President Donald Trump will deliver his first State of the Union address tonight while Americans’ satisfaction with the economy is at a 17-year high, workers are feeling the benefits of the tax cuts, and unemployment numbers for people of color are at all-time lows. Democrats, though, are united in their anger and hate, with left-wing agitators even urging lawmakers to have their “Joe Wilson moment” tonight.

But the left will not be unified in its message, as at least five Democrats will jump in front of the cameras after Trump finishes speaking to deliver various responses to the party’s many factions. Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-MA) will give the party’s official response, and the left is already criticizing the bland Congressman’s selection, arguing that a woman of color should have been chosen to represent the resistance instead of another privileged white guy who inherited his wealth. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), former Congresswoman Donna Edwards, and Virginia Delegate Elizabeth Guzman will all be giving various State of the Union responses. Other Democrats are boycotting the speech.

Conservatives are wondering what Trump will say on immigration and whether he will ask the nation tonight to support a pathway to citizenship for nearly two million so-called Dreamers—including nearly a million who are not current Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients.

Inside the halls of Congress, some Democrats are wearing black to support the “Me Too” movement while other Democrats will have DACA recipients and Dreamers as their guests. The White House has invited families who have lost loved ones to MS-13 to sit with First Lady Melania Trump, again forcing the legacy media intent on sweeping any bad news about illegal immigrants under the rug to cover the issue just like Trump, after meeting in 2015 with families who had loved ones murdered by illegal immigrants, forced the media to cover their stories during the GOP primaries.

Stay tuned to Breitbart News for live updates of the address and the reactions to it throughout the evening. ALL TIMES EASTERN. Full transcript here. Watch Live:

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12:30 AM: #1: “We Stand for the National Anthem.”

12:05 AM: CNN POLL: 70% of viewers had positive impression of SOTU:

11:55 PM: #ReleaseTheMemo

11:40 PM: Fauxcahontas has chimed in:

11:30 PM:

11:25 PM: Is this Rep. Luis Gutierrez’s (D-IL) way of conceding Trump gave a good speech?

“Even though I disagreed with almost everything he said, for Trump, the speech was clear and well-delivered.  Whoever translated it for him from Russian did a good job.”

11:16 PM: KAMALA HARRIS: Black lawmakers didn’t applaud Trump when he cited record-low unemployment rates for people of color because Trump didn’t say, “Thank you, President Obama!”

11:15: Chuck Schumer: Trump “stoked the fires of division.” “After a long and divisive year, many Americans were yearning for the President to present a unifying vision for the country. Unfortunately, his address tonight stoked the fires of division instead of bringing us closer together.”

11:10: She (Del. Guzman) blasts Trump for attacking “communities of color.”

10:45 PM: Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-MA) gives his SOTU response in Fall River, Massachusetts, to make it all about immigration. Comes off as that privileged liberal you knew in college trying too hard to be down with whatever cause is en vogue at a particular moment.

What a clueless GOP establishment operative:

Another clueless establishment hack who had no idea what the Cuban Missile Crisis was chimes in. These clueless establishment folks all think alike…. cuz they need approval from their liberal MSM pals.

He can speak espanol!! Swoon!!

Will say it again: Jim Webb’s response to George W Bush’s SOTU is still the leader in the clubhouse. Kennedy seemed like a guy trying too hard to be the great liberal hope and the applauses from the audience only hammered that point home.

 

10:31: CNN’s Wolf Blitzer concedes it was a “very strong speech.”

But haters gonna hate:

10:28: Trump honors Ji Seong-Ho, a North Korean defector and says his 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.”

In 1996, Seong-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. 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. 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 to be free.

Seong-ho traveled thousands of miles on crutches 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 Seong-ho, I understand you still keep those old crutches as a reminder of how far you’ve come. Your great sacrifice is an inspiration to us all.

Seong-ho’s 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. But 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 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 — to 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 over Asia.

And freedom stands tall over one more monument: this one. This Capitol. This living monument to the American people.

A people whose heroes live not only in the past, but all around us — defending hope, pride, and theAmerican way. They work in every trade. They sacrifice to raise a family. They care for our children at home. They defend our flag abroad. They are strong moms and brave kids. They are firefighters, police officers, border agents, medics, and Marines.

But above all else, they are Americans. And this Capitol, this city, and this Nation, belong to them.

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 it’s the people who are making America great again.

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 not 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.

10:25: PM:

10:23 PM: Trump on Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, and North Korea:

“America stands with the people of Iran in their courageous struggle for freedom,” he said. “I am asking the 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.But no regime has oppressed its own citizens more totally or brutally than the cruel dictatorship in North Korea.”

He continued: “North Korea’s 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,” he said. “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 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 our allies.”

10:20 PM: Trump wants foreign aid to only serve America’s interests

“Last month, I also took an action endorsed unanimously by the Senate just months before: I recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” he said. “Shortly afterwards, dozens of countries voted in the United Nations General Assembly against America’s sovereign right to make this recognition. American taxpayers generously send those same countries billions of dollars in aid every year.That is why, tonight, I am asking the Congress to pass legislation to help ensure American foreign-assistance dollars always serve American interests.”

10:15 PM: Trump Keeps Guantanamo Open

“Terrorists who do things like place bombs in civilian hospitals are evil. When possible, we 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. And when captured overseas, they should be treated like the terrorists they are,” Trump said. “In the past, we have foolishly released hundreds of dangerous terrorists, only to meet them again on the battlefield — including the ISIS leader, al-Baghdadi.
So today, I am keeping another promise.” He says he just signed an order before walking in to direct Secretary Mattis “to reexamine our military detention policy and to keep open the detention facilities at Guantánamo Bay.”

“I am also asking the Congress to ensure that, in the fight against ISIS and al-Qa’ida, we continue to have all necessary power to detain terrorists — wherever we chase them down,” Trump continued.

Trump also said that “rivals like China and Russia” are challenging “our interests, our economy, and our values. In confronting these dangers, we know that weakness is the surest path to conflict, and unmatched power is the surest means of our defense.”

“For this reason, I am asking the Congress to end the dangerous defense sequester and fully fund our great military,” he said. “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 powerful that it will deter any acts of aggression. 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.”

10:05 PM:

10:00 PM: Trump also wants to build a wall, end catch and release, and hire more “heroes like CJ to keep our communities safe.”He wants to end the visa lottery and limit chain migration. Democrats HISS and BOO. 

“The third pillar ends the visa lottery — a program that randomly hands out green cards without any regard for skill, merit, or the safety of the American people. It’s time to begin moving towards a merit-based 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,” he said. “The fourth and final pillar protects the nuclear family by ending chain migration. 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. This vital reform is necessary, not just for our economy, but for our security, and the future of America.”

Trump continued: “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. It’s time to reform these outdated immigration rules, and finally bring our immigration system into the 21st century. These four pillars represent a down-the-middle 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 only sign a bill that puts America first. So let’s come together, set politics aside, and finally get the job done.”

9:58 PM: DONNY DACA: TRUMP ASKS AMERICANS TO SUPPORT GENEROUS ‘PATH TO CITIZENSHIP  FOR 1.8 MILLION ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS’ 

Trump: “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 the 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 reforms it needs and must have. 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. 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.”

9:56 PM: TRUMP: ‘Americans Are Dreamers Too’

“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 creed,” he said. “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.”

9:55 PM: Trump Highlights Victims of Illegal Immigrant Crimes:

“For decades, open borders have allowed drugs and gangs to pour into our most vulnerable communities. They have allowed millions of low-wage workers to compete for jobs and wages against the poorest Americans,” he said. Trump continued:

Here tonight are two fathers and two mothers: Evelyn Rodriguez, Freddy Cuevas, Elizabeth Alvarado, and Robert Mickens. Their two teenage daughters — Kayla Cuevas and Nisa Mickens — were close friends on Long Island. But in September 2016, on the eve of Nisa’s 16th Birthday, neither of them came home. These two precious girls were brutally murdered while walking together in their hometown. Six members of the savage MS-13 gang have been charged with Kayla and Nisa’s 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 Nisa’s high school.
Evelyn, Elizabeth, Freddy, and Robert: Tonight, everyone in this chamber is praying for you. Everyone in America is grieving for you. Please stand, thank you very much. And 320 million hearts are breaking for you. We cannot imagine the depth of your sorrow, but we can make sure that other families never have to endure this pain. Tonight, I am calling on the Congress to finally close the deadly loopholes that have allowed MS-13, and other criminals, to break into our country.

Ramos not happy:

9:47 PM: Yikes:

9:45 PM: Trump on Trade and Infrastructure: “The era of economic surrender is over.”

“From now on, we expect trading relationships to be fair and, very importantly,  reciprocal.  We will work to fix bad trade deals and negotiate new ones. And they’ll be good ones. And they’ll be fair,” he said. “And we will protect American workers and American intellectual property, through strong enforcement of our trade rules.” Trump then said, “America is a nation of builders. We built the Empire State Building in just 1 year — isn’t it a disgrace that it can now take 10 years just to get a minor permit approved for the building of a simple road?… Tonight, I am calling on the Congress to produce a bill that generates at least $1.5 trillion for the new infrastructure that our country desperately needs.”

“Together, we can reclaim our building heritage. 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,” he continued. “We want every American to know the dignity of a hard day’s 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.”

9:42 PM: Trump: Americans Deserve the ‘Right to Try’

“We also believe that patients with terminal conditions should have access to experimental treatments that could potentially save their lives” he said. “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.  It is time for the Congress to give these wonderful Americans the ‘right to try.'”

9:40 PM: Trump Wants to get ‘Motor City revving its engines once again.’

“In Detroit, I halted Government mandates that crippled America’s autoworkers — so we can get the Motor City revving its engines once again,” he said.

9:36 PM: Trump speaks strongly about appointing conservative judges and protecting religious liberty. He says he “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.” And he says his administration has “eliminated more regulations in our first year than any administration in history.”

9:33 PM: TRUMP: “Preston’s reverence for those who have served our Nation reminds us 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. Americans love their country. And they deserve a Government that shows them the same love and loyalty in return.”

9:32 PM: Trump: ‘We All Share ‘The Same Great American Flag’

Trump: “Tonight, I want to talk about what kind of future we are going to have, and what kind of Nation we are going to be. All of us, together, as one team, one people, and one American family.
We all share the same home, the same heart, the same destiny, and the same great American flag.
Together, we are rediscovering the American way. In America, we know that faith and family, not government and bureaucracy, are the center of the American life. Our motto is ;in God we trust.'”

Trump also celebrated “our police, our military, and our amazing veterans as heroes who deserve our total and unwavering support” and honored “Preston Sharp, a 12-year-old boy from Redding, California, who noticed that veterans’ graves were not marked with flags on Veterans Day. He decided all by himself to change that, and started a movement that has now placed 40,000 flags at the graves of our great heroes.  Preston: a job well done.”

9:25 PM: Trump touting the benefits of tax cuts: “This is our new American moment. There has never been a better time to start living the American Dream.”

He highlights the small-business tax cuts and spotlights “Steve Staub and Sandy Keplinger of Staub Manufacturing — a small, beautiful business in Ohio. They’ve just finished the best year in their 20-year history. Because of tax reform, they are handing out raises, hiring an additional 14 people, and expanding into the building next door.”

“One of Staub’s employees, Corey Adams, is also with us tonight. Corey is an all-American 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’ education.” Trump said. “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 it’s getting more–every month, ever week. Apple has just announced it plans to invest a total of $350 billion in America and hire another 20,000 workers.”

9:20: TRUMP: ‘The State of the Union is strong because our people are strong.” Hispanic/Black Dems Not Happy With Low Unemployment Numbers for People of Color.

:So let us begin tonight by recognizing that the state of our Union is strong because our people are strong.
And together, we are building a safe, strong, and proud America,” Trump said.

Trump cites 2.4 million jobs created and the lowest rate ever recorded for African-Americans and Hispanics.

Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) did not seem happy after Trump cited the low unemployment rate for Hispanics.

9:17 PM: Trump recognizes House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA)–“the legend of Louisiana.”

“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,” Trump said, “We are 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 in this room.”

Trump continued: “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 we were elected to serve.”

What a hater:

9:16 PM: Trump also recognizes firefighter David Dahlberg:

9:16 PM: Trump honors Cajun Navy in SOTU address:

9:15 PM: Trump speaks about the “righteous mission” to “make America great again for all 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 swift action. A new tide of optimism was already sweeping across our land,” Trump said. “Each day since, we have gone forward with a clear vision and a righteous mission — to make America great again for all Americans.”

9:10 PM:

9:02 PM: TWO TONE-DEAF CHARACTERS:

9:00 PM: Flake looking comfy and happy:

8:56 PM:

8:55 PM: Breitbart’s ace immigration reporter + fashion critic:

8:50 PM: POTUS departs White House

8:45 PM: Angel Mom Responds:

8:35 PM: Democrats breaking into their salad-bowl factions like they do at DNC gatherings. Al Gore infamously said, “out of one, many.”

8:25 PM:

8:20 PM:

8:15 PM:

8:10 PM:

8:05 PM: Chris Matthews has written two great books on the Kennedys (Kennedy and Nixon and Bobby Kennedy: A Raging Spirit), and he understands why RFK (many of his supporters ended up being Reagan Democrats) resonated with working-class Americans and minorities. He wondered if Joe Kennedy could do the same and blasted liberal donors for making the party toxic to working-class Americans.

Matthews, if he’s honest with himself, will likely be disappointed with Joe Kennedy, who is the prototypical SF-NYC-BOS liberal well versed in social justice and “service” platitudes. But look for liberal white reporters from all the “right zip codes” who went to the “right schools” with all the “right people” and who have PhDs in saying “all the right things” that make them sound smart while they are saying absolutely nothing of substance to gush over Kennedy, cheering him on like privileged plodders who saw themselves in Hillary Clinton rooted for Hillary.

8:00 PM: Joe Kennedy will call Trump a bully in his response: “Bullies may land a punch. They might leave a mark. But they have 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.”

7:30 PM:  The White House released some excerpts of Trump’s SOTU speech:

Some Excerpts the White House is highlighting on Twitter:

Dr. Ben and Candy Carson:

 

Perdue Designated Survivor: Why not the HUD Secretary?

Julian Castro: Trump Will Channel Orwell:

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) invited San Juan, Puerto Rico, Mayor Cruz. Look for the media to give her plenty of airtime.

Amnesty advocates want to ‘take back’ State of the Union with “#StateOfTheDream” hashtag:

Hillary allies ready to accuse Trump of plagiarizing… Hillary!

Democrats will claim Obama deserves credit for Trump’s booming economy.

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Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) upset that Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) suggested the U.S. Capitol Police arrest “any illegal aliens in attendance.”

DEMS ALL ABOUT DACA:

CA Dem. Congressman wearing black AND a “migrating butterfly” for Dreamers.

Lanny Davis Calling for ‘Trump Impeachment Investigation”:

David Axelrod doesn’t agree with the Democrats who are boycotting Trump’s State of the Union address:

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) is one of the Democrats who is boycotting the speech and she claims that Trump’s presidency is “an assault on our democracy.”

Minimal Impact on Approval Ratings:

House Democrats dressed in black: