Rep. Kennedy Gives Unifying Speech After Trump’s State of the Union

In a response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech last night, Rep. Joe Kennedy III of Massachusetts spoke of matters important to many — particularly to DREAMers.

"Many have spent the last year anxious, angry, afraid," Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-MA) says in #SOTU rebuttal. "We all feel the fractured fault lines across our country." https://t.co/q18EZzVe9p pic.twitter.com/1ToZHvcsXH

— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 31, 2018

The commanding speech, that was reminiscent of former president Barack Obama, touched on many of the topics that Trump did including the Russia investigation, immigration, health care. However, Kennedy’s handling of those matters was more centered on reality. Some people on social media even included that Kennedy’s unifying speech, which including portions in Spanish, could signal a run for presidency.

I will never forget the night Robert Kennedy died, because so many of my hopes and dreams died with him. @RepJoeKennedy is golden. Could he be our next president? Could he unite the Democrats behind him? Could he bring the Bernie followers into the fold? Joe/Bernie 2020?

— Anne Rice (@AnneRiceAuthor) January 30, 2018

Here’s a portion of that speech:

“It would be easy to dismiss the past year as chaos. Partisanship. Politics. But it’s far bigger than that. This administration isn’t just targeting the laws that protect us — they are targeting the very idea that we are all worthy of protection. For them, dignity isn’t something you’re born with but something you measure. By your net worth, your celebrity, your headlines, your crowd size. Not to mention, the gender of your spouse. The country of your birth. The color of your skin. The God of your prayers.”

He continued…

“And to all the ‘Dreamers’ watching tonight, let me be clear: Ustedes son parte de nuestra historia. Vamos a luchar por ustedes y no nos vamos alejar. You are a part of our story. We will fight for you. We will not walk away. America, we carry that story on our shoulders.”

https://twitter.com/thor_benson/status/958548557509750784

“You sat high atop your mom’s shoulders and held a sign that read: ‘Build a wall and my generation will tear it down.’ You bravely say, me too. You steadfastly say, black lives matter. You wade through floodwaters, battle hurricanes, and brave wildfires and mudslides to save a stranger. You fight your own, quiet battles every single day.”

Joe Kennedy delivering an excellent réponse to Trump’s nativist speech. Joe giving a vision for America that includes us all. Well done.

— Michael Skolnik (@MichaelSkolnik) January 31, 2018

And for those wondering if Kennedy was drooling during his speech. He was not! He says he used too much Chapstick.