Transcripts For KNTV State Of The Union Address 20180131

President trump will enter and deliver his first state of the Union Address for joint session of congress. This is a moment of history and high drama here in washington, an embattled president under investigation, a congress mired in partisan conflict, a government that Many Americans believe is kregsincreasingly un to function for the common good. Donald trump has been in office for one year and ten days, and given the controversy his presidency has taken so far, there is high interest in what he has to say tonight on the economy, on immigration, on north korea and so many other issues. Here with me tonight are my nbc news colleagues, savannah guthrie, chuck todd, dreandrea mitchell, megyn kelly and tom brokaw. Savannah, a year ago it was a new administration addressing congress. There was so much looking president ial. That was a year ago. What are we looking at tonight . Now we have a year to talk about and what a year its been. It was substantively consequential, big ticket items being done and shocking at times. We saw that in the opening of the show just now. The president has a story to tell. Hes got some headwinds at his back. Hes got a good economy to talk about. He has the tax cuts he was able to get through. He has the Supreme Court justice sitting in that audience. That was incredibly important to his supporters. Yes he has an Approval Rating lower than any president in their tenure. Now people have had a year to get to know him and positions calcium calcify. This is one of the rare moments in a presidency where you get a chance to reintroduce yourself. And we had lunch with some other journalists today, but on the record he talked about what hes learned over the last year. As a businessman always trying to win, win, win, win, he knows theres a need for heart. When you heard that, did you think were going to see a different President Trump tonight . Im trying to figure out how he can make tonight seem different than any other night. President trump is constantly communicating with the American Public himself, on social media, on television all the time. Hes a very omnipresent person in a way weve never seen before. I think the difficulty for him is how does he make tonight special to make people that somehow it penetrates in a way other stuff doesnt. Part of it is the era we live in, that no single event lasts for a long time. I think if he uses this, and hes realistic about it. A lot of supporters will be watching, maybe some hate watchers. I dont know if the middle is watching, and if they are, ill use it to try to tout my tax bill. At the end of the day, if he gets more people to like his tax plan, then this is a good speech politically. Beyond that, i dont know how much big things he can accomplish tonight because i just think state of the unions havent been as special as they used to be and this president is so omnipresent. Were waiting for the president to enter the room. While we wait for that, megyn kelly, give us your thoughts. What do you expect from the president . I expect very little because these events tend to be utterly forgettable and i think this one will, too. The one thing he has going for him is hes donald trump and he makes things more exciting for good or bad. Well see if he can do what other president s fail to do, which is make it interesting and exciting and get people talking about it. You know the campaign slogan, let trump be trump . Will that happen tonight or will we get teleprompter trump who will just read and far less dynamic and memorable . Theyre talking about trump looking less conciliatory tonight. What does that look like . How can a man weve watched all this time come out there and be conciliatory and possibly disappoint his faithful. Exactly. Who is he going to be reaching out to . Here is the sergeant of arms paul irving. Please welcome the president of the United States. [ applause ] greeting those along the aisle which we know some people stake out for hours for a position where they can greet the president as he walks in the room. Savannah . Kasie hunt is our capitol hill correspondent who has the best seat in the house. Kasie, we cannot see you but we can hear you. What are you seeing . Reporter savannah, good evening. We are actually seeing right now that there are members of the Congressional Black Caucus who are remaining seated as the president walks into the house chamber. He is coming slowly up the aisle, which is a dramatic scene, im sure, that our viewers are able to look at even though i cant see the same thing they are seeing. But we were watching to see if there would be some sort of protest from democrats in what really is such a divided era. A year ago there were some democrats who came into this speech hopeful. It was, of course, not a state of the union, it was a joint address of congress, but they hoped he would talk about joint priorities and ways they might work together. Over the last year, they have been sorely disappointed, and its very difficult to overstate the emotional anger that some members of this house of representatives feel towards this president. And nancy pelosi, the House Minority leader, had urged her members not to walk out of this speech, not to make it about them instead of about what the president was going to say tonight, and it appears that they have found something of a middle ground in this sign of some level of disrespect, savannah. All right, kasie hunt on the hill for us. Thanks, kasie. We saw a picture a moment ago, some of the women democratic members wearing black, noting the me too movement. Youre going to see a lot of statements, some subtle, some not so subtle in this chamber tonight. Andrea mitchell, your thoughts as we await the president. This is a big moment, obviously, for the president , but its noteworthy that the democrats have been advised not to do anything that is rude. Maybe that joe wilson moment when he shouted out, you lie, at president obama which was so notable. You see Supreme Court Justice Steven breyer who has attended most often these events. They dont have to attend. Its a matter of preference. Supreme court ginsberg is not here, shes in rhode island. This is a big question. Hes got Foreign Policy challenges and a domestic policy to sell the tax cuts in the economy. Yeah, four members of the Supreme Court attending tonight. Tom, as we await the president to take the podium, he will have a short amount of time in this laundry list of a year of midterm elections. Ive been watching him since he was 34 years old, and at the end of the day, he considered himself one of the greatest salesmen in the world, t. The fact that he sells sizzle rather than substance doesnt get in his way. Even during the ups and downs in all of this, he has not lost faith in himself. This speech tonight is expected to be different from what weve been hearing from him. Well see how he carries out that speech in the days to come. Thats the important part of it. Relishing the applause there, and a lot of invited guests here, each telling a story of their own. First Lady Melania Trump has a number of guests who will be referred to as we await the president s remarks. There is a lot of invited guests, and the gallery as i know where everybody talked about nancy pelosi warning House Democrats not to do anything, but the gallon rirergallery, th listen to leadership. Theyre not members of congress. Theyre there as political activists. I wouldnt be surprised and some have boycotted and are not attending. It feels like its a loud gallery. We just saw nancy pelosi quieting her troops. Lets not forget as we see general sessions this is a criminal under investigation right now on obstruction of justice with the russia investigation, so a lot going on in the backdrop. I have the high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you the president of the United States. [ applause ] there is a missing major figure in this hall tonight that we ought not to forget about, and that is the special prosecutor of the United States, who is at this hour probably meeting with his team, deciding where they go now. He sort of hovers over the cha chamber, doesnt he . Thats an extraordinarily important part of whats going on in washington, d. C. Despite all the braggart of this setting and the television photos, members of the Supreme Court and members of the cabinet, out there is a highly regarded investigator who is looking into whether or not he broke the law. Mr. Vice president , members of congress, the first lady of the United States, and my fellow americans. Less than one year has passed since i first stood at this podium in this majestic chamber to speak on behalf of the American People and to address their concerns, their hopes, and their dreams. That night our new administration had already taken very swift action. A new tide of optimism was already sweeping across our land. Each day since, we have gone forward with a clear vision and a righteous mission. To make America Great again for all americans. [ applause ] over the last year, we have made incredible progress and achieved extraordinary success. We have faced challenges we expected and others we could never have imagined. We have shared in the heights of victory and the pains of hardship. We have endured floods and fires and storms. But through it all, we have seen the beauty of americas soul and the steel in americas spine. Each test has forged new american heroes to remind us who we are and show us what we can be. We saw the volunteers of the cajun navy racing to the rescue with their fishing boats to save people in the aftermath of a totally devastating hurricane. We saw strangers shielding strangers from the hail of gunfire on the las vegas strip. We heard tales of americans like coast guard petty officer Ashlee Leppert who is here tonight in the gallery with melania. [ applause ] ashlee was aboard one of the first helicopters in houston during hurricane harvey. Through 13 hours of wind and rain, ashlee braved live power lines and deep water to help save more than 40 lives. Ashlee, we all thank you. Thank you very much. [ applause ] we heard about americans like Firefighter David dahlberg. David faced down walls of flame to rescue almost 60 children trapped in a california summer camp threatened by those devastating wildfires. To everyone still recovering in texas, florida, louisiana, puerto rico and the virgin islands, everywhere we are with you, we love you, and we always will pull through together always. [ applause ] thank you to david and the brave people of california. Thank you very much, david. Great job. Some trials over the past year touched this chamber very personally. With us tonight is one of the toughest people ever to serve in this house, a guy who took a bullet, almost died and was back to work three and a half months later, the legend from louisiana, congressman steve scalise. [ applause ] i think they like you, steve. Were incredibly grateful for the heroic efforts of the Capitol Police officers, the alexandria police, and the doctors, nurses and paramedics who saved his life and the lives of many others, some in this room. And the aftermath yes. Yes. [ applause ] in the aftermath of that terrible shooting, we came together not as republicans or democrats but as representatives of the people. But it is not enough to come together only in times of tragedy. Tonight i call upon all of us to set aside our differences, to seek out Common Ground and to summon the unity we need to deliver for the people. This is really the key. These are the people we were elected to serve. [ applause ] over the last year, the world has seen what we always knew, that no people on earth are so fearless or daring or determined as americans. If there is a mountain, we climb it. If there is a frontier, we cross it. If there is a challenge, we tame it. If there is an opportunity, we seize it. So lets begin tonight by recognizing that the state of our union is strong, because our people are strong. [ applause ] and together we are building a safe, strong, and proud america. Since the election, we have created 2. 4 million new jobs, including [ applause ] including 200,000 new jobs in manufacturing alone. Tremendous number. [ applause ] after years and years of wage stagnation, we are finally seeing rising wages. [ applause ] unemployment claims have hit a 45year low. [ applause ] and something im very proud of, africanamerican unemployment stands at the lowest rate ever recorded. [ applause ]. And hispanicamerican unemployment has also reached the lowest levels in history. [ applause ] Small Business confidence is at an alltime high. The stock market has smashed one record after another, gaining 8 trillion and more in value in just this short period of time. The great news [ applause ] the great news for americans, 401 k retirement pension and College Savings accounts have gone through the roof. And just as i promised the American People from this podium 11 months ago, we enacted the biggest tax cuts and reforms in american history. [ applause ] our massive tax cuts provide tremendous relief for the middle class and Small Business. To lower tax rates for hardworking americans, we nearly doubled the standard deduction for everyone. [ applause ] now the first 24,000 earned by a married couple is completely tax free. [ applause ] we also doubled the child tax credit. [ applause ] a typical family of four making 75,000 will see their tax bill reduced by 2,000, slashing their tax bill in half. In april, this will be the last time you will ever file under the old and very broken system, and millions of americans will have more takehome pay starting next month, a lot more. [ applause ] we eliminated an especially cruel tax that fell mostly on americans making less than 50,000 a year, forcing them to pay tremendous penalties simply because they couldnt afford governmentordered health plans. We repeal the core of the disastrous obamacare, the individual mandate is now gone. Thank heaven. [ applause ] we slashed the business tax rate from 35 all the way down to 21 so American Companies can compete and win against anyone else anywhere in the world. [ applause ] these changes alone are estimated to increase average Family Income by more than 4,000. A lot of money. [ applause ] Small Businesses have also received a massive tax cut and can now deduct 20 of their business income. Here tonight are steve staub and sand y keplinger of a Small Business in ohio. They just finished their 20th year in business history. [ applause ] because of tax reform, they are handing out raises, hiring an additional 14 people and expanding into the building next door. [ applause ] good feeling. One of staubs employees, corey adams, is also with us tonight. Corey is an allamerican worker. He supported himself through high school, lost his job during the 2008 recession and was later hired by staub where he trained to become a welder. Like many hardworking americans, corey plans to invest his tax cut raise into his new home and his two daughters educations. Corey, please stand. [ applause ] and is hes a great welder. I was told that by the man that owns that company thats doing so well. Congratulations, corey. Since we passed tax cuts, roughly 3 million workers have already gotten tax cut bonuses, many of them thousands and thousands of dollars per worker, and its getting more every month, every week. Apple has Just Announced it plans to invest a total of 350 billion in america and hire another 20,000 workers. [ applause ] and just a little while ago, exxonmobil announced a 50 billion investment in the United States, just a little while ago. [ applause ] this, in fact, is our new american moment. There has never been a better time to start living the american dream. So to every citizen watching at home tonight, no matter where youve been or where youve come from, this is your time. If you work hard, if you believe in yourself, if you believe in america, then you can dream anything, you can be anything, and together we can achieve absolutely anything. [ applause ] tonight i want to talk about what kind of future were going to have and what kind of a nation were going to be. All of us together, as one team, one people, and one American Family can do anything. We all share the same home, the same heart, the same destiny and the same Great American flag. [ applause ] together we are rediscovering the american way. In america, we know that faith and family, not government and bureaucracy, are the center of American Life. The motto is in god we trust. [ applause ] and we celebrate our police, our military and our amazing veterans as heroes who deserve our total and unwavering support. Here tonight is preston sharp, a 12yearold boy from reading, california who noticed that american flags were not marked on veterans day. He decided by himself to change that and started a movement that has now placed 40,000 flags at the graves of our american heroes. Preston, a job well done. [ applause ] young people like preston teach all of us about our american civic duty. I met preston a while ago and he is something special, i can tell you. Great future. Thank you for all youve done, preston. Thank you very much. [ applause ] prestons reverence for those who have served our nation reminds us of why we salute our flag, why we put our hands on our hearts for the pledge of allegiance, and why we proudly stand for the national anthem. [ applause ] [ applause ] americans love their country and they deserve a government that shows them the same love and loyalty in return. For the last year, we have sought to restore the bonds of trust between our citizens and their government. Working with the senate, we are appointing judges who will interpret the constitution as written, including a great new Supreme Court justice and more Circuit Court judges than any new administration in the history of our country. [ applause ] we are totally defending our Second Amendment and have taken historic actions to protect religious liberty. [ applause ] and we are serving our brave veterans, including giving our veterans choice in their health care decisions. [ applause ] last Year Congress also passed, and i signed, the landmark v. A. Accountability act. [ applause ] since its passage, my administration has already removed more than 1,500 v. A. Employees who failed to give our veterans the care they deserve, and we are hiring talented people who love our vets as much as we do. [ applause ] and i will not stop until our veterans are properly taken care of, which has been my promise to them from the very beginning of this great journey. [ applause ] all americans deserve accountability and respect, and thats what we are giving our wonderful heroes, our veterans. Thank you. [ applause ] tonight i call on congress to empower every cabinet secretary with the authority to reward good workers and to remove federal employees who undermine the public trust or fail the American People. [ applause ] in our drive to make washington accountable, we have eliminated more regulations in our first year than any administration in the history of our country. [ applause ] we have ended the war on american energy, and we have ended the war on beautiful, clean coal. [ applause ] we are now very proudly an exporter of energy to the world. [ applause ] in detroit, i halted government mandates that crippled americas great, beautiful auto workers so that we can get motor city revving its engines again, and thats whats happening. [ applause ] many Car Companies are now building and expanding plants in the United States, something we havent seen for decades. Chrysler is moving a major plant from mexico to michigan. Toyota and mazda are opening up a plant in alabama, a big one, and we havent seen this in a long time. Its all coming back. [ applause ] very soon auto plants and other plants will be opening up all over our country. This is all news americans are totally unaccustomed to hearing. For many Years Companies and jobs were only leaving us. But now they are roaring back, theyre coming back, they want to be where the action is, they want to be in the United States of america. Thats where they want to be. [ applause ] exciting progress is happening every single day. To speed access, to break through cures and affordable generic drugs. Last year the fda approved more new and generic drugs and medical devices than ever before in our countrys history. [ applause ] we also believe that patients with permanent conditions and terminal illness should have access to treatment immediately that could potentially save their lives. People who are terminally ill should not have to go from country to country to seek a cure. I want to give them a chance right here at home. Its time for congress to give these wonderful, incredible americans the right to try. [ applause ] one of my greatest priorities is to reduce the price of prescription drugs. [ applause ] in many other countries, these drugs cost far less than what we pay in the United States, and its very, very unfair. That is why ive directed my administration to make fixing the injustice of high drug prices one of my Top Priorities for the year. [ applause ] and prices will come down substantially. Watch. America has also finally turned the page on decades of unfair trade deals that sacrificed our prosperity and chipped away our companies, our jobs and our wealth. Our nation has lost its wealth, but were getting it back so fast. The era of economic surrender is totally over. From now on we expect creating relationships to be fair, and very importantly, reciprocal. [ applause ] we will work to fix bad trade deals and negotiate new ones, and they will be good ones, but theyll be fair. And we will protect American Workers and American Intellectual property through strong enforcement of our trade rules. [ applause ] its also time to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure. [ applause ] america is a nation of builders. We built the Empire State Building in just one year. Isnt it a disgrace that it can now take ten years just to get a minor permit approved for the building of a simple road . [ applause ] im asking both parties to come together to give us safe, reliable and modern infrastructure that our economy needs and our people deserve. [ applause ] tonight im calling on congress to produce a bill that generates at least 1. 5 trillion for the new Infrastructure Investment that our country so desperately needs. Every federal dollar should be leveraged by partnering with state and local governments, and where appropriate, tapping into private Sector Investment to permanently fix the infrastructure deficit, and we can do it. [ applause ] any bill must also streamline the permitting and approval process, getting it down to no more than two years and perhaps even one. Together we can reclaim our great building heritage. [ applause ] we will build gleaming new roads, bridges, highways, railways and waterways all across our land, and we will do it with american heart, american hands and american grit. [ applause ] we want every american to know the dignity of a hard days work, we want every child to be safe in their home at night, and we want every citizen to be proud of this land that we all love so much. We can lift our citizens from welfare to work, from dependence to independence, and from poverty to prosperity. [ applause ] as tax cuts create new jobs, lets invest in work force development, and lets invest in job training, which we need so badly. [ applause ] lets open great vocational schools so our future workers can learn a craft and realize their full potential. [ applause ] lets support working families by supporting paid family leave. [ applause ] as america regains its strength, opportunity must be extended to all citizens. That is why this year we will embark on reforming our prisons to help former inmates who have served their time get a Second Chance at life. [ applause ] struggling communities, especially immigrant communities, will also be helped by immigration policies that focus on the best interests of American Workers and american families. For decades open borders have allowed drugs and gangs to pour into our most vulnerable communities. Theyve allowed millions of lowwage workers to compete for jobs and wages against the poorest americans. Most tragically, they have caused the loss of many innocent lives. Here tonight are two fathers and two mothers, evelyn rodriguez, freddy cu eva s, Elizabeth Alvarado and robert mickens. Their two daughters nisa and kaila, were close friends. But on nisas 16th birthday, such a happy time it should have been, neither of them came home. These two precious girls were brutally murdered while walking together in their hometown. Six members of the savage ms13 gang have been charged with kayla and nisas murders. Many of these gang members took advantage of glaring loopholes in our laws to enter the country as illegal, unaccompanied, alien minors and wound up in kayla and nisas high school. Evelyn, elizabeth, freddy and robert, tonight everyone in this chamber is praying for you. Everyone is grieving for you. Please stand. Thank you very much. [ applause ] [ applause ] i want you to know that 320 million hearts are right now breaking for you. We love you. Thank you. [ applause ] well, we cannot imagine the depths of that kind of sorrow, but we can make sure that other families never have to endure this kind of pain. Tonight i am calling on congress to finally close the deadly loopholes that have allowed ms13 and other criminal gangs to break into our country. We have proposed new legislation that will fix our immigration laws and support our ice and Border Patrol agent. These are great people. These are great, great people that work so hard in the midst of such danger so that this can never happen again. [ applause ] the United States is a compassionate nation. We are proud that we do more than any other country anywhere in the world to help the needy, the struggling, and the underprivileged all over the world. But as president of the United States, my highest loyalty, my greatest compassion, my constant concern, is for americas children, americas struggling workers, and americas forgotten communities. I want our youth to grow up to achieve great things. I want our poor to have their chance to rise. So tonight i am extending an open hand to work with members of both parties, democrats and republicans, to protect our citizens of every background, color, religion and c rrreed. [ applause ] my duty and the sacred duty of every elected official in this chamber is to defend americans, to protect their safety, their families, their communities and their right to the american dream. Because americans are dreamers, too. [ applause ] here tonight is one leader in the effort to defend our country, Homeland Security investigation special agent celestino martinez. He said call me dj or cj, either one. So well call him dj. As an ice agent, spending the last 15 years with Gang Violence and getting gang criminals off our streets tough job at one point ms13 murderers ordered his murder and they ordered it quickly. But he did not fear. Last may he made an organization to track down ms13 gang members. He has tracked down 113 gang members. I have to tell you what the Border Patrol and ice have done, we have sent thousands and thousands and thousands of ms13 horrible people out of this country or into our prisons. So i just want to congratulate you, cj. Youre a brave guy. Thank you very much. [ applause ] and i asked cj, whats the secret . He said, were just tougher than they are. And i like that answer. [ applause ] now lets get congress to send you and all of the people in this greatc chamber have too it, we have no choice. Cj, were going to send you reinforcements and were going to send them to you quickly. Its what you need. [ applause ] over the next few weeks, the house and senate will be voting on an Immigration Reform package. In recent months, my administration has met extensively with both democrats and republicans to craft a bipartisan approach to Immigration Reform. Based on these discussions, we presented congress with a detailed proposal that should be supported by both parties as a fair compromise, one where nobody gets everything they want but where our country gets the critical reform it needs and must have. [ applause ] here are the four pillars of our plan. The first pillar of our framework generously offers a path to citizenship for 1. 8 million Illegal Immigrants who were brought here by their parents at a young age. That covers almost three times more people than the Previous Administration covered. [ applause ] under our plan, those who meet education and work requirements and show good moral character will be able to become full citizens of the United States over a 12year period. [ applause ] the second pillar fully secures the border. [ applause ] that means building a great wall on the southern border, and it means hiring more heroes like cj to keep our communities safe. [ applause ] crucially our plan closes the terrible loopholes exploited by criminals and terrorists to enter our country, and it finally ends the horrible and dangerous practice of catch and release. [ applause ] the third pillar ends the fisa lottery, a program that randomly hands out green cards without any regard for skill, merit or the safety of American People. [ applause ] its time to begin moving toward a meritbased immigration system, one that admits people who are skilled, who want to work, who will contribute to our society and who will love and respect our country. [ applause ] the fourth and final pillar protects the Nuclear Family by ending chain migration. [ applause ] under the current broken system, a single immigrant can bring in virtually unlimited numbers of distant relatives. Under our plan, we focus on the immediate family by limiting sponsorships to spouses and minor children. [ applause ] this vital reform is necessary not just for our economy, but for our security and for the future of america. In recent weeks two terrorist attacks in new york were made possible by the visa lottery and chain migration. In the age of terrorism, these programs present risks. We can just no longer afford. Its time to reform. [ applause [ applause ] these outdated immigration rules and finally bring our immigration system into the 21st century. [ applause ] these four pillars represent a downthemiddle compromise and one that will create a safe, modern and lawful immigration system. For over 30 years, washington has tried and failed to solve this problem. This congress can be the one that finally makes it happen. Most importantly, these four pillars will produce legislation that fulfills my ironclad pledge to sign a bill that puts america first. [ applause ] so lets come together, set politics aside, and finally get the job done. [ applause ] these reforms will also support our response to the terrible crisis of opioid and drug addiction. Never before has it been like it is now. It is terrible. We have to do something about it. In 2016, we lost 64,000 americans to drug overdoses. 174 deaths per day, seven per hour. We must get much tougher on drug dealers and pushers if we are going to succeed in stopping this scourge. [ applause ] my administration is committed to fighting the drug epidemic and helping get treatment for those in need, for those who have been so terribly hurt. The struggle will be long and it will be difficult, but as americans always do, in the end we will succeed, we will prevail. [ applause ] as we have seen tonight, the most difficult challenges bring out the best in america. We see a vivid expression of this truth in the story of the holets family in new mexico. Ryan holets is a Police Officer in albuquerque, new mexico. Hes here tonight with his wife, rebecca. [ applause ] thank you, ryan. Last year ryan was on duty when he saw a pregnant, homeless woman preparing to inject heroin. When ryan told her she was going to harm her unborn child, she began to weep. She told him she didnt know where to turn but badly wanted a safe home for her baby. In that moment, ryan said he felt god speak to him. You will do it because you can. He heard those words. He took out a picture of his wife and their four kids. Then he went home to tell his wife rebecca. In an instant she agreed to adopt. The holets named their new daughter hope. Ryan and rebecca, you embody the goodness of our nation. Thank you. [ applause ] thank you, ryan and rebecca. As we rebuild americas strength and confidence at home, we are also restoring our strength and standing abroad. Around the world we face rogue regimes, terrorist groups and rivals like china and russia that challenge our interests, our economy, and our values. In confronting these horrible dangers, we know that weakness is the surest path to conflict and unmatched power is the surest means to our true and great defense. For this reason, i am asking congress to end the dangerous defense sequester and fully fund our great military. [ applause ] as part of our defense, we must modernize and rebuild our nuclear arsenal, hopefully never having to use it, but making it so strong and so powerful that it will deter any acts of aggression by any other nation or anyone else. [ applause ] perhaps someday in the future, there will be a magical moment when the countries of the world will get together to eliminate their nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, we are not there yet, sadly. Last year i also pledged that we would work with our allies to extinguish isis from the face of the earth. One year later, i am proud to report that the coalition to defeat isis has liberated very close to 100 of the territory just recently held by these killers in iraq and in syria and in other locations as well. [ applause ] but there is much more work to be done. We will continue our fight until isis is defeated. Army Staff Sergeant justin peck is here tonight. Near raqqa last november, justin and his comrade, chief petty officer kenton stacy, were on a mission to clear buildings that isis had rigged with explosives so citizens could return to that city hopefully soon and hopefully safely. Clearing the second floor of a vital hospital, kenton stacy was severely wounded by an explosion. Immediately justin bounded into the boobytrapped and unbelievably dangerous and unsafe building and found kenton but in very, very bad shape. He applied pressure to the wound and inserted a tube to reopen an airway. He then performed cpr for 20 straight minutes during the Ground Transport and maintained artificial respiration through two and a half hours and through emergency surgery. Kenton stacy would have died if it were not for justins Selfless Love for his fellow warrior. Tonight kenton is recovering in texas. Raqqa is liberated. And justin is wearing his new bronze star with a v for valor. Staff sergeant peck, all of america salutes you. [ applause ] [ applause ] terrorists who do things like place bombs in civilian hospitals are evil. When possible, we have no choice but to annihilate them. When necessary, we must be able to detain and question them. But we must be clear. Terrorists are not merely criminals, they are unlawful enemy combatants. [ applause ] and when captured overseas, they should be treated like the terrorists they are. In the past we have foolishly released hundreds and hundreds of dangerous terrorists only to meet them again on the battlefield, including the isis leader al bahgdadi. I just signed an order directing secretary mattis, who is doing a great job. Thank you. [ applause ] to reexamine our military detention policy and to keep open the detention facilities in Guantanamo Bay. [ applause ] i am asking congress to ensure that in the fight against isis and al qaeda, we continue to have all necessary power to detain terrorists wherever we chase them down, wherever we find them. And in many cases, for them it will now be Guantanamo Bay. [ applause ] at the same time, as of a few months ago, our warriors in afghanistan have new rules of engagement. [ applause ] along with their heroic afghan partners, our military is no longer undermined by artificial timelines and we no longer tell our enemies our plans. [ applause ] last month i also took an action endorsed unanimously by the u. S. Senate just months before. I recognized jerusalem as the capital of israel. [ applause ] shortly afterwards, dozens of countries voted in the United Nations General Assembly against americas sovereign right to make this decision. In 2016, american taxpayers generously sent those same countries more than 20 billion in aid. That is why tonight i am asking congress to pass legislation to help ensure American Foreign assistance dollars always serve american interests and only go to friends of america, not enemies of america. [ applause ] as we strengthen friendships all around the world, we are also restoring clarity about our adversaries. When the people of iran rose up against the crimes of their corrupt dictatorship, i did not stay silent. America stands with the people of iran in their courageous struggle for freedom. [ applause ] i am asking congress to address the fundamental flaws in the terrible Iran Nuclear Deal. My administration has also imposed tough sanctions on the communist and socialist dictatorships in cuba and venezuela. [ applause ] but no regime has oppressed its own citizens more totally or brutally than the cruel dictatorship in north korea. North koreas reckless pursuit of Nuclear Missiles could very soon threaten our homeland. We are waging a campaign of maximum pressure to prevent that from ever happening. Past experience has taught us that complacency and concessions only invite aggression and provocation. I will not repeat the mistakes of past administrations that got us into this very dangerous position. We need only look at the depraved character of the north korean regime to understand the nature of the Nuclear Threat it could pose to america and to our allies. Otto warmbier was a hardworking student at the university of virginia and a great student he was. On his way to study abroad in asia, otto joined a tour to north korea. At its conclusion, this wonderful young man was arrested and charged with crimes against the state. After a shameful trial, the dictatorship sentenced otto to 15 years of hard labor before returni returning him to america last june horribly injured and on the verge of death. He passed away just days after his return. Ottos wonderful parents, fred and cindy warmbier, are here with us tonight along with ottos brother and sister, austin and greta. Please. [ applause ]. [ applause ] incredible people. You were powerful witnesses to aymen aym a menace that threatens our world and you truly inspire us all. Thank you. [ applause ] tonight we pledge to honor ottos memory with total american resolve. Thank you. [ applause [ applause ] finally, we are joined by one more witness to the ominous nature of this regime. His name is mr. Gee sung ho. In 1996, sung ho was a starving boy in north korea. One day he tried to steal coal from a railroad car to barter for a few scraps of food, which were very hard to get. In the process, he passed out on the train tracks, exhausted from hunger. He woke up as a train ran over his limbs. He then endured multiple amputations without anything to dull the pain or the hurt. His brother and sister gave what little food they had to help him recover and ate dirt themselves, permanently stunting their own growth. Later he was tortured by north korean authorities after returning from a brief visit to china. His tormentors wanted to know if he had met any christians. He had, and he resolved after that to be free. Sung ho traveled thousands of miles on crutches all across china and Southeast Asia to freedom. Most of his family followed. His father was caught trying to escape and was tortured to death. Today he lives in seoul where he rescues other defectors and broadcasts into north korea what the regime fears most the truth. Today he has a new leg, but sung ho, i understand you still keep those old crutches as a reminder of how far youve come. Your great sacrifice is an inspiration to us all. Please. Thank you. [ applause ] [ applause ] sung hos story is a testament to the yearning of every human soul to live in freedom. It was that same yearning for freedom that nearly 250 years ago gave birth to a special place called america. It was a small cluster of colonies caught between a great ocean and a vast wilderness. It was home to an incredible people with a revolutionary idea that they could rule themselves, that they could chart their own destiny, and that together they could light up the entire world. That is what our country has always been about. That is what americans have always stood for, always strived for and always done. Atop the dome of this capitol stands the statue of freedom. She stands tall and dignified among the monuments to our ancestors who fought and lived and died to protect her. Monuments to washington and jefferson and lincoln and king. Memorials to the heroes of yorktown and saratoga. To Young Americans who shed their blood on the shores of normandy and the fields beyond and others who went down in the waters of the pacific. And the skies all over asia. And freedom stands tall over one more monument, this one. This capitol. This living monument. This is the monument to the American People. [ applause ] for people whose heroes live not only in the past but all around us, defending hope, pride and defending the american way, they work in every trade, they sacrifice to raise a family, they care for our children at home, they defend our flag abroad and they are strong moms and brave kids. They are firefighters and Police Officers and border agents, medics and marines. But above all else, they are americans. And this capitol, this city, this nation belongs entirely to them. [ applause ] our task is to respect them, to listen to them, to serve them, to protect them, and to always be worthy of them. Americans fill the world with art and music. They push the bounds of science and discovery, and they forever remind us of what we should never, ever forget. The people dreamed this country, the people built this country, and its the people who are making America Great again. [ applause ] as long as we are proud of who we are and what we are fighting for, there is nothing we cannot achieve as long as we have confidence in our values, faith in our citizens and trust in our god. We will never fail. Our families will thrive. Our people will prosper. And our nation will forever be safe and strong and proud and mighty and free. Thank you and god bless america. Good night. [ applause ] announcer President Trump concluding his first state of the union speech. It was over one hour and 20 minutes, one of the longest in history. The president calling for ordering Guantanamo Bay prison to remain open. He extended a hand across the aisle to democrats inviting them to negotiate on immigration. He got bipartisan applause when he talked about an infrastructure bill. He ripped the regime in north korea and he managed to even take a swipe at the nfl without naming the nfl over the national anthem. Were back with our panel here. Weve been watching it all, savannah guthrie, chuck todd, andrea mitchell. Lets go around the horn. I thought the president did what he said he would do. It was bright, it was conciliatory. In terms of its substance, i dont know, when you look at some of the specifics on immigration, for example. He definitely led with the issues that come up with regard to crime, ms13. It was hef on thavy on that. Didnt get to the dreamers until the end. For a state of the union, in terms of what he had to do, i think he did it. He set a tone and he was positive and he trumpeted the economy, and i think thats exactly what he wanted to do. Chuck todd . I thought they oversold what he said he would do. It was a few things at the beginning, but he didnt lead with a conciliatory tone on immigration, he didnt lead with a conciliatory tone on gitmo. He didnt lead with a conciliatory tone on things like the infrastructure plan. I felt like he spoke more to his base than i expected him to, particularly on immigration, and that could be part of his sales pitch. Maybe he knows that amnesty for 1. 8 million is something his base doesnt like, so he led with the let me paint the picture of this myth cical immigrant here that i want everybody to get fired up about. I felt like they forced too much applause and the speech dragged. The problem is thats not the donald trump we see every day, so while he can sound president ial in a moment like this, because its not what were used to seeing, i dont know that it has the same effect. Some may read this as tired, some may read this as measured. Whatever rate, it was a slower speech. Megyn kelly, at the outset of the evening, you werent expecting this. No, and i think he did a fine job, but i think hes going to tweet something and well forget all about it. These things just dont tend to be particularly memorable and there wasnt anything in this one that stood out to me as an exception to that rule. He was subdued, his manner was interesting. He was subdued, almost reserved. It was long. It was very long. I dont know how many people stayed up to watch this. The president has a habit of clapping for himself which is distracting and a bit strange to listen to. But i thought it was a smart speech because he started with the personalized stories which were very effective. Those personalized stories throughout the speech were very effective and really made you feel something. The family in long island who lost their daughters with the dad crying, gee sung ho with the crutches at the end was an incredible moment, so he took some of his more controversial stances and told them through people that you really could relate to. There were some very emotional ones. That was very effective, but chuck, this was a speech for the base. Andrea mitchell, this is a president thats given a hyperbole. You were taking lots of notes. How do you feel on that score . Again, i thought the personal stories were so affecting that that lifted the rhetoric and redeemed the speech. But the Fact Checkers are really going to be busy. When he talks about clean coal, when he brags about the tax cut, again exaggerating the facts and not pointing out the individual tax cuts expire whereas the corporate taxes are permanent. He talks about saving the Auto Industry which really would save them to the Obama White House and we learned that Foreign Companies are building factories here in america. That has gone back decades and decades, so there was a lot of exaggeration, a lot of hyperbole. Congress cant fix it rthe Iran Nuclear Deal from his perspective, even, because its not up to congress to fix it, its a multilateral agreement. Only 41 of the detainees are left in guantanamo when before there was 180. Like chuck said, the base. Let me bring in tom brokaw. This was the kind of speech his supporters wanted to hear from him. As i talk to them, theyre always saying, we like the policies. Can he shut up . Will he just stop twittering because its hard to defend that. At the same time there were a lot of conditional clauses in his offer for, for example, immigration. Youll have to be able to solve the worlds problems before you can get in here. But he did say i want to work with you on doing this. Well see what happens in the next 24 hours or so. Its an issue with me. Obviously weve got a real problem with some of these gangs that have come into america and killing people and murdering people and dealing drugs. We forget to say that they come here because theres an appetite for drugs in america, and were not doing anything about that. The other thing is theres been no mention from this administration after the initial comments about what happened in las vegas, about what happened in texas. We had 11 School Shootings in the last couple weeks. Thats a National Crisis in this country. And i said this before, im a gun owner, but weve got to do something about whats going on around the country, and they dont want to go there. I really do think thats an enormous absence on the part of all republicans, not just the president , a lot of democrats as well. Theres one other notable missing topic here, and that is the russian aggression in our democracy. Exactly. We know why he didnt mention it, because then it leads to the investigation. But no mention of putin at all, no mention of russian aggression when his own cia director is telling the bbc, yeah, were really worried about this. Its still going on and it will affect our midterms but the president wont acknowledge it. There will be a number of democratic responses but only one official one and well take you that in a moment. The remarks will be delivered by a young democrat with the name of joe kennedy of massachusetts. Well be back with more coverage after this. Yeah. Everybody two seconds dear sebastian, after careful consideration of your application, it is with great pleasure that we offer our congratulations on your acceptance. Through the Tuition Assistance program, every day mcdonalds helps more people go to college. Its part of our commitment to being americas best first job. Whthe answer is simple really. Americans make America Great. You are the lifeblood of the nation. And your rights as americans must be safeguarded. Theres only one solution to keep our country great. A new tradition. Participate today and nothin will make you more prouder than when your boy looks up at you and says, dad, i wanna purge too. The first purge. July 4th. This film is not yet rated. Welcome back to nbc news live coverage of the president s state of the Union Address. As i noted welcome back to the state of the Union Address. Were going to get a response from Joseph Kennedy, but chuck, where will democrats find an opening in this speech and are they going to be forced to move on immigration . I think they have a tough position to go after immigration. A lot of those red state democrats have constituents and think the president s offer is very reasonable, whether its a family migration issue, whatever. And i think democrats, theyre in a trap here. I think they dont want to have President Trump be the guy who saved the dreamers, and at the same time hes the president. And thats who they have to deal with right now. So i think they have to figure out, are they willing to let the president get the credit for saving the dreamers here, and i think its going to be like i said, its going to be tough for them because that was some tough rhetoric. He didnt make it any easier for democrats to support him. I agree. The only wedge they might have is grandma and grandpa. Weve got to get it under control and weve got to have a better set of conditions for the people who get in here. But at the same time if youre so narrow who can come in here, and especially those people who are coming from south of our border, its going to cause a real uproar in this country. At the same time that wall is not going to be built the way that he talks about it. That wall doesnt appear if he gets 25 billion for a wall and a wall starts going up, its going to help him politically. We have a member of a family with a long history of democratic politics, representative joe kennedy iii has represented the district of massachusetts. A father of four. The congressman will be speaking tonight from the diman vocational high school. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. [ applause ] good evening, ladies and gentlemen. It is an absolute privilege to join you all tonight. We are here in fall river, massachusetts, a proud American City. [ applause ] an American City built by immigrants. [ applause ] from textiles to robots, this is a place that knows how to make great things. [ applause ] the students are with us here this evening in the Auto Tech Program at diamond region Regional Technical School to carry on that rich legacy. [ applause ] like Many American hometowns, fall river has faced its share of storms. But the people here are tough. They fight for each other. They pull for their city. It is a fitting place to gather as our nation reflects on the state of our union. This is a difficult task. Many have spent the last year anxious, angry, afraid. We all feel the fractured fault lines across our country. We hear the voices of americans who are forgotten and feel f forsaken. We see an economy that makes stocks soar, investment portfolios bulge and corporate profits climb but fails to give workers their fair share of the reward. A government that struggles to keep itself open, russia knee deep in our democracy. An allout war on environmental protection, a Justice Department rolling back civil rights by the day. Hatred and supremacy proudly marching in our streets. Bullets tearing through our classroo classrooms, concerts and congregations, targeting our safest sacred places. And this nagging, sinking feeling no matter your political beliefs that this is not right. This is not who we are. [ applause ] folks, it would be easy to dismiss this past years chaos, partisanship as politics. But its far, far bigger than that. This administration isnt just targeting the laws that protect us, theyre targeting the very idea that we are all worthy of protection. For them dignity isnt something youre born with but something you measure by your net worth, your celebrity, your headlines or crowd size. Not to mention the gender of your spouse, the country of your birth, the color of your skin, the god of your prayers. Their record is a rebuke to our highest american ideal, the belief that we are all worthy, that we are all equal, that we all count. In the eyes of our law, our leaders, our god, and our government. That is the american promise. [ applause ] but today, ladies and gentlemen, today that promise is being broken by an administration that callously appraises our worthiness and decides who makes the cut and who can be bargained away. Theyre turning American Life into a zero sum game where for one to win, another must lose. Where we can guarantee americas safety if we slash our safety net. Where we can extend health care in mississippi if we gut it in massachusetts. We can cut taxes for corporations today if we raise them on families tomorrow. Where we can take care of sick kids if we sacrifice dreamers. We are bombarded with one false choice after another. Coal miners or single moms . Rural communities or inner cities . The coast or the heartland . As if the mechanic in pittsburgh, a teacher in tulsa and a daycare worker in birmi birmingham are bitter rivals rather than mutual casualties of a system forcefully rigged for those at the top. Its as if the parent lies awake terrified that their transgender son or daughter will be beaten or bullied at school is any less important than a parent whose life is shattered by a daughter with opioid addiction. Here is the answer that democrats offer tonight. We choose both. [ applause ] we fight for both because the greatest, strongest, richest nation in the world shouldnt have to leave anyone behind. [ applause ] we choose a better deal for all who call our country home. We choose a living wage and the paid leave and affordable child care your family needs to survive. We choose pensions that are solvent, trade packs that are fair, roads and bridges that wont rust away, a good education that you can afford. We choose a Health Care System that offers you mercy, whether you suffer from cancer or depression or addiction. We choose an economy Strong Enough to boast record stock prices and brave enough to admit that top ceos making 300 times their average worker is not right. [ applause ] we choose fall river. We choose the thousands of American Communities whose roads arent paved with power or privilege but with an honest effort, with good faith, and the resolve to build Something Better for your kids. That is our story. It began the day our Founding Fathers and mothers set sail for a new world, fleeing oppression and intolerance. It continued with every word of our independence, the audacity to declare that all men are created equal. An imperfect promise for a nation struggling to become a more effect union. With every free writers voice, with every weary shore we welcome to our source, and for every dreamer out there, let me be very clear. [ Foreign Language ] you are part of our story. We will fight for you and we will not walk away. [ applause ] america, we carry that story on our shoulders. You were sworn to washington last year that no parent has to worry if they can afford to save their childs life. You proudly walked last weekend thousands deep on the streets of las vegas and philadelphia and nashville. You sat high atop your moms shoulders and held a sign that read build a wall and my gener generation will tear it down. [ applause ] you braverly say me too. Black lives matter. You brave floodwaters and hurricanes and mudslides to save a stranger. You battle your own quiet battles every single day. You drag your weary bodies to that extra shift so that your families wont feel the sting of scarcity. You leave loved ones at home to defend our country overseas, patrol our neighborhoods at night. You serve, you rescue, you help, you heal. That, more than any law or leader, debate or disagreement, that is what drives us towards progress. Bullies may land a punch, they may leave a mark, but they ever never not once, in the history of our United States, managed to match the strength and spirit of a People United in defense of their future. Politicians [ applause ] politicians can be cheered for the promises they make. Our country will be judged by the promises we keep. [ applause ] that is a measure of our character. That is who we are. Out of many, one. Ladies and gentlemen, have faith. Have faith. The state of our union is hopeful, resilient and enduring. [ applause ] god bless you, god bless your families, and may god bless the United States of america. Thank you. [ applause ] 37yearold Joseph Kennedy iii delivering the president s response to the state of the Union Address. He is a twin and one of the oldest grandsons of bobby and Ethel Kennedy and greatnephews of john j. Kennedy. I lost my track of thought. Lets go back to savannah. We have Hallie Jackson at the white house, our chief correspondent. Hallie, whats the word from the white house . Are they on pins and needles. We saw the president on tell prompters and on script, but we know what happens when the blackberry comes out and twitter is opened up. Reporter weve seen the movie before of donald trump saying one thing on script one night, something very different on twitter the morning after. White house sources here have made a very big point of telling me and others that the president was meticulously involved in crafting this, that this was going to be unifying. The president himself talked about that. But i remind you that a year ago the president also at that time in his joint address to Congress Said that the trivial fights were over. He attacked about 20 people that were in that chamber on line tonight. The talk on immigration sets up where this is going in the next nine days. Remember, the president was delivering the speech against the backdrop of a threat of a Government Shutdown beginning in february, savannah. All right, hallie, thank you. Whats the headline tomorrow, chuck . I think the headline will be what he said on immigration, and i agree, i think tomorrow afternoon we wont be talking about this address, well be talking about whatever hes tweeting about. Do you find it remarkable hes not going on the road . I cant believe he hasnt been on the road this year. I dont understand why he hasnt sold his tax plan in eight of the ten red states already. It has befuddled me the political road of this white house. They have done a bad job of selling that tax bill. Tonight is the first night theyve actually truly tried to sell it. Andrea . The Vice President is going to be doing a lot of that salesmanship. They believe he can sell the tax bill. I think the headlines tomorrow may well be about russia, because that is still the shadow overhanging this entire administration. Mike pompeo said yesterday the russians will interfere in the midterm election. Theyre already interfering now. And it was not mentioned tonight. He will not address the russian threat. Is it a reluctance to separate the two, the investigation versus reality . I think he believes that any criticism of russia somehow emboldens those who want to undercut his legitimacy even though its completely separate and doesnt. Nobody is questioning that he is the president of the United States. Megyn . Just a word on the democratic response. I think he got at the dichotomy of President Trump and one of the reasons why he is so controversial. Because he has huge support in the Republican Party right now, 91 of those who voted for him support what hes doing, high 80s with the rest of the Republican Party. On paper he looks like, quote, a normal republican in terms of his policies. Its his character. Its his its the way he treats people that is so controversial, and he got to that in the feeling about no matter what your political beliefs are, this is not right the way weve been feeling as a country. Megyn, thank you. Thats our coverage of the state of the union. My thanks to our colleagues here on the panel. Much more tomorrow morning on today. Thank you for joining us. On behalf of all of us, im lester holt, nbc news in washington. Have a great night and thank you for being with us tonight. Everybody get ready. Oh, my gosh, im terrified and go. Tonight, the fun continues. [upbeat pop music] as we play. Ahh more of ellens favorite games. Ahh oh. [loud boom] you smell so good. Oh, thank you very much. Thank you. You dont smell as good as me. Um. Hold up on what type of court would you find Serena Williams . Basketball player. Who got the power so this is what this feels like. [screaming] the winners of each will move on. [people screaming] to play the most jawdropping game in tv history. You are gonna play for 100,000. But only one will play hot hands