Support working parents. The time has come to Pass School Choice for americas children. [ applause ] i am also proud to be the first president to include in my budget a plan for nationwide paid family leave so that every new parent has the chance to bond with their newborn child. [ applause ] there could be no greater contrast to the Beautiful Image of a Mother Holding her infant child than the chilling displays our nation saw in recent days. Lawmakers in new york cheered with delight upon the passage of legislation that would allow a baby to be ripped from the mothers womb moments from birth. These are living, feeling, beautiful babies who will never get the chance to share their love and their dreams with the world. And then we had the case of the governor of virginia, where he stated he would execute a baby after birth. To defend the dignity of every person, i am asking congress to pass legislation to prohibit the lateterm abortion of children who can feel pain in the mothers womb. [ applause ] let us Work Together to build a culture that cherishes innocent life. [ applause ] let us reaffirm a fundamental truth. All children, born and unborn, are made in the holy image of go god,. The final part of my agenda is to protect american security. Over the last two years we have begun to fully rebuild the United States military with 700 billion last year and 716 billion this year. We are also getting other nations to pay their fair share. Finally. [ applause ] for years the United States was being treated very unfairly by friends of ours, members of nato. But now we have secured over the last couple of years more than 100 billion of increase in defense spending from our nato allies. They said it couldnt be done. [ applause ] as part of our military buildup, the United States is developing a stateoftheart Missile Defense system. Under my administration we will never apologize for advancing americas interests. For example, decades ago the United States entered into a treaty with russia in which we agreed to limit and reduce our missile capability. While we followed the agreement and the rules to the letter, russia repeatedly violated its terms. It has been going on for many years. That is why i announced that the United States is officially withdrawing from the intermediate range Nuclear Forces treaty, or inf treaty. Perhaps [ applause ] we really have no choice. Perhaps we can negotiate a different agreement, adding china and others, or perhaps we cant, in which case we will outspend and outinnovate all others by far. [ applause ] as part of a bold, new diplomacy, we continue our historic push for peace on the korean peninsula. Our hostages have come home. Nuclear testing has stopped, and there has not been a Missile Launch in more than 15 months. If i had not been elected president of the United States we would right now, in my opinion, be in a major war with north korea. Much work remains to be done, but my relationship with kim jongun is a good one. Chairman kim and i will meet again on february 27th and 28th in vietnam. [ applause ] two weeks ago the United States officially recognized the legitimate government of venezuela and its new president , juan guaido. [ applause ] we stand with the venezuelan people in their noble quest for freedom, and we condemn the brutality of the maduro regime, whose socialist policies have turned that nation from being the wealthiest in south america into a state of abject poverty and despair. Here in the United States we are alarmed by the new calls to adopt socialism in our country. America was founded on liberty and independence and not government coercion, domination and control. We are born free and we will stay free. [ applause ] usa usa usa tonight we renew our resolve that america will never be a socialist country. [ applause ] one of the most complex set of challenges we face, and have for many years, is in the middle east. Our approach is based on principle, realism, not discredited theories that have failed for decades to yield progress. For this reason my administration recognized the true capital of israel and proudly opened the American Embassy in jerusalem. [ applause ] our brave troops have now been fighting in the middle east for almost 19 years, in afghanistan and iraq. Nearly 7,000 american heroes have given their lives. More than 52,000 americans have been badly wounded. We have spent more than 7 trillion in fighting wars in the middle east. As a candidate for president i loudly pledged a new approach. Great nations do not fight endless wars. [ applause ] pla [ applause ] when i took office isis controlled more than 20,000 square miles in iraq and syria, just two years ago. Today we have liberated virtually all of the territory from the grip of these blood thirsty monsters. Now as we work with our allies to destroy the remnants of isis, it is time to give our brave warriors in syria a warm welcome home. I have also accelerated our negotiations to reach, if possible, a political settlement in afghanistan. The Opposing Side is also very happy to be negotiating. Our troops have fought with unmatched valor, and thanks to their bravery we are now able to pursue a possible political solution to this long and bloody conflict. [ applause ] in afghanistan my administration is holding constructive talks with a number of afghan groups, including the taliban. As we make progress in these negotiations, we will be able to reduce our troops presence and focus on counterterrorism, and we will indeed focus on counterterrorism. We do not know whether we will achieve an agreement, but we do know that after two decades of war the hour has come to at least try for peace, and the other side would like to do the same thing. It is time. [ applause ] above all, friend and foe alike must never doubt this nations power and will to defend our people. 18 years ago violent terrorists attacked the uss cole and last month American Forces killed one of the leaders of that attack. [ applause ] we are honored to be joined tonight by tom wiberley, whose son, navy seaman craig, wiberley was one of the 17 soldiers we tragically lost. Tom, we value to always remember the soldiers of the uss cole. Thank you, tom. [ applause ] my administration has acted decisively to confront the worlds leading state sponsor of terror, the radical regime in iran. It is a radical regime. They do bad, bad things. To ensure this corrupt dictatorship never acquires nuclear weapons, i withdrew the United States from the disastrous iran nuclear deal. [ applause ] last fall we put in place the toughest sanctions ever imposed by us on a country. We will not avert our eyes from a regime that chants death to america and threatens genocide against the jewish people. [ applause ] we must never ignore the vial poison of antisemitism or those who spread its venomous creed. With one voice we must confront this hatred anywhere and everywhere it occurs. Just months ago 11 Jewish Americans were viciously murdered in an antisemitic attack on the tree of life synagogue in pittsburgh. Swat officer timothy madse ne racne madsen raced into the gunfire and was shot seven times chasing down the killer, and he was very successful. Timothy hasinto the gunfire and seven times chasing down the killer, and he was very successful. Timothy hraced into the gunfire shot seven times chasing down the killer, and he was very successful. Timothy has just had his 12th surgery and he is going in for many more, but he made the trip to be here with us tonight. Officer matson, please. [ applause ] [ applause ] thank you. We are forever grateful. Thank you very much. Tonight we are also joined by pittsburgh survivor judah samet. He arrived at the synagogue as the massacre began. Not only did judah escape death last fall, more than seven decades ago he narrowly survived the nazi concentration camps. Today is judahs 81st birthday. [ applause ] [ applause ] happy birthday to you happy birthday to you happy birthday to you happy birthday to you [ applause ] thank you they wouldnt do that for me, judah. Judah says he can still remember the exact moment nearly 75 years ago, after ten months in a concentration camp, when he and his family were put on a train and told they were going to another camp. Suddenly the train screeched to a very strong halt. A soldier appeared. Judahs family braced for the absolute worst. Then his father cried out with joy, its the americans, its the americans [ applause ] thank you. A second holocaust survivor who is here tonight, joshua was a prisoner at dachau. He remembers watching through a hole in the wall of a cattle car as american soldiers rolled in with tanks. To me, joshua recalls, the american soldiers were proof that god exists, and they came down from the sky, they came down from heaven. I began this evening by honoring three soldiers who fought on d day in the second world war. One of them was herman zeicek. But there is more to hermans story. A year after he stormed the beaches of normandy, herman was one of the american soldiers who helped liberate dachau. [ applause ] [ applause ] he was one of the americans who helped rescue joshua from that hell on earth. Almost 75 years later herman and joshua are both together in the gallery tonight, seated side by side, here in the home of american freedom. Herman and joshua, your presence this evening is very much appreciated. Thank you very much. [ applause ] pla [ applause ] thank you. When american soldiers set out beneath the dark skies over the English Channel in the early hours of dday, 1944, they were just young men of 18 and 19, hurtling on fragile Landing Craft towards the most momentous battle in the history of war. They did not know if they would survive the hour. They did not know if they would grow old, but they knew that america had to prevail. Their cause was this nation and generations yet unborn. Why did they do it . They did it for america. They did it for us. Everything that has come since, our triumph over communism, our giant leaps of science and discovery, our unrivalled progress towards equality and justice, all of it is possible thanks to the blood and tears and courage and vision of the americans who came before. Think of this capitol. Think of this very chamber where lawmakers before you voted to end slavery, to build the railroads and the highways and defeat fascism, to secure civil rights, and to face down evil empires. Here tonight we have legislators from across this magnificent republic. You have come from the rocky shores of maine and the volcanic peaks of hawaii, from the snowy woods of wisconsin and the red deserts of arizona, from the green farms of kentucky and the golden beaches of california. Together we represent the most extraordinary nation in all of history. What will we do with this moment . How will we be remembered . I ask the men and women of this congress, look at the opportunities before us. Our most thrilling achievements are still ahead. Our most exciting journeys still await. Our biggest victories are still to come. We have not yet begun to dream. We must choose whether we are defined by our differences or whether we dare to transcend them. We must choose whether we squander our great inheritance or whether we proudly declare that we are americans. We do the incredible. We defy the impossible. We conquer the unknown. This is the time to reignite the american imagination. This is the time to search for the tallest summit and set our sights on the brightest star. This is the time to rekindle the bonds of love and loyalty and memory that link us together as citizens, as neighbors, as patriots. This is our future, our fate and our choice to make. I am asking you to choose greatness. No matter the trials we face, no matter the challenges to come, we must go forward together. We must keep America First in our hearts. We must keep freedom alive in our souls, and we must always keep faith in americas destiny, that one nation, under god, must be the hope and the promise and the light and the glory among all the nations of the world. Thank you. God bless you, and god bless america. Thank you very much. Thank you. [ applause ] [ applause ] donald trump wrapping up his second state of the Union Address and the immutable truth as we looked at members of congress. President trump wrapping up his state of the Union Address tonight. Came in at just over 5,100 words. Last years state of the Union Address was about an hour and 20 minutes long, which was the longest one since bill clinton in 2000. This one came in just slightly longer than that. This was a state of the Union Address that was not atypical, not some things i mean that in some of a trumpian sense. Some of the ways that the president has handled the trappings of the presidency was different from his predecessors. This was a departure from the state of the union you might have expected from other president s, except one exception. There was one strange moment in the address early on that did not connect to other portions of the speech. It was received oddly in the room. Nobody was quite sure what to do with it. It was a moment in which nancy pelosi seemed to suddenly physically signal to her side of the room that they should not respond. The president , again, towards the beginning of the speech saying an economic miracle is taking place in the United States, and the only thing that can stop it are foolish wars, politics or ridiculous partisan investigations. He continued, if there is going to be peace and legislation, there cannot be war and investigation. It just doesnt work that way. We must be united at home to defeat our adversaries abroad. The camera at that moment in the hall caught congressman adam schiff, chairman of the intelligence committee, appearing to laugh a little bit. Not like sort of laughing to taunt the president , but seemed to not be able to stifle a giggle. Again, nancy pelosi seemed to signal to her side of the room at that point that they should not respond. It was a weird moment. It was a fairly normal state of the Union Address with one very strange moment, perhaps the strangest moment i have ever seen in any state of the union. Im back with the assistance of a microphone. Yes, it was so odd. I could hear you but your microphone was nowhere to be found. Now it is on me. This is so interesting. As he walks out, just take a half second here because we are awfully close to him and can overhear these conversations. Mr. President. Thank you. Thank you, god bless you. Great speech. Mr. President. Great speech. How is it going . Great speech. Great speech, mr. President. Thank you, mr. President. God bless. How is it going . Thank you. Thank you, mr. President. Thank you. Bless you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you, everybody. Best speech weve had in a long time. Wonderful. Wonderful. Yes, wonderful. Very beautiful. Melania right there. Great job, mr. President. Great job. Awesome. Thank you, mr. President. Great speech, mr. President. Great speech. Thank you. I appreciate it. Thank you. Mr. President. Thank you. Great speech. Home run. Home run. Thank you, everybody. Great job. Yes, sir. All right. Well, good. Great job. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. Good to see you. Thank you. Mr. President , great job. Were with you, sir. Great job. Knocked this out of the park. Everything good . Doing good. More than one person told him he knocked it out of the park. Need we point out the obvious . Those were republicans lining both sides of the aisle on his way out. Michelle balkmchman by the d. Yeah, saw that. You can always be on the floor if you are a former member. Oh, really . Your privileges never go away . Your privileges never go away. It is unusual for someone to take advantage of the privilege on a night like tonight when it is so crowded and so many are there, so she is probably considered for having bad manners for doing it tonight. But former members always have privilege on the floor. Nancy pelosi is keeping with her chair as speaker of the house here. The chair declares this joint session of the two houses now dissolved. Gaveling this session to an end. We should point out if the speech started abruptly, especially to fans of history watching at home, she was supposed to introduce the president , the language weve become used to, the distinct pleasure and high honor, follow by a volley of cursory applause, but the president jumped in before the speaker could introduce the president. Stenny hoyer speaking from the floor. This is all house business. To rachels point earlier, the soaring language for us reading along the last two pages of this speech, weill i dont think in any way override the portion you mentioned. It was so extraordinary and it was so deeply uncomfortable in the room, saying in effect that the only thing that lies between us, peace and prosperity, would be these continued an economic miracle is taking place in the United States, and the only thing that can stop it are foolish wars, politics or ridiculous partisan investigations. Obviously the structure of the sentence is weertd, but thats the way it was written for the president. That is the way he delivered it. Then what i think they are hoping will be a bumper sticker, if there is going to be peace and legislation again, weird structure there cannot be war and investigation. I mean it was it was tacked on like a little hat on a horse. It did not and awkwardly, the thing it segued into in the speech was the part where he talked about wanting to confirm more judges and sentencing reform. Maybe not the time to bring up the fact you get to pick judges and we have to talk about how long people spend in prison. Chris, you are the former speech writer here. This was something apart from it was so trump. All night i have been thinking, all day i was thinking, will you be trump again, get course correct. All president s that have been in trouble, 38 , have to make a change. They all did. Certainly bill clinton did, certainly nixon did. They changed to get reelected. They saw the problem in the midterm and fixed it. He didnt change anything. That chunk about illegal immigration was so directed to the people who elected him, it was powerful. And it added a little bit of neocon in there, the venezuelan thing, and tying Bernie Sanders to venezuela. He said, no, no, your version of socialism is venezuela. It was strong right wing stuff. Graphic language on abortion, a first for a National Speech in my time. And he stuck it to the governor of virginia, tied it into his scandal. The weirdest thing for me was the line he put in about there cannot be essentially what he said is there cannot be legislation if you are investigating me. Basically threatening congress. I mean he said, if theres going to be peace and legislation, there cannot be war and investigations. So, you know, here he is saying we have to Work Together. At the end of the speech he says bonds of love and loyalty, but earlier in the speech he basically told a democratic house, if you investigate me, there will be no legislation. Why is he tying war to investigations . Yeah. Why are war and investigations a diad there . It must be like in world war ii we had to give up the new deal for four years. I mean it seems like that drastic in charge. That we wont get anything done as if we were at war. Thats what he wants to make us think. The thing one of the things i find unusual about this portion of the speech is that it is written improperly in terms of its grammar and syntax, in a way that was intended by the white house. I mean weve got their remarks. Actually, the remarks we got from the white house include some phonetic pronunciations, telling him to pronounce, it is spelled out for him, keemo. Scourge. Do you get a sense theres a tie in here between him and whitaker. Was he criticized for that to shorten it up, to get out of it . I dont know. Everything else he said in the speech will be overshadowed by the fact he said there cannot be investigations. As claire put it, if you want legislation, there cannot be investigations. It was such a strange addition. Here is Stacey Abrams, democratic response. Good evening, my fellow americans, and happy lunar new year. I am Stacey Abrams, and i am honored to join the conversation about the state of our union. Growing up my family went back and forth between lower middle class and working class. Yet even when they came home weary and bone tired, my parents found a way to show us all who we could be. My librarian mother taught us to love learning. My father, a shipyard worker, put in overtime and extra shifts and they may sure we volunteered to help others. Later they both became United Methodist ministers, an expression of the faith that guides us. These were our family values, faith, service, education and responsibility. Now, we only had one car, so sometimes my dad had to hitchhike and walk long stretches during the 30mile trip home from the shipyards. One rainy night my mom got worried. We piled in the car and went out looking for him, and we eventually found my dad making his way along the road, soaked and shivering in his shirt sleeves. When he got in the car, my mom asked if he had left his coat at work. He explain that he had given it to a homeless man he met on the highway. When we asked why he had given away his only jacket, my dad turned to us and said, i knew when i left that man he would still be alone, but i could give him my coat because i knew you were coming for me. Our power and strength as americans lives in our hard work, in our belief in more. My family understood firsthand that while success is not guaranteed, we live in a nation where opportunity is possible. But we do not succeed alone. In these United States, when times are tough we can persevere because our friends and neighbors will come for us, our First Responders will come for us. It is this mantra, this uncommon grace of community that has driven me to become an attorney, a Small Business owner, a writer, and most recently the democratic nominee for governor of georgia. My reason for running was simple. I love our country and its promise of opportunity for all. I stand here tonight because i hold fast to my fathers credo, together we are coming for america, for a better america. Just a few weeks ago i joined volunteers to distribute meals to furloughed federal workers. They waited in line for a box of food and a sliver of hope since they hadnt received paychecks in weeks. Making lively hoods of our federal workers a pawn for political games is a disgrace. The shutdown was a stunt, engineered by the president of the United States, one that defied every tenet of fairness and abandoned not just our people but our values. For seven years i led the Democratic Party in the Georgia House of representatives. I didnt always agree with the republican speaker or governor, but i understood that our constituents didnt care about our political parties, they cared about their lives. So when we had to negotiate criminal Justice Reform or transportation or foster care improvements, the leaders of our state didnt shutdown. We came together and we kept our word. It should be no different in our nations capital. We may come from different sides of the political aisle, but our joint commitment to the ideals of this nation cannot be an negotiable. We must carve a path to independence and prosperity that can last a lifetime. Children deserve an excellent education from cradle to career. We owe them safe schools and the highest standards, regardless of zip code. Yet this white house responds timidly while first graders practice active shooter drills and the price of Higher Education grows ever steeper. From now on our leader must be willing to tackle gun Safety Measures and face the crippling effect of educational loans, to support educators and invest what is necessary to unleash the power of americas greatest minds. In georgia and around the country people are striving for a middle class where a salary truly equals economic security, but instead families hopes are crushed by Republican Leadership that ignores real life or just doesnt understand it. Under the current administration, far too many hard working americans are falling behind, living paycheck to paycheck, most without labor unions to protect them from even worse harm. The republican tax bill rigged the system against working people. Rather than bringing back jobs plants are closing, layoffs are looming, and wages struggle to keep pace with the actual cost of living. We owe more to the millions of everyday folks who keep our economy running, like Truck Drivers forced to buy their own rigs, farmers caught in a trade war, Small Business owners in search of capital, and Domestic Workers serving without labor protections. Women and men who could thrive if only they had the support and freedom to do so. We know bipartisanship could craft a 21st century immigration plan, but this administration chooses to cage children and tear families apart. Compassionate treatment at the border is not the same as open borders. President reagan understood this. President obama understood this. Americans understand this. The democrats stand ready to effectively secure our parts and borders, but we must all embrace that from agriculture to health care to entrepreneurship, america is made stronger by the presence of immigrants, not walls. Rather than suing to dismantle the Affordable Care act as republican attorneys general have, our leaders must protect the progress weve made and commit to expanding health care and lowering costs for everyone. My father has battled Prostate Cancer for years. To help cover the cost i found myself sinking deeper into debt, because while you can defer some payments you cant defer cancer treatment. In this great nation americans are skipping Blood Pressure pills, forced to choose between buying medicine or paying rent. Maternal mortality rates show that mothers, especially black mothers, risk death to give birth, and in 14 states, including my home state where a majority want it, our leaders refuse to expand medicaid, which could save rural hospitals, save economies and save lives. We can do so much more. Take action on climate change. Defend individual liberties with fairminded judges. But none of these ambitions are possible without the bedrock guarantee of our right to vote. Lets be clear, Voter Suppression is real. From making it harder to register and stay on the roles, to moving and closing polling places to rejecting lawful ballots, we can no longer ignore these threats to democracy. While i acknowledge the results of the 2018 election here in georgia, i did not and we cannot accept efforts to undermine our right to vote. Thats why i started a Nonpartisan Organization called fair fight to advocate for Voting Rights. This is the next battle for our democracy. When we are all eligible citizen can have their say about the vision we want for our country. We must reject the cynicism that says allowing every eligible vote to be cast and counted is a power grab. Americans understand that these are the values our brave men and women in uniform and our veterans risked their lives to defend. The foundation of our moral leadership around the globe is free and fair elections, where voters pick their leaders, not where politicians pick their voters. In this time of division and crisis, we must come together and stand for and with one another. America has stumbled time and again on its quest towards justice and equality, but with each generation we have revisited our fundamental truths, and where we falter we make amends. We fought jim crow with the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights act, yet we continue to confront racism from our past and in our present, which is why we must hold everyone from the highest offices to our own families accountable for racist words and deeds and call racism what it is, wrong. America achieved a measure of reproductive justice in roe v. Wade, but we must never forget it is immoral to allow politicians to harm women and families to advance a political agenda. We affirmed marriage equality, and yet the Lgbtq Community remains under attack. So even as i am very disappointed by the president s approach to our problems, i still dont want him to fail. But we need him to tell the truth and to respect his duties and respect the extraordinary diversity that defines america. Our progress has always been found in the refuge, in the basic instinct of the american experiment, to do right by our people. With a renewed commitment to social and economic justice, we will create a stronger america together. Because america wins by fighting for our shared values against all enemies, foreign and foreig domestic. That is who we are. And when we do so, never wavering, the state of our union will always be strong. Thank you and may god bless the United States of america. [ applause ] democratic response before a small but enthusiastic crowd, Stacey Abrams of the state of georgia. It is hard to give the response to a state of the union no matter who the president is and no matter what approach you take. Stacey abrams did a good job with it. It is a hard stage to stand on. Stacey abrams an unusual choice in that she is not currently an elected official. She was a formidable democratic gubernatorial candidate. This year she lost a narrow race against the states serving secretary of state in a controversial race marred with voter fraud and a block to the polls. You saw that when she got to that portion of her speech, talking about access to the polls. She is holding an unusual position in politics right now. She holds no current office, but she is playing almost a little bit sort of a minor kingmaker role, and she is a very soughtout endorsement and i think is going to continue to be a highprofile person in the party, even now without an electoral office. I put her in that category as well. I think she makes a good point, and i dont differ with anything she said, although i have to confess i have written out phonetic words of politicians in their speeches. We do it all the time. What nancy pelosi was by telling her members, hey, hey, hey, she was guarding the institution, she was guarding a tradition. What Stacey Abrams did by, after a really difficult race with lots of allegations about funky stuff going on in the elections, she honored the democracy. What they represented as great of a rebuke. Donald trump didnt mean any of it. He will tweet something totally opposite tomorrow. As he was walking out, the people lined up are the people who he is saying to, my speech was the best hell send a box of donuts tomorrow, everybody loved my speech everyone loved it and Chris Christie writes in his book a really chilling scene of him walking out of a restaurant before he was president , and he said, hey, sweetheart, ill get you a picture next time. He doesnt know those people. He doesnt know they were republicans and hell go home and tweet about imaginary people saying he was awesome. There was absolutely no attachment to anything he says. I think the most striking line was his words about revenge. He sought revenge against the khan family because they exercised their rights at the democratic convention. All he does, hes trying to get revenge against Michael Cohen and hell be at it again tomorrow morning because hes on the hill friday. We measure and examine his words at our own peril because he doesnt care about anything he says, and with those two women represented tonight is something we talk about on our shows every day. Theyre guardrails. I thought stacey was a great departure from the anger acidity in politics. She was smiling, she was forwardthinking. She talked about her family as the working class and lower middle class. Its back and forth fire lor a f families depending on the paycheck. I thought she was so positive. Smirks dont work, snarling doesnt work. You dont pick up support but you pick up support when youre someone like her. I was impressed. Let me bring in joy reid. Joy, your review of both or either . It was interesting watching the two speeches. The state of the union could simply be submitted to congress doing it for the american people. Part of the idea in theory is to bring the president closer to the american people, right, to connect him to the public. But the high ceremony of it, the staging of it which donald trump clearly enjoys, being the center of his sort of high staging which clearly feeds his ego, it gives it some distance. Where state of the union responses, in my opinion, fail is when they try to mimic that high ceremony, when they try to do a version of it and it comes off stilted. Stacey abrams, i thought, made a very interesting choice to literally make her response feel like a response from the average person, from the people. She wrote the speech herself. It felt very personal, and it felt like kind of the response of your average person, the feeling you get about the president. The fact that the shutdown, she said, was a stunt by the president. The tax bill was rigged. It was a rigged system against ordinary people. She talked about the fact of the caging of children not being the way america is supposed to be. It felt personal. And i think the staging of it with the people behind her, it gave it the sense that donald trump was speaking for himself, from high ceremony and from his desire, as nicolle said, from vengeance, where stacey said from women, treat us well. She said in the end, i dont want donald trump to fail, we just need him to tell the truth. I thought it was very smart. She spoke from the heart as a normal person. Because as youve all said, shes not a politician right now. When she got to that moment, shes obviously a very talented communicator. When she got to that line in her speech, all of us sort of snapped to attention. Were sort of reading along with what shes doing, but she hits that home. And it matters. Couldnt be a greater contrast. The first black woman to deliver the state of the Union Address response, and i think she did it very well. You come from a state where you have to persuade, joy. If you come from a totally blue area, it was confirmed. She was skilled and persuading, you could see that, to bring over the undecided. Her race was so close. After the midterms, we stopped talking about some of the folks who were so close, but she was one but for a few thousand votes, and well never know if anything went awry in that process, would be there. Georgia democrats would like to call her senator. Dont forget, in that room she led the majority caucus, so she is a skilled negotiator thats led by the other party. She actually knows what shes talking about. There were a lot of people in the chamber tonight. Stacey abrams was selected by the leadership of congress because there is a whole lot of people in congress that want her to run against david perdue for the senate seat in 2020. Because that feels like an attainable seat. Very attainable seat for democrats in 2020. You have the same thing for beto in texas and for governor bullock in montana, which would be another attainable seat for democrats in 2020. Stacey was selected tonight. First of all, she did a great job and shes a wonderful communicator. But there are a lot of people pushing her hopefully toward the senate race. With what youre talking about with governor bullock and beto orourke, are you saying that would factor into each of their decisions to run for president because theyre viable candidates for senators . I think all three of them know they could potentially be a senator in their state, and theyre looking at a field of thousands for president , so i really do think all three of them are considering both. Let me ask you also, senator Sherrod Brown of ohio, one of your, i think, very popular colleagues in the senate, if he were to run, if he were to be elected president , his successor in the senate of ohio would be selected by a republican governor. All the other senators who have discussed so far, all their senators would be chosen as governors in their race. Do you think this is being considered by senator brown if hes selected in his race . I think probably sherrod would say thats a problem i hope i have to worry about. Unfortunately, thamt was the kind of thinking that caused Hillary Clinton to pick kaine instead of brown. I think they should have made that decision. I always thought sherrod would make a great running mate for Hillary Clinton. We were talking before heading into the speech tonight how the shaping up of the democratic field, how that starts to affect democratic politics, how it starts to affect National Politics overall. The democrats are in a position right now where people are still declaring. Lots more people are going to declare. There is not a policy distinction among democrats right now, theyre all senate projections. Does that change the state of the way we receive . Does that change this field of thousands forming to run against him . I dont think so. I think our party feels like its confusing right now. It will become clear. The strongest candidates will emerge in relatively short order. It will feel like tomorrow. Its probably going to be six or nine months down the road. Grassroots support will be everything in this particular cycle. But whoever is nominated, i think, will be able to unite the party because of who theyre going to be running against and because what that election means to the country. We have just passed the top of the hour. We want to welcome our viewers, and this is part of our ongoing post state of the union, post response coverage, what was, i think, properly billed as a unique evening at the top of the night. It was a unique evening. It was quite a night. It was quite a night. The president gave one of the