit.

I think especially whenhe's introducing guests,

that's when he tends to do that.

But I do think he's going to try

to steer clear of impeachment.

I don't think he's gonna go there.

I think there will be amoment, perhaps tomorrow,

where the President can go there and maybe

get some things off his chest.

But I think tonight herealizes the gravity

of the role he has to play.

- I will say as we watch Melania Trump

about to come in here, I will say this.

Watch for his ad lib to howCongress reacts in the building.

If they start to jeer orthey give him some blow back,

that's when he likes to push back,

and that that might be the ad lib moment.

- And a loud applause forthe First Lady Melania Trump.

- We saw her shakinghands with Rush Limbaugh.

- Rush Limbaugh.

(audience applauding)

- Then you see manypresident's children there.

There was Tiffany Trump in that last shot,

also Ivanka and Jared.

- For having undergonetreatment just this morning,

I have to say that Rush Limbaugh looks

pretty healthy and pretty strong,

quite a feat to to pull that off.

- Fascinating.

- And again, playing to his face,

Rush Limbaugh is such a champion

of conservative Republicans,

and so I think that'sgonna be really touching

for viewers to see him there among Trump's

most staunch reporters.

- [John] Let's take a listen.

- Madam speaker, the president's cabinet.

(audience applauding)

- [John] David, helpme out with my history.

Do they enter in by the establishment

of the cabinets or thesecretary positions?

- [David] No, I don't believe so.

I have to double check that,Jennifer, I'm not sure.

I don't think so.

- I don't think so.- No I don't think so.

- [David] That's a great question.

You did stop me on the air andI appreciate that by the way.

Bill Bar.

- [Jenna] Bill Bar,the Justice Department.

Many of these people in thisage of politics that we live in

have become household names.

We didn't see this in,

and we haven't seen thisin all eras of politics,

but that's certainly the case today.

- [David] Elaine Chao.

Well, she just flies underthe radar, doesn't she?

Married and Mitch McConnell,the Senate majority leader.

- [Jenna] Betsy DeVos of education.

- [David] She'll be atthe National Religious

Broadcasters Associationevent coming up here soon.

So that'll be interesting towatch, same with Bill Bar.

They'll both be there,

talking about Judeo-Christian principles.

- [Jenna] I think that'sanother interesting

tidbit to point out.

Many of the president's Cabinetare Born Again believers.

Many of the people who hehas surrounded himself with

are people within the faith community,

whether it's his faith advisors.

There's Paula White and many others.

But a lot of these cabinetsecretaries are people of faith,

and I think that is somethingthat's very encouraging

to president Trump's faith-based base.

- And they'll tell.

I mean they've told usin countless interviews

that the best part of their week

is when they come togetherfor a Bible study.

They just say that it's amazing

to get refreshed in the word,

and it helps them to bettersupport the president.

- We are just momentsaway from the president

entering the chamber.

Again, for a historic,

not just third address tojoint session of Congress,

but also under the cloud of impeachment,

and what is expected to be aparty-line acquittal tomorrow

in the Senate impeachment trial.

He will enter the room to applause.

Standing ovation from bothsides, across the aisle,

and it'll be interesting to seeas we were all talking about

just the interactions andthe responses and reaction

from lawmakers there who voted

just a little under two months ago

to impeach the 45th presidentof the United States.

- I've talked to a fewsources in the White House,

and when I asked aboutwhat that interaction

between Nancy Pelosi andDonald Trump will be tonight,

the sources are telling me that

he doesn't really have muchto say to her at this point.

She's kind of made her bed

and has to sleep in it, so to speak.

So I think it would be cordial,

but it won't be anything

either here nor there,negative or positive.

It would be kind of generic if you will.

- A lot of people, Jennifer,were making note of

the recent signing of the

United States-Mexico-Canada trade deal,

how it was passed in bipartisan fashion

with some tweaks with Houselawmakers and the Senate,

but at the signing, certainlyno Democrats were invited.

Does that signify?

Does that give us a little bit of insight

into the potential acrimony that exists?

- Sure, and I think if you look at where

we were at that moment inthe middle of impeachment,

the President probably wasn't interested

in extending any olive leaves,

but that's a perfect example of a deal

that affects every state in the union.

- Well, let's go ahead and listen in.

Here is the President of the United States

as he enters the chamber forhis State of the Union Address.

(audience chattering)

- Madam speaker, the presidentof the United States.

(audience applauding)

- All right, and there you see president

making his short jauntdown from the House doors

to the speaker's rostrum,

He's talking now to ChiefJustice John Roberts.

Always wished that you could be

a little bit of (laughingdrowns out speaker)

to hear what they're talking about.

- A very loud applause it seems like.

There is Kevin McCarthy.

Military leaders.

- Signature red tie.

Now it's become the signature for sure.

I didn't see any Democratsshaking his hand by the way.

- I couldn't tell.

- Sheila Jackson Lee Isaw was in the second row

staying pretty much away from the action.

- What do you make of hisbody language so far, David?

- Real quick, before I get to that,

Chris Coons, a Democrat,did shake his hand,

so there you go.

National Prayer Breakfast,by the way, a co-chair.

- Not much, not much.- Not much, not much

Now to answer your question,Jenna, it feels very subdued,

very...

I don't know, I don't knowwhat you would call it,

somewhat of a subdued power walk

that you've impeached me,

but this just in, I'mpresident the United States,

and I'll still be aftertomorrow 4:00 p.m. Eastern.

- If I'm not mistaken, lastyear, there was a little bit

more of an interaction or interplay

between him and Nancy.- Yes, that's right.

- And as if I know whopersonally with Pelosi,

but you could tell it was very,very deliberate and short.

And then he handed her his speech.

- And this is what we expected.

- Speaker Pelos not clapping, noticeably.

- Members of Congress, thepresident of the United States.

(audience cheering and applauding)

- [Crowd] Four more years.

Four more years.

Four more years.

Four more years.

Four more years.

Four more years.

Four more years.

Four more years.

Four more years.

Four more years.

Four more years.

- Thank you very much, thank you.

Thank you very much.

Madam speaker, Mr. VicePresident, members of Congress,

the first lady of the United States.

(audience cheering and applauding)

And my fellow citizens.

Three years ago we launchedthe great American comeback.

Tonight I stand before you toshare the incredible results.

Jobs are booming,

incomes are soaring,

poverty is plummeting,

crime is falling,

confidence is surging,

and our country is thriving

and highly respected again.

(audience applauding)

America's enemies are on the run.

America's fortunes are on the rise,

and America's future is blazing bright.

The years of economic decay are over.

(audience applauding)

The days of our country being used,

taken advantage of,

and even scorned by othernations are long behind us.

(audience applauding)

Gone too are the broken promises,

jobless recoveries,

tired platitudes,

and constant excuses for the depletion

of American wealth, power and prestige.

In just three short years,

we have shattered thementality of American decline

and we have rejected thedownsizing of Americans' destiny.

We have totally rejected the downsizing.

We're moving forward at apace that was unimaginable

just a short time ago,

and we are never ever going back.

(audience applauding)

I am thrilled to report to you tonight

that our economy is thebest it has ever been.

Our military is completely rebuilt,

with its power being unmatchedanywhere in the world,

and it's not even close.

Our borders are secure,

our families are flourishing,

our values are renewed,

our pride is restored.

And for all of these reasons,

I say to the people of our great country

and to the members of Congress,

the state of our union isstronger than ever before.

(audience applauding)

The vision I will lay out this evening

demonstrates how we are buildingthe world's most prosperous

and inclusive society,

one where every citizen can join

in America's unparalleled success,

and where every community can take part

in America's extraordinary rise.

From the instant I took office,

I moved rapidly to revive the US economy,

slashing a record numberof job-killing regulations,

enacting historic andrecord-setting tax cuts,

and fighting for fair andreciprocal trade agreements.

(audience applauding)

Our agenda is relentlessly pro-worker,

pro-family, pro-growth, andmost of all, pro-American.

(audience applauding)

Thank you.

We are advancing with unbridled optimism

and lifting are citizens of every race,

color, religion and creed very, very high.

Since my election, we havecreated seven million new jobs,

five million more thangovernment experts projected

during the previous administration.

(audience applauding)

The unemployment rate is thelowest in over half a century.

(audience applauding)

And very incredibly, theaverage unemployment rate

under my administration islower than any administration

in the history of our country.

(audience applauding)

If we hadn't reverse thefailed economic policies

of the previous administration,

the world would not now be witnessing

this great economic success.

(audience applauding)

The unemployment ratefor African-Americans,

Hispanic-Americans, and Asian-Americans

has reached the lowest levels in history.

(audience applauding)

African American youth unemployment

has reached an all-time low.

(audience applauding)

African American poverty has declined

to the lowest rate ever recorded.

(audience applauding)

The unemployment rate forwomen reached the lowest level

in almost 70 years.

And last year, women filled72% of all new jobs added.

(audience applauding)

The veterans unemploymentrate dropped to a record low.

(audience applauding)

The unemployment ratefor disabled Americans

has reached an all-time low

(audience applauding)

Workers without a high school diploma

have achieved the lowest unemployment rate

recorded in US history,

(audience applauding)

A record number of youngAmericans are now employed.

(audience applauding)

Under the last administration,

more than 10 million people were added

to the food stamp rolls.

Under my administration,seven million Americans

have come off food stamps

and 10 million people havebeen lifted off of welfare.

(audience applauding)

In eight years underthe last administration,

over 300,000 working age people

dropped out of the workforce.

In just three years of my administration,

3.5 million people working age people

have joined the workforce.

(audience applauding)

Since my election,

the net worth of thebottom half of wage earners

has increased by 47%,

three times faster than theincrease for the top 1%.

(audience applauding)

After decades of flat and falling incomes,

wages are rising fast.

And wonderfully, they are rising fastest

for low-income workers who have seen

a 16% pay increase since my election.

(audience applauding)

This is a blue collar boom.

(audience applauding)

Real median household incomeis now at the highest level

ever recorded.

(audience applauding)

Since my election, US stockmarkets have soared 70%,

adding more than $12 trillionto our nation's wealth,

transcending anything anyonebelieved was possible.

This is a record.

It is something thatevery country in the world

is looking up to.

They admire.

(audience applauding)

Consumer confidence has justreached amazing new highs.

All of those millions ofpeople with 401k's and pensions

are doing far better thanthey have ever done before,

with increases of 60, 70, 80, 90

and 100% and even more.

Jobs and investments are pouring into

9,000 previously neglected neighborhoods.

Thanks to opportunity zones,

a plan spearheaded by Senator Tim Scott,

as part of our greatRepublican republican tax cuts.

(audience applauding)

In other words, wealthypeople and companies

are pouring money into poor neighborhoods

or areas that haven't seeninvestment in many decades,

creating jobs, energy and excitement.

(audience applauding)

This is the first time thatthese deserving communities

have seen anything like this.

It's all working.

Opportunities zones are helping Americans

like Army Veteran TonyRankins from Cincinnati, Ohio.

After struggling with drug addiction,

Tony lost his job, hishouse and his family.

He was homeless, but then Tonyfound a construction company

that invests in opportunity zones.

He is now a top tradesman, drug-free,

reunited with his family,and he is here tonight.

Tony, keep up the great work, Tony.

(audience applauding)

Thank you, Tony

Our roaring economy has,for the first time ever,

given many former prisonersthe ability to get a great job

and a fresh start.

This second chance atlife is made possible

because we pass landmarkcriminal justice reform into law.

Everybody said thatcriminal justice reform

couldn't be done, but I got it done,

and the people in this room got it done.

(audience applauding)

Thanks to our bold regulatoryreduction campaign,

the United States has becomethe number one producer

of oil and natural gasanywhere in the world, by far.

(audience applauding)

With the tremendous progress

we have made over the past three years,

America is now energy independent,

and energy jobs, like so manyother elements of our country,

are at a record high.

(audience applauding)

We are doing numbers that noone would have thought possible

just three years ago.

Likewise, we are restoring ournation's manufacturing might,

even though predictionswere, as you all know,

that this could never ever be done.

After losing 60,000 factories

under the previous two administrations,

America has now gained12,000 new factories

under my administration,

with thousands upon thousandsof plants and factories

being planned or being built.

(audience applauding)

Companies are not leaving.

They are coming back to the USA.

(audience applauding)

The fact is that everybodywants to be where the action is,

and the United States of America

is indeed the place where the action is.

(audience applauding)

One of the biggest promisesI made to the American people

was to replace thedisastrous NAFTA trade deal.

(audience applauding)

In fact, unfair trade is perhapsthe single biggest reason

that I decided to run for president.

Following NAFTA's adoption,

our nation lost one infour manufacturing jobs.

Many politicians came and went,

pledging to change orreplace NAFTA, only to do so,

and then absolutely nothing happened.

But unlike so many who camebefore me, I keep my promises.

We did our job.

(audience applauding)

Six days ago, I replacedNAFTA and signed the brand-new

US-Mexico-Canada Agreement into law.

The USMCA will create nearly 100,000

new high-paying American auto jobs,

and massively boost exportsfor our farmers, ranchers,

and factory workers.

(audience applauding)

It will also bring tradewith Mexico and Canada

to a much higher level,

but also to be a muchgreater degree of fairness

and reciprocity.

We will have that,fairness and reciprocity.

And I say that, finally, becauseit's been many, many years

that we were treated fairly on trade.

(audience applauding)

This is the first majortrade deal in many years

to earn the strong backingof America's labor unions.

(audience applauding)

I also promised our citizensthat I would impose tariffs

to confront China's massivetheft of America's jobs.

Our strategy has worked.

Days ago, we signed the groundbreaking

new agreement with Chinathat will defend our workers,

protect our intellectual property,

bring billions and billionsof dollars into our treasury,

and open vast new marketsfor products made and grown

right here in the USA.

(audience applauding)

For decades, China has takenadvantage of the United States.

Now we have changed that,but, at the same time,

we have perhaps the best relationship

we've ever had with China,including with President Xi.

They respect what we'vedone because, quite frankly,

they could never really believe

that they were able to getaway with what they were doing

year after year, decade after decade,

without someone in our countrystepping up and saying,

"That's enough."

(audience applauding)

Now we want to rebuild our country,

and that's exactly what we're doing.

We are rebuilding our country.

As we restore Americanleadership throughout the world,

we are once again standing upfor freedom in our hemisphere.

(audience applauding)

That's why my administrationreversed the failing policies

of the previous administration on Cuba.

(audience applauding)

We are supporting the hopes of Cubans,

Nicaraguans, and Venezuelansto restore democracy.

The United States is leading

a 59-nation diplomatic coalition against

the socialist dictator ofVenezuela, Nicolas Maduro.

(audience applauding)

Maduro is an illegitimate ruler,

a tyrant who brutalizes his people.

But Maduro's grip on tyrannywill be smashed and broken.

Here this evening is a very brave man

who carries with him thehopes, dreams, and aspirations

of all Venezuelans.

Joining us in the gallery

is the true and legitimatepresident of Venezuela,

Juan Guaido.

Mr. President, please take this message

back to your homeland.

(audience applauding)

Thank you, Mr. President.

Great honor, thank you very much.

Please take this message backthat all Americans are united

with the Venezuelan people

in their righteous struggle for freedom.

Thank you very much, Mr. President.

(audience applauding)

Thank you very much.

Socialism destroys nations.

But always remember,freedom unifies the soul.

(audience applauding)

To safeguard American liberty,

we have invested arecord-breaking $2.2 trillion

in the United States military.

(audience applauding)

We have purchased thefinest planes, missiles,

rockets, ships and every otherform of military equipment,

and it's all made right here in the USA.

(audience applauding)

We are also getting our allies, finally,

to help pay their fair share.

(audience applauding)

I have raised contributionsfrom the other NATO members

by more than $400 billion,

and the number of allies meetingtheir minimum obligations

has more than doubled.

And just weeks ago, for the first time

since President Trumanestablished the Air Force

more than 70 years earlier,

we created a brand-new branch

of the United States Armed Forces.

It's called the Space Force.

(audience applauding)

Very important.

In the gallery tonight,we have a young gentleman.

And what he wants so badly,13 years old, Iain Lanphier.

He's an eighth grader from Arizona.

Iain, please stand up.

Iain has always dreamed of going to space.

He was the first in his classand among the youngest at

an aviation academy.

He aspires to go to the Air Force Academy,

and then he has hiseye on the Space Force.

As Iain says, "Mostpeople look up at space.

"I want to look down on the world."

(audience laughs)(audience applauding)

But sitting behind Iain tonight

is his greatest hero of them all.

Charles McGee was born inCleveland, Ohio, one century ago.

Charles is one of the lastsurviving Tuskegee Airmen,

the first black fighter pilots,

and he also happens to beIain's great-grandfather.

(audience applauding)

Incredible story.

After more than 130 combatmissions in World War II,

he came back home to acountry still struggling

for civil rights andwent on to serve America

in Korea and Vietnam.

On December 7th, Charlescelebrated his 100th birthday.

(audience applauding)

A few weeks ago, I signed abill promoting Charles McGee

to Brigadier General.

And earlier today, I pinnedthe stars on his shoulders

in the Oval Office.

General McGee, our nation salutes you.

Thank you, sir.

(audience applauding)

From the pilgrims to the founders,

from the soldiers at ValleyForge to the marchers at Selma,

and from President Lincoln tothe Rev. Martin Luther King,

Americans have always rejected limits

on our children's future.

Members of Congress, we must never forget

that the only victoriesthat matter in Washington

are victories that deliverfor the American people.

(audience applauding)

The people are the heart of our country,

their dreams are the soul of our country,

and their love is what powersand sustains our country.

We must always remember that our job

is to put America first.

(audience applauding)

The next step forward inbuilding an inclusive society

is making sure that every young American

gets a great education

and the opportunity toachieve the American Dream.

Yet, for too long,countless American children

have been trapped infailing government schools.

To rescue these students,18 states have created

school choice in the formof Opportunity Scholarships.

The programs are so popularthat tens of thousands

of students remain on a waiting list.

One of those students is Janiyah Davis,

a fourth grader from Philadelphia.

Janiyah.

(audience applauding)

Janiyah's mom, Stephanie,is a single parent.

She would do anything to giveher daughter a better future.

But last year, that futurewas put further out of reach

when Pennsylvania'sgovernor vetoed legislation

to expand school choiceto 50,000 children.

Janiyah and Stephanie are in the gallery.

Stephanie, thank youso much for being here

with your beautiful daughter.

Thank you very much.

(audience applauding)

But, Janiyah, I havesome good news for you,

because I am pleased to inform you that

your long wait is over.

I can proudly announce tonight

that an Opportunity Scholarshiphas become available,

it's going to you, andyou will soon be heading

to the school of your choice.

(audience applauding)

Now I call on Congress to giveone million American children

the same opportunityJaniyah has just received.

Pass the Education Freedom Scholarships

and Opportunities Act,

because no parent should be forced

to send their child to afailing government school.

(audience applauding)

Every young person should havea safe and secure environment

in which to learn and to grow.

For this reason, ourmagnificent first lady

has launched the Be Bestinitiative to advance a safe,

healthy, supportive and drug-free life

for the next generation,

online, in school and in our communities.

Thank you, Melania, foryour extraordinary love

and profound care for America's children.

Thank you very much.

(audience applauding)

My administration isdetermined to give our citizens

the opportunities they needregardless of age or background.

Through our Pledge to American Workers,

over 400 companies willalso provide new jobs

and education opportunities toalmost 15 million Americans.

My budget also contains an exciting vision

for our nation's high schools.

Tonight, I ask Congressto support our students

and back my plan to offervocational and technical education

in every single high school in America.

(audience applauding)

To expand equal opportunity,

I am also proud that we achieved record

and permanent funding for our nation's

historically blackcolleges and universities.

(audience applauding)

A good life for Americanfamilies also requires

the most affordable,innovative, and high-quality

healthcare system on Earth.

Before I took office,health insurance premiums

had more than doubled in just five years.

I moved quickly to provideaffordable alternatives.

Our new plans are up to 60%less expensive, and better.

(audience applauding)

I've also made an ironcladpledge to American families.

We will always protect patients

with pre-existing conditions.

(audience applauding)

And we will always protect your Medicare

and we will always protectyour Social Security.

Always.

(audience applauding)

The American patientshould never be blindsided

by medical bills.

That is why I signed an executive order

requiring price transparency.

(audience applauding)

Many experts believe that transparency,

which will go into full effect

at the beginning of next year,

will be even biggerthan healthcare reform.

(audience applauding)

It will save familiesmassive amounts of money

for substantially better care.

But as we work to improveAmericans' healthcare,

there are those who want totake away your healthcare,

take away your doctor,

and abolish private insurance entirely.

(audience booing)

132 lawmakers in this roomhave endorsed legislation

to impose a socialist takeoverof our healthcare system,

wiping out the privatehealth insurance plans

of 180 million very happy Americans.

To those watching at hometonight, I want you to know,

We will never let socialismdestroy American healthcare.

(audience applauding)

Over 130 legislators in this chamber

have endorsed legislationthat would bankrupt our nation

by providing freetaxpayer-funded healthcare

to millions of illegal aliens,

forcing taxpayers to subsidize free care

for anyone in the world whounlawfully crosses our borders.

These proposals wouldraid the Medicare benefits

of our seniors and thatour seniors depend on,

while acting as a powerfullure for illegal immigration.

That is what is happening inCalifornia and other states.

Their systems are totally out of control,

costing taxpayers vast andunaffordable amounts of money.

If forcing American taxpayers to provide

unlimited free healthcare

to illegal aliens sounds fair to you,

then stand with the radical left.

But if you believe that weshould defend American patients

and American seniors,

then stand with me and pass legislation

to prohibit free governmenthealthcare for illegal aliens.

(audience applauding)

This will be a tremendous boon

to our already very stronglyguarded southern border

where, as we speak, a long,tall and very powerful wall

is being built.

(audience applauding)

We have now completed over 100 miles

and have over 500 miles fully completed

in a very short period of time.

Early next year, wewill have substantially

more than 500 miles completed.

My administration is also taking on

the big pharmaceutical companies.

We have approved a record number

of affordable generic drugs,

and medicines are beingapproved by the FDA

at a faster clip than ever before.

(audience applauding)

And I was pleased toannounce last year that,

for the first time in 51 years,

the cost of prescriptiondrugs actually went down.

(audience applauding)

And working together, Congresscan reduce drug prices

substantially from current levels.

I've been speaking to SenatorChuck Grassley of Iowa

and others in Congressin order to get something

on drug pricing done, anddone quickly and properly.

I'm calling for bipartisan legislation

that achieves the goalof dramatically lowering

prescription drug prices.

Get a bill on my desk, and I will sign it

into law immediately.

(audience applauding)

- [Audience] HR3, HR3, HR3!

HR3, HR3, HR3!

- With unyielding commitment,

we are curbing the opioid epidemic.

Drug overdose deaths declined

for the first time in nearly 30 years.

(audience applauding)

Among the states hardesthit, Ohio is down 22%,

Pennsylvania is down 18%,

Wisconsin is down 10%,

and we will not quit until we have beaten

the opioid epidemic once and for all.

(audience applauding)

Protecting Americans' health also means

fighting infectious diseases.

We are coordinating withthe Chinese government

and working closely together

on the coronavirus outbreak in China.

My administration willtake all necessary steps

to safeguard our citizensfrom this threat.

We have launched ambitious new initiatives

to substantially improvecare for Americans

with kidney disease, Alzheimer's,

and those struggling with mental health.

And because Congress was sogood as to fund my request,

new cures for childhood cancer,

and we will eradicate theAIDS epidemic in America

by the end of this decade.

(audience applauding)

Almost every Americanfamily knows the pain

when a loved one is diagnosedwith a serious illness.

Here tonight is a special man,

beloved by millions of Americans

who just received a stage 4advanced cancer diagnosis.

This is not good news,but what is good news

is that he is the greatestfighter and winner

that you will ever meet.

Rush Limbaugh, thank you

for your decades of tirelessdevotion to our country.

(audience applauding)

And, Rush, in recognition

of all that you have done for our nation,

the millions of peoplea day that you speak to

and that you inspire,

and all of the incredible work

that you have done for charity,

I am proud to announce tonightthat you will be receiving

our country's highest civilian honor,

the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

(audience applauding)

I will now ask the firstlady of the United States

to present you with the honor.

Please.

(audience applauding)

- [Audience Member] Thank you, Rush.

(audience applauding)

- Rush and Kathryn,

congratulations.

Thank you, Kathryn.

As we pray for all who are sick,

we know that Americais constantly achieving

new medical breakthroughs.

In 2017, doctors at St.Luke's Hospital in Kansas City

delivered one of theearliest premature babies

ever to survive.

Born at just 21 weeks and 6 days,

and weighing less than a pound,

Ellie Schneider was a born fighter.

Through the skill of her doctors

and the prayers of her parents,

little Ellie kept onwinning the battle of life.

Today, Ellie is a strong,healthy two-year-old girl

sitting with her amazingmother Robin in the Gallery.

Ellie and Robin, we are gladto have you with us tonight.

(audience applauding)

Ellie reminds us that everychild is a miracle of life.

And thanks to modern medical wonders,

50% of very premature babiesdelivered at the hospital

where Ellie was born now survive.

It's an incredible thing.

Thank you very much.

(audience applauding)

Our goal should be toensure that every baby

has the best chance to thriveand grow just like Ellie.

That is why I'm asking Congress

to provide an additional $50 million

to fund neonatal research forAmerica's youngest patients.

(audience applauding)

That is why I'm also calling upon

members of Congress heretonight to pass legislation

finally banning thelate-term abortion of babies.

(audience applauding)

Whether we are Republican,Democrat, or independent,

surely we must all agreethat every human life

is a sacred gift from God.

As we support America's moms and dads,

I was recently proud to sign

the law providing new parentsin the federal work force

paid family leave,

serving as a model forthe rest of the country.

(audience applauding)

Now I call on the Congressto pass the bipartisan

Advancing Support forWorking Families Act,

extending family leaveto mothers and fathers

all across our nation.

(audience applauding)

40 million American familieshave an average $2,200 extra

thanks to our child tax credit.

(audience applauding)

I've also overseenhistoric funding increases

for high-quality child care,

enabling 17 states to help more children,

many of which have reduced or eliminated

their wait lists altogether.

(audience applauding)

And I sent Congress a plan with a vision

to further expand accessto high-quality child care,

and urge you to act immediately.

(audience applauding)

To protect the environment,

days ago I announcedthat the United States

will join the OneTrillion Trees Initiative,

an ambitious effort tobring together government

and private sector toplant new trees in America

and all around the world.

(audience applauding)

We must also rebuildAmerica's infrastructure.

(audience applauding)

I ask you to pass SenatorJohn Barrasso's highway bill

to invest in new roads,bridges, and tunnels

all across our land.

I'm also committed to ensuring

that every citizen can haveaccess to high-speed internet,

including and especially in rural America.

(audience applauding)

A better tomorrow for all Americans

also requires us to keep America safe.

That means supporting the menand women of law enforcement

at every level, including ournation's heroic ICE officers.

(audience applauding)

Last year, our brave ICEofficers arrested more than

120,000 criminal alienscharged with nearly

10,000 burglaries,

5,000 sexual assaults,

45,000 violent assaults,

and 2,000 murders.

Tragically, there aremany cities in America

where radical politicians have chosen

to provide sanctuary forthese criminal illegal aliens.

(audience booing)

In sanctuary cities, local officials

order police to releasedangerous criminal aliens

to prey upon the public,

instead of handing them overto ICE to be safely removed.

Just 29 days ago, acriminal alien freed by

the sanctuary city of New York

was charged with thebrutal rape and murder

of a 92-year-old woman.

The killer had been previouslyarrested for assault,

but under New York's sanctuarypolicies, he was set free.

If the city had honoredICE's detainer request,

his victim would still be alive today.

The state of Californiapassed an outrageous law

declaring their wholestate to be a sanctuary

for criminal illegal immigrants,

a very terrible sanctuarywith catastrophic results.

Here is just one tragic example.

In December 2018,California police detained

an illegal alien with five prior arrests,

including convictionsfor robbery and assault.

But as required byCalifornia's Sanctuary Law,

local authorities released him.

Days later, the criminalalien went on a gruesome spree

of deadly violence.

He viciously shot one mangoing about his daily work.

He approached a woman sitting in her car

and shot her in the arm and in the chest.

He walked into a convenience store

and wildly fired his weapon.

He hijacked a truck andsmashed into vehicles,

critically injuring innocent victims.

One of the victims is,

a terrible, terrible situation,

died, 51-year-old Americannamed Rocky Jones.

Rocky was at a gas stationwhen this vile criminal

fired eight bullets athim from close range,

murdering him in cold blood.

Rocky left behind a devotedfamily, including his brothers,

who loved him more thananything else in the world.

One of his grieving brothersis here with us tonight.

Jody, would you please stand?

Jody, thank you.

(audience applauding)

Jody, our hearts weep for your loss,

and we will not restuntil you have justice.

Senator Thom Tillis hasintroduced legislation

to allow Americans like Jody

to sue sanctuary cities and states

when a loved one is hurt or killed

as a result of these deadly practices.

(audience applauding)

I ask Congress to passthe Justice for Victims

of Sanctuary Cities Act immediately.

The United States of Americashould be a sanctuary

for law-abiding Americans,not criminal aliens.

(audience applauding)

In the last three years, ICE has arrested

over 5,000 wicked human traffickers.

And I have signed ninepieces of legislation

to stamp out the menaceof human trafficking,

domestically and all around the globe.

My administration has undertakenan unprecedented effort

to secure the southernborder of the United States.

(audience applauding)

Before I came into office,

if you showed up illegallyon our southern border

and were arrested,

you were simply released andallowed into our country,

never to be seen again.

My administration hasended catch and release.

(audience applauding)

If you come illegally, youwill now be promptly removed

from our country.

(audience applauding)

Very importantly, we entered into

historic cooperation agreements

with the governments ofMexico, Honduras, El Salvador,

and Guatemala.

As a result of our unprecedented efforts,

illegal crossings are down 75% since May,

dropping eight straight months in a row.

(audience applauding)

And as the wall rapidlygoes up, drug seizures rise,

and the border crossings are down,

and going down very rapidly.

Last year, I traveledto the border in Texas

and met Chief Patrol Agent Raul Ortiz.

Over the last 24 months,Agent Ortiz and his team

have seized more than 200,000pounds of poisonous narcotics,

arrested more than 3,000 human smugglers,

and rescued more than 2,000 migrants.

Days ago, Agent Ortiz was promoted to

Deputy Chief of Border Patrol,

and he joins us tonight.

Chief Ortiz, please stand.

(audience applauding)

A grateful nation thanksyou and all of the heroes

of Border Patrol and ICE.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

(audience applauding)

To build on these historic gains,

we are working on legislation to replace

our outdated and randomizedimmigration system

with one based on merit,

welcoming those who follow the rules,

contribute to our economy,support themselves financially,

and uphold our values.

(audience applauding)

With every action, my administration

is restoring the ruleof law and reasserting

the culture of American freedom.

(audience applauding)

Working with Senate MajorityLeader Mitch McConnell.

Thank you, Mitch.

(audience applauding)

And his colleagues in the Senate,

we have confirmed a record number of 187

new federal judges to upholdour Constitution as written.

This includes two brilliantnew Supreme Court justices,

Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.

Thank you.

(audience applauding)

And we have many in the pipeline.

(audience laughs)

(audience applauding)

My administration is alsodefending religious liberty,

and that includes the constitutional right

to pray in public schools.

(audience applauding)

In America, we don't punish prayer.

We don't tear down crosses.

We don't ban symbols of faith.

We don't muzzle preachers and pastors.

In America, we celebrate faith,

we cherish religion,

we lift our voices in prayer,

and we raise our sightsto the Glory of God.

Just as we believe in the First Amendment,

we also believe in anotherconstitutional right

that is under siegeall across our country.

So long as I am president,

I will always protect yourSecond Amendment right

to keep and bear arms.

(audience applauding)

In reaffirming ourheritage as a free nation,

we must remember thatAmerica has always been

a frontier nation.

Now we must embrace the next frontier,

America's manifest destiny in the stars.

I am asking Congress to fullyfund the Artemis program

to ensure that the nextman and the first woman

on the Moon will be American astronauts

using this as a launching pad to ensure

that America is the first nationto plant its flag on Mars.

(audience applauding)

My administration is also

strongly defending our national security

and combating radical Islamic terrorism.

(audience applauding)

Last week, I announceda groundbreaking plan

for peace between Israeland the Palestinians.

Recognizing that all pastattempts have failed,

we must be determinedand creative in order to

stabilize the region andgive millions of young people

the chance to realize a better future.

Three years ago, the barbarians of ISIS

held over 20,000 square miles of territory

in Iraq and Syria.

Today, the ISIS territorial caliphate

has been 100% destroyed,

and the founder and leader of ISIS,

the bloodthirsty killerknown as al-Baghdadi is dead.

(audience applauding)

We are joined this eveningby Carl and Marsha Mueller.

After graduating from college,

their beautiful daughter Kayla

became a humanitarian aid worker.

She once wrote,

"Some people find God in church.

"Some people find God in nature.

"Some people find God in love.

"I find God in suffering.

"I've known for some timewhat my life's work is,

"using my hands as toolsto relieve suffering."

In 2013, while caring forsuffering civilians in Syria,

Kayla was kidnapped, tortured,and enslaved by ISIS,

and kept as a prisonerof al-Baghdadi himself.

After more than 500horrifying days of captivity,

al-Baghdadi murderedyoung, beautiful Kayla.

She was just 26 years old.

On the night that USSpecial Forces Operations

ended al-Baghdadi's miserable life,

the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,

General Mark Milley, receiveda call in the Situation Room.

He was told that the brave men

of the elite Special Forces team

that so perfectlycarried out the operation

had given their missiona name, Task Force 8-14.

It was a reference to aspecial day, August 14,

Kayla's birthday.

Carl and Marsha, America'swarriors never forgot Kayla,

and neither will we.

Thank you.

(audience applauding)

Every day, America'smen and women in uniform

demonstrate the infinite depth of love

that dwells in the human heart.

One of these American heroes

was Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Hake.

On his second deployment to Iraq in 2008,

Sergeant Hake wrote a letterto his one-year-old son, Gage.

"I will be with youagain," he wrote to Gage.

"I will teach you to ride your first bike,

"build your first sand box,

"watch you play sports,

"and see you have kids also.

"I love you son.

"Take care of your mother.

"I am always with you. Daddy."

On Easter Sunday of 2008,

Chris was out on patrol in Baghdad

when his Bradley Fighting Vehicle

was hit by a roadside bomb.

That night, he made the ultimatesacrifice for our country.

Sergeant Hake now rests ineternal glory in Arlington,

and his wife, Kelli, isin the Gallery tonight,

joined by their son,

who is now a 13-year-oldand doing very, very well.

To Kelli and Gage,

Chris will live in our hearts forever.

He is looking down on you now.

Thank you.

(audience applauding)

Thank you very much.

Thank you both very much.

The terrorist responsiblefor killing Sergeant Hake

was Qassim Suleimani,

who provided the deadly roadside bomb

that took Chris's life.

Suleimani was the Iranianregime's most ruthless butcher,

a monster who murdered or wounded

thousands of Americanservice members in Iraq.

As the world's top terrorist,Suleimani orchestrated

the deaths of countlessmen, women, and children.

He directed the December assault

and went on to assault US forces in Iraq.

Was actively planning new attacks

when we hit him very hard.

And that's why, lastmonth, at my direction,

the US military executed aflawless precision strike

that killed Suleimani andterminated his evil reign

of terror forever.

(audience applauding)

Our message to the terrorists is clear.

You will never escape American justice.

If you attack our citizens,you forfeit your life.

(audience applauding)

In recent months, wehave seen proud Iranians

raise their voices againsttheir oppressive rulers.

The Iranian regime mustabandon its pursuit

of nuclear weapons,

stop spreading terror,death, and destruction,

and start working for thegood of its own people.

Because of our powerful sanctions,

the Iranian economy isdoing very, very poorly.

We can help them make a verygood and short-time recovery.

It can all go very quickly,

but perhaps they aretoo proud or too foolish

to ask for that help.

We are here.

Let's see which road they choose.

It is totally up to them.

(audience applauding)

As we defend American lives,

we are working to end America'swars in the Middle East.

In Afghanistan, thedetermination and valor

of our warfighters has allowed us to make

tremendous progress, andpeace talks are now underway.

I am not looking to kill

hundreds of thousands ofpeople in Afghanistan,

many of them totally innocent.

It is also not our functionto serve other nations

as law enforcement agencies.

These are warfighters that we have,

the best in the world,

and they either want to fightto win or not fight at all.

We are working to finallyend America's longest war

and bring our troops back home.

(audience applauding)

War places a heavy burden on our nation's

extraordinary military families,

especially spouses like Amy Williams

from Fort Bragg, North Carolina,

and her two children,six-year old Elliana,

and three-year old Rowan.

Amy works full-time andvolunteers countless hours

helping other military families.

For the past seven months,she has done it all

while her husband, SergeantFirst Class Townsend Williams,

is in Afghanistan on his fourth deployment

in the Middle East.

Amy's kids haven't seen theirfather's face in many months.

Amy, your family'ssacrifice makes it possible

for all of our families tolive in safety and in peace,

and we want to thank you.

Thank you, Amy.

(audience applauding)

But, Amy, there is one more thing.

Tonight, we have a very special surprise.

I am thrilled to inform you

that your husband is back from deployment.

He is here with us tonight,

and we couldn't keephim waiting any longer.

(audience applauding)

- [Audience] USA!

USA!

USA!

USA!

USA!

- Welcome home, Sergeant Williams.

Thank you very much.

As the world bears witness tonight,

America is a land of heroes.

This is a place where greatness is born,

where destinies are forged,

and where legends come to life.

This is the home of ThomasEdison and Teddy Roosevelt,

of many great generalsincluding Washington,

Pershing, Patton, and MacArthur.

This is the home of AbrahamLincoln, Frederick Douglass,

Amelia Earhart, HarrietTubman, the Wright Brothers,

Neil Armstrong, and so many more.

This is the country wherechildren learn names

like Wyatt Earp, DavyCrockett, and Annie Oakley.

This is the place where thepilgrims landed at Plymouth

and where Texas patriots madetheir last stand at the Alamo

(audience applauding)

The beautiful, beautiful Alamo.

The American nation was carvedout of the vast frontier

by the toughest, strongest, fiercest,

and most determined menand women ever to walk

on the face of the Earth.

Our ancestors braved the unknown,

tamed the wilderness,

settled the Wild West,

lifted millions frompoverty, disease, and hunger,

vanquished tyranny and fascism,

ushered the world to newheights of science and medicine,

laid down the railroads,dug out the canals,

raised up the skyscrapers.

And, ladies and gentlemen,

our ancestors built themost exceptional republic

ever to exist in all of human history,

and we are making itgreater than ever before.

(audience applauding)

This is our glorious andmagnificent inheritance.

We are Americans.

We are pioneers.

We are the pathfinders.

We settled the New World,

we built the modern world,

and we changed historyforever by embracing

the eternal truth thateveryone is made equal

by the hand of Almighty God.

(audience applauding)

America is the placewhere anything can happen.

America is the placewhere anyone can rise.

And here, on this land, on this soil,

on this continent,

the most incredible dreams come true.

This nation is our canvas,

and this country is our masterpiece.

We look at tomorrow andsee unlimited frontiers

just waiting to be explored.

Our brightest discoveriesare not yet known.

Our most thrillingstories are not yet told.

Our grandest journeys are not yet made.

The American Age, the American Epic,

the American adventurehas only just begun.

Our spirit is still young,

the sun is still rising,

God's grace is still shining,

and, my fellow Americans,the best is yet to come.

Thank you.

God bless you, and God bless America.

Thank you very much.

(audience applauding)

- And there you have it, President Trump

just wrapping up his thirdState of the Union Address

to a joint session of Congress,

ending on a positive tone,

talking about American greatness,

saying that America is a land of heroes,

a place where greatness is born,

then citing examples like Thomas Edison,

Roosevelt, Washington, HarrietTubman, Amelia Earhart,

ending on of coursesaying we are pioneers,

were pathfinders, the Americanage, the American epic,

the American venture is just beginning.

He started his State of the Union Address

talking about his recordon the strong economy.

- David, though, he's overall tone,

What did you make of that it?

It seemed to be maybe not as optimistic

as the White House wasprojecting going in.

- Yeah, he was pretty serious.

And I thought it wasvintage Trump, I really did.

I started with the walk.

if we talked about the walk,

he was very serious and purposeful,

his rhetoric was serious

in terms of the socialism and healthcare.

He talked about illegalaliens and all of that,

and then there was a bit of chip on it,

a bit of a chip on his shoulder.

That's Trump.

He didn't shake Pelosi's hand.

He went after previous administrations,

and then it was unorthodox like Trump.

the Rush Limbaugh moment,

the deployment.

Forgot his name now, butthe man who came back

from Afghanistan.- Sergeant Williams.

- That's right, Sergeant Williams.

So we had that, and of course

the Venezuelan legitimatepresident being there.

So that was made for TV moment.

So I thought it was pretty vintage Trump.

I will just say one last thing.

The word impeachment wasnot said in that speech,

but the vibe of impeachmentwas in that house tonight.

I don't think there'sany question about it.

- [John] That was hisanswer to impeachment.

- Exactly, exactly.

- Well, I think there's no question.

This was a proof of performance speech.

The president spent the first15 minutes of his address

talking about the economy,and this is no small thing.

When you talk about thelowest job numbers ever

for African-Americans,Asians, Hispanics, women,

you talk about wages going up.

The bottom half of wageearners increased by 47%,

that's three times faster thanan increase for the top 1%.

That's significant, because you remember,

during the financial crisis,

people were so upsetthat wages were stagnant

and CEOs were getting these huge bonuses.

the president is pointingout that he's working

for his base, he's workingfor those blue collar workers,

he's calling it a blue collar boom.

And this is important whenit comes to elections.

We talked about 63% of Americans

who approve of hishandling of the economy.

When people feel good about their jobs,

about the money coming in,

about their ability tosupport their family,

they're more willing tokeep a president in office.

- And as we mentionedearlier, tonight's speech,

really, the kickoff to his2020 reelection campaign.

A real quick programming note,

we are awaiting the Democratic response

from Michigan governor, Gretchen Whitmer.

That will come on.

We will leave in about five minutes,

but we're gonna continue to give

post State of the Union address analysis.

- David, as Jennifer was mentioning,

this was really the kickoff

of his 2020 presidential campaign.

What did you glean?

What did you see in thatvein of this speech?

- A lot for evangelicals in there,

and he's gonna need evangelicals

every step of the way in 2020.

I even wrote here in mynotes, evangelical checklist.

I mean if you go down the line,

he called for passing legislation

to ban late-term abortions.

That was their, judges were there.

He talked about wedon't tear down crosses,

we don't muzzle preachers and pastors.

school choice was there.

It was a checklist tolet evangelicals know

he haven't forgotten you.

Not only have I made those promises,

but just because I did that,it's still in my speech,

I still care about it, it's important.

But I have to tell you Ithink the headline overall

that the media will go with tonight

will be the Pelosi-Trumpinteraction or lack thereof of.

Was it a handshake that he snubbed?

Did he snub her or not?

And also, did she snub him?

Because something that basically--

- It's being pointed out.

- Being pointed out, butnormally the Speaker of the House

will say, "I have the highprivilege and distinct honor

"of presenting you thepresident of United States."

And there were no wordstonight from Nancy Pelosi,

Pelosi saying she has the highprivilege and distinct honor.

So that's a snub back at Trump.

So snub for snub, that'llbe the headline tonight.

- Jennifer, you were alluding to

this being proof of performance,

but in many respects, what we saw

with the president tonight,

a little bit of his producer

from The Apprentice really coming out.

He had a lot of powerful moments,

whether it was honoring the100-year-old Tuskegee Airmen,

Rush Limbaugh being presented

with a Medal of Freedomright there on the spot,

also the young girl who at 26 weeks.

Let's talk a little bitabout these powerful moments

that he was able to create

in the middle of the Stateof the Union Address,

which honestly for a lotof people is quite dry.

- So can I admit that Iactually had to grab a tissue

at one point?

Usually, these guestsare powerful moments,

but you're right, hetook it a step further.

Instead of saying here's a little girl who

didn't get a scholarship for to go to

a school of her choice,

and then announcing she'sgetting the scholarship.

Bringing a military family,

and then, "Oh here's your father,

"who you haven't seen in months."

I mean just powerful moments,

and we talked about thisgoing into the speech.

He understands the gravity of the moment.

He rises to the occasion.

He likes to be in command of this stage,

and wow, I mean this was stagecraft

that we've never seenat a State of the Union.

I think that probably there were

a lot of tears shed at home

from people watching thison both sides of the aisle.

- Can I just real quick saythat it goes with his mantra,

his theme, which is it'snot just words, its actions.

And tonight we saw not just the words,

but as you said, Jennifer,the action right after,

whether it be Rush Limbaugh,

here's the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Here's your husband.

Here's a grant for a scholarship.

Trump's whole point ispromises that he has kept,

he's made and he's kept them.

And now, tonight he said,

"Here's a promise, and oh by the way,

"I'm gonna deliverright now in primetime."

So I mean it's it's vintage Trump.

It's vintage Trump.

- And Rush Limbaugh, David,

this was really one of the few times

we actually saw the president smiling.

During the speech he looked up,

and he was actuallysmiling at Rush Limbaugh.

Rush Limbaugh looked surprised

that he was actuallygetting the that honor.

But this is a big deal,not only for the president,

but for the conservative base.

Rush Limbaugh is someone who many people

on the conservative side listen to daily.

- 100%, and I have to tell you,

if we can just go retro for a moment

and go about 30, 35 yearsback in the day when I was,

yes, listening to RushLimbaugh 30 years ago.

Trump would not have been his guy at all.

This is very important.

I mean to see what justhappened tonight, I mean...

I'm not gonna say Limbaugh

would've despised Donald Trump,

but Trump was just off thereservation on a lot of issues.

But the way it all weavesweave well tonight.

- Let's go to GovernorWhitmer in Michigan.

(audience applauding)

Good evening.

I'm honored to be here andgrateful you are tuning in.

I'm Gretchen Whitmer,

the 49th governor of thegreat state of Michigan.

Tonight, I'm at my daughters'

Sherry and Sydney's publicschool, East Lansing High.

We're here with family, parents, teachers,

and most importantly, students.

I want to thank you all for coming.

But tonight, I'm gonna talk to those

of you who are watching at home.

I'd need a lot more than 10 minutes

to respond to what thepresident just said.

So instead of talkingabout what he is saying,

I am gonna highlightwhat Democrats are doing.

After all, you can listento what someone says,

but to know the truth, watch what they do.

Michiganders are no differentfrom Americans everywhere.

We love our families andwant a good life today

and a better life tomorrow for our kids.

We work hard and we expect our government

to work hard for us as well.

We have grit and value loyalty,

and we still root for the Detroit Lions.

We, and all Americans, mightbe weary of today's politics,

but we must stay engaged.

Our country, our democracy,our future demand it.

We're capable of greatthings when we work together.

We cannot forget thatdespite the dishonesty

and division of the last few years,

and that we heard tonight

from the president of the United States,

together, we have boundless potential.

And young Americans areproving that every day,

by taking action.

That's what I want to focus on tonight.

Monte Scott is 13 old

and lives in Muskegon Heights, Michigan.

Monte's street was covered in potholes.

They were ankle-deep,

and he got tired of waitingfor them to get fixed.

So he grabbed a shoveland a bucket of dirt

and filled them in himself.

During my campaign, peopletold me to fix the damn roads,

because blown tires and broken windshields

are downright dangerous.

And car repairs take money from rent,

child care, or groceries.

And we, the Democrats, aredoing something about it.

In Illinois, Governor J. B. Pritzker

passed a multi-billion dollar plan

to rebuild their roads and bridges.

Governor Phil Murphy is replacinglead pipes in New Jersey.

All across the country, Democratic leaders

are rebuilding bridges, fixing roads,

expanding broadband andcleaning up drinking water.

Everyone in this country benefits

when we invest in infrastructure.

Congressional Democratshave presented proposals

to keep us moving forward,

but President Trump and theRepublicans in the Senate

are blocking the path.

When it comes to infrastructure,

Monte has tried to do more witha shovel and a pile of dirt

than the Republicans in DC have

with the Oval Office and the US Senate.

Bullying people on Twitterdoesn't fix bridges.

It burns them.

Our energy should beused to solve problems,

and it's true for healthcare, too.

For me, for so many Americans,

healthcare is personal, not political.

When I was 30, I became a memberof the sandwich generation.

That means I was sandwichedbetween two generations

of my own family for whom Iwas the primary caregiver.

I was holding down a new job,

caring for my newborn daughter

as well as my mom at the endof her brain cancer battle.

I was up all night with a baby.

And during the day, I had to fight

my mom's insurance company

when they wrongly denied hercoverage for chemotherapy.

It was hard.

It exposed the harshrealities of our workplaces,

our healthcare system,and our child care system.

And it changed me.

I lost patience for people whoare just talk and no action.

So, as a state senator, I workedwith a Republican governor

and legislature to expandhealthcare coverage

to more than 680,000 Michiganders

under the Affordable Care Act.

Today, Democrats from Maine to Montana

are expanding coverage and lowering costs.

In Kansas, Governor LauraKelly's working across the aisle

to bring Medicaid coverageto tens of thousands.

In New Mexico, GovernorMichelle Lujan-Grisham

enshrined ACA protections into state law.

Every Democrat running for president

has a plan to expandhealthcare for all Americans.

Every one of them has supportedthe Affordable Care Act

with coverage for peoplewith pre-existing conditions.

They may have different plans,but the goal is the same.

President Trump, sadly,has a different plan.

He's asking the courts

to rip those life-saving protections away.

It's pretty simple.

Democrats are trying tomake your healthcare better.

Republicans in Washingtonare trying to take it away.

Think about kids like 17-year-oldBlake Carroll from Idaho,

who organized a fundraiser to pay

for his mom's colon cancer treatment.

Or 19-year-old Ebony Myers from Utah,

who sells art to help pay for her own

rare genetic disorder treatment.

No one should have tocrowdsource their healthcare.

Not in America.

But the reality is,not everyone in America

has a job with healthcare and benefits.

In fact, many have jobs

that don't even pay enough tocover their monthly expenses.

It doesn't matter what the president says

about the stock market.

`What matters is that millionsof people struggle to get by

or don't have enough money

at the end of the month afterpaying for transportation,

student loans, or prescription drugs.

American workers are hurting.

In my own state, ourneighbors in Wisconsin,

and Ohio, Pennsylvania,and all over the country,

wages have stagnated whileCEO pay has skyrocketed.

So when the President saysthe economy is strong,

my question is: strong for whom?

Strong for the wealthywho are reaping rewards

from tax cuts they don't need?

The American economy needs tobe a different kind of strong.

Strong for the scienceteacher spending her own money

to buy supplies for her classroom.

Strong for the single mompicking up extra hours

so she can afford herdaughter's soccer cleats.

Strong for the small business owner

who has to make payrollat the end of the month.

Michigan invented the middle class.

So, we know if the economydoesn't work for working people,

it just doesn't work.

Who fights for hardworking Americans?

Democrats do.

In the US House, SpeakerNancy Pelosi and Democrats

passed a landmark bill on equal pay,

another bill to give 30 million Americans

a raise by increasing the minimum wage,

and groundbreaking legislationto finally give Medicare

the power to negotiate lower drug prices

for America's seniors and families.

Those three bills, and morethan 275 other bipartisan bills,

are just gathering dust

on Senate Majority LeaderMitch McConnell's desk.

Senator McConnell, Americaneeds you to move those bills.

Meanwhile, Democrats across the country

are getting things done.

Pennsylvania's governor, Tom Wolf,

is expanding the right to overtime pay.

Michigan is too.

Because if you're on theclock, you deserve to get paid.

Nevada governor, Steve Sisolak,

and North Carolina governor, Roy Cooper,

are working to givehardworking teachers a raise.

And speaking of the classroom,

Wisconsin governor, Tony Evers,

unilaterally increased school funding

by $65 million last year.

In Colorado, Governor Jared Polis

has enacted free all-day kindergarten.

And in 29 states, we've helped pass

minimum wage hikes into law,

which will lift people out of poverty

and improve lives for families.

That's strength.

That's action.

Democracy takes action,

And that's why I'm soinspired by young people.

They respond to massshootings demanding policies

that make schools safer.

They react to a worldthat's literally on fire

with fire in their bellies.

To push leaders to finallytake action on climate change.

They take on a road filled with potholes

with a shovel and some dirt.

It's what gives me greatconfidence in our future.

And it's why sometimes,

it feels like they'rethe adults in the room.

But it shouldn't have to be that way.

It's not their mess to clean up.

It's ours.

The choices we make todaycreate their reality tomorrow.

Young people, I'm talking to you,

and your parents, and grandparents.

Democrats want safe schools.

We want everyone to havea path to a good life,

whether it's through aunion apprenticeship,

a community college, afour-year university,

without drowning in debt.

We want your water to be clean.

We want you to love who you love,

and to live authenticallyas your true selves.

And we want women to haveautonomy over their own bodies.

We want our country welcomingand everyone's vote counted.

2020 is a big year.

It's the year my daughter Sherry

will graduate from high school.

It's also the year she'llcast her first ballot,

along with millions of young Americans.

The two things are connected.

Because walking acrossthe graduation stage

is as important as walkinginto the voting booth

for the first time.

Her future, all our kids' futures,

will be determined notjust by their dreams

but by our actions.

As we witness the impeachmentprocess in Washington,

there are some things each of us,

no matter our party, should demand.

The truth matters,

facts matter.

and no one should be above the law.

It's not what those senators say.

Tomorrow, it's about whatthey do that matters.

Remember,

listen to what people say,but watch what they do.

It's time for action.

Generations of Americansare counting on us.

Let's not let them down.

Thank you for listening.

God bless America.

Good night.

(audience applauding)

- And that was GovernorGretchen Whitmer from Michigan.

Final thoughts, David and Jennifer.

- She was solid.

It wasn't Bobby Jindal or anything.

So anyhow, it was good, andthis is what they have to do.

- Yeah, I mean it was, itwas her proof of performance

for Democrats.

She talked a lot about healthcare

which is gonna be a hugeissue for both sides,

fundamental differences there.

So yeah, I thought itwas a solid response.

- And Michigan State, they need to win.

- Absolutely.- Key state.

- Strategic, yeah.

- Well, for more continuing coverage,

you can always catch what CBSNews is doing on cbnnews.com

or our CBN News app.

Thanks for joining us tonight.

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