Charlie Kirk Today

Byron Donalds: February 26, 2026 | Charlie Kirk Today

February 26, 2026 | 23:29

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Charlie Kirk Today | Byron Donalds: February 26, 2026 | Charlie Kirk Today | February 26, 2026

It was the longest state of the union address in u.s.
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History, clocking in at nearly one hour and 48 minutes.
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Our president is almost 80 years old,
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As he beat the previous record by bill clinton.
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What did you make of it?
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Watching from, i guess the studio, more
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Of a tv environment as opposed to being inside?
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Well, i think they i think they're pretty similar.
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The president we all know president trump
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Has a flair for imagery.
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He has a flair for the theatrical.
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He thinks a lot about how will this look on television.
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And he took full advantage of that.
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He throughout the speech
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We've always had, you know, past presidents.
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But also they'd bring guests and they'd shout them out.
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Biden did that, obama did that, bush did that.
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But president trump
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Really thinks about how to take it to the next level.
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So the way he has the u.s.
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Olympic hockey team walk in in the early part of his speech
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As part of the tired of winning line.
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And then, of course,
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The shout out to charlie with erica there,
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Which i'm sure we'll play that clip again in a moment.
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And then not one, but two congressional medal
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Of honor awarded during the ceremony.
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It really it was a strong mix of what we expect
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From the state of the union, which is he's
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Shouting out his accomplishments
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Over the past year
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And laying out what he thinks should be done in the next
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With the more pure americana that a lot of americans
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Appreciate, of celebrating the country,
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Celebrating the country's heroes.
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And it was a consistently good visual throughout,
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And i guess has to be said,
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We'll get the good midterm visual
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Where he says, let's stand for american citizens,
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And you have a bunch of people not standing.
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I think, yeah, it really was showcasing his talent.
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You know,
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The guy who's been on tv as much as he has
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It showed that side of his talents that very well.
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Well, it's interesting, you know, we have this clip.
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I mean, it was electric inside the gallery last night,
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And people don't realize how small that spaces.
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And it was built, you know, before a time
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Where he had sound amplification. right.
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So you can hear everything that's going on.
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You can hear when ilhan
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Omar and rashida to lieber shouting at him,
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You can hear what they're saying.
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I had a visual right over the top of them.
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So i got to see them right up, right up close.
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But here's what's crazy is i'm
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Getting the impression from inside the gallery.
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I was like, this is a triumph.
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This is a ten out of ten.
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It absolute home run.
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Or as jack posobiec said last night,
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It wasn't a home run, it was a home run.
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Derby is just hit after hit after hit.
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And it seems like even according to cnn,
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This was a successful speech, like up for 60
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Among speech watchers tonight,
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64% say his policies will move the us in the right direction.
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And look at the growth president trump
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Made over the speech.
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So free speech it was 54% of speech
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Watchers said his policies will move
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Us in the right direction after the speech.
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That number goes up ten percentage points.
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So donald trump made some progress with people
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Watching the speech from their pre speech
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Expectations, to what they saw in the speech itself.
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That i think is one of the best,
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You know, sort of data points that we can take
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From this blake.
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But i mean, listen,
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He focused on a turnaround for the ages, quote unquote,
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And declared
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The golden age of america after one year in office,
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He emphasized
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Economic revival, border security, crime reduction
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And global strength,
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Which he used to repeatedly criticize democrats for past
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Failures and obstruction, their current obstruction.
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You know, we talked about the he paid special tribute
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To charlie, calling him a great friend
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Who sparked a tremendous renewal
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In religion, faith, christianity and belief in god,
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Quote unquote, particularly among young people.
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And this is something we've seen through
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Record bible sales, through record baptisms,
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Church attendance going up, especially with gen z.
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Was a beautiful moment.
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He described him as being martyred.
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And then, of course, eric kirk stood up and,
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It was absolutely just this touching moment.
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And then i you start hearing the charlie
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Chants, the charlie, charlie, charlie truly beautiful.
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I would say the the.
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And if we want to play that clip, here we go.
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Let's play it. let's go ahead and play it.
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We should, for 72 this last year
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There has been a tremendous renewal in religion,
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Faith, christianity and belief in god.
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This is especially true among young people.
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And a big part of that had to do with my great friend
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Charlie kirk, who great, gets here.
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So last year, charlie was violently murdered
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By an assassin
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And murdered.
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Really murdered for his beliefs.
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His wonderful wife, erica, is with us tonight.
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Erica, please stand.
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In charlie's memory, we must all come together
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To reaffirm that america is one nation under god.
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And we must totally reject political violence of any kind.
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We couldn't always see what the crowd was doing.
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It looked like they did pan out to it,
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And it looked like almost everyone was standing.
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And the ones who weren't, i was looking.
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It looked like
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It might be old veterans who can't stand easily.
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Since you were in the chamber, were you able to see
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Did the whole chamber consistently stand or if not,
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Who was staying seated?
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You mean for the charlie?
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For charlie? yeah, particularly.
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Yeah.
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It was, it was.
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Most of them were standing. yeah.
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There was a few people that were still seated,
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That there were some democrats
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That just simply would not stand.
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You know,
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There was a really old guy that just, like, hunched over.
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I didn't even recognize him
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Because he didn't lift his head up,
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And he was just looking at his phone the whole time.
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But, you know,
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I think the ones that were engaged in the speech
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Basically stood up,
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For that moment, i will say, and you know, that that's good.
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And i at one point though, he, he
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He towards the end of that clip,
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He said, we need to stand against political violence.
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And i would say 80% of the democrat
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Side of the house did not stand.
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And i just got frustrated.
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I shouted down at them because i'm right over the top.
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And i realized they could hear me.
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I said, you know, i said, stand up, you coward, stepped up.
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Is it just infuriated me in that moment
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That they wouldn't stand up for a call
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Against political violence and, you know, and that
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And that really was the through line play about,
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You know,
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I think some of the biggest moments from this speech.
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Yes, president trump lifted up a patriotic vision. yes.
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The ending was just amazing.
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You know what?
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God needs a nation for a miracle.
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He knows who to call.
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I mean, these kind of moments were hugely inspiring,
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And they presented this positive vision of the future.
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But the moments that i will never forget
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Was when
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When trump asked, hey, stand up if you think america
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Should fight for american citizens first.
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And the democrats didn't stand totally shameful.
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President trump was right to call them out.
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The political violence moment that i just mentioned.
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And then, you know,
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With arenas, theroot.com, it was her parents,
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Sitting up there crying and they wouldn't stand.
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And these are people who are wearing the ukrainian flag.
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And here's a ukrainian refugee
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To please do america,
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Only to get murdered
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By a monster that we let out after being arrested 12 time.
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Those images
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I will never get out of my mind being in the actual gallery.
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They're they're etched into my memory forever.
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Truly, it was a it was something i'll never forget.
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Truly, it was a it was something i'll never forget.
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This was the
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Trump that led us to victory in 2024.
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This is the trump that won the popular vote.
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This is the trump that won all seven swing states.
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This is the president
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That can lead us to victory in the midterms.
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There's been a lot of rumors, a lot of black pillars.
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I felt like this was the tone.
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This was the pace that was set.
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We need to follow this through.
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And blake, i couldn't help but notice
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He even integrated some of those
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But breezier slides in the presentation
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About the banning stock trading.
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We had that great moment when nancy pelosi,
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Where the camera panned to her and he brought her up.
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He talked about price transparency.
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You talk about cutting out
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Big insurance companies, these populist wins,
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That kind of pierce the noise and get to the normal
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American voter.
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And we actually have a pretty
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Funny clip, where because he, he made fun of nancy pelosi,
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And she was asked about it
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Afterwards and seemed
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Very caught off guard because at least one democrat
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Applauded for it.
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I think that would be, a pretty fun one to play.
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Let's do 440. do it.
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There was one moment, madam speaker,
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Where he called you out specifically?
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Around, of course, congressional stock trading.
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What do you say back to him?
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I say back to him as that's the member said,
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Look at your own self,
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The influence he wants to draw, as there was
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Something wrong with that which there wasn't.
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And if there was, people get prosecuted for it.
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For a long time now, we've been trying to pass this law.
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It doesn't have now.
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It has more support than it has before.
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And i think elizabeth warren stood up and applauded.
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Elizabeth warren
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Stood and applauded tonight
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When the president talked about it.
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But that we all did.
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I did too, he said.
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Dinesh, he said, yeah, i did to a lot of people.
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A lot of democrats stood up.
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That shows, blake that this, you know, i love this.
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I love this phrase. it breaks containment.
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This is why i love these ideas, like banning stock
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Trading like you could argue there are problems.
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I would argue that it's central, though,
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Because it's corruption in our judicial
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Or our legislative process. right.
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And you're getting bought and paid for shills in congress
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As opposed to people willing
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To do the right thing for the people.
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But here's the thing.
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The people understand these messages.
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It pierces it. it breaks containment.
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And the fact that cnn is even forced to do that,
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That segment
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And have a little moment of honest journalism,
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And you get elizabeth warren getting on board with it.
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These are big wins that you can put on the board,
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And you could go and ride them into the midterm.
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Yeah, exactly. it's
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I think it would
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Be a strong platform just as you say.
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You see those those headline items.
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And it's not necessarily
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It's not necessarily the stuff we consider
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The biggest accomplishments as, as their presentation
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Said, securing the border was great, actually,
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Of existential importance for the united states.
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But annoyingly, it's not something where you just stamp
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This guy, secure the border and you just win the midterms.
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It should be that way. it's not that way.
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That's how the human brain is.
00:10:46.129 --> 00:10:47.764
But having your next thing that you can run on,
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Which is, hey, we have this proposal to ban stock trading.
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It's not passing because of these opponents.
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I think that's a good message to have, i think.
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Correct. well, the homeownership ownership
00:11:00.643 --> 00:11:02.479
Is a good message to have. yeah, exactly.
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People need a villain.
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And so when you see people that are blocking something
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As common sense as banning congressional stock trading,
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You have a villain and then you
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And then you can go after that villain.
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And i think that's an effective messaging, tactic.
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All right.
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So here's, here's i think the, the
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There was so many good moments,
00:11:20.296 --> 00:11:21.564
The congressional medal of honor,
00:11:21.564 --> 00:11:23.466
The, the, the, the little girl that was, injured
00:11:23.466 --> 00:11:26.603
And learning to walk again after being hit by an illegal
00:11:26.603 --> 00:11:29.272
With a, commercial driver's license.
00:11:29.272 --> 00:11:31.274
All of these moments were cute, but this, to me,
00:11:31.274 --> 00:11:34.410
Was the one that will live the longest.
00:11:34.410 --> 00:11:37.180
And this is where president trump asked them to stand up
00:11:37.180 --> 00:11:39.916
If they support american citizens first.
00:11:39.916 --> 00:11:42.418
And democrats refused for 61.
00:11:42.418 --> 00:11:45.321
Tonight, i'm inviting every legislator
00:11:45.321 --> 00:11:47.490
To join with my administration
00:11:47.490 --> 00:11:49.793
In reaffirming a fundamental principle.
00:11:49.793 --> 00:11:52.662
If you agree with this statement,
00:11:52.662 --> 00:11:54.864
Then stand up and show your support.
00:11:54.864 --> 00:11:57.967
The first duty of the american government
00:11:57.967 --> 00:12:01.037
Is to protect american citizens, not illegal aliens.
00:12:01.037 --> 00:12:23.560
In. that is shame.
00:12:23.993 --> 00:12:25.195
We should be ashamed of yourself, not standing up.
00:12:25.195 --> 00:12:28.264
You should be ashamed of yourself.
00:12:28.264 --> 00:12:31.201
You should be ashamed.
00:12:31.201 --> 00:12:32.101
He baited them and they took the bait.
00:12:32.101 --> 00:12:35.104
Their hatred of ice, of dhs.
00:12:35.104 --> 00:12:37.974
The people that are keeping us safe is so extreme.
00:12:37.974 --> 00:12:40.410
It's so extraordinary.
00:12:40.410 --> 00:12:41.511
They're so beholden to the radical left of their base
00:12:41.511 --> 00:12:44.380
That they refuse to stand up for american citizens.
00:12:44.380 --> 00:12:47.684
Absolutely shocking in that moment, by the way,
00:12:47.684 --> 00:12:49.953
I will just say in the gallery, blake,
00:12:49.953 --> 00:12:51.955
I couldn't actually hear what he was saying
00:12:51.955 --> 00:12:54.190
For part of it,
00:12:54.190 --> 00:12:55.391
Because the acoustics were such that he was still talking
00:12:55.391 --> 00:12:57.827
And people are already making noise.
00:12:57.827 --> 00:12:58.962
I couldn't make out what he was saying,
00:12:58.962 --> 00:13:00.730
But all hell broke loose on the floor.
00:13:00.730 --> 00:13:02.699
I mean, you had shouting left and right,
00:13:02.699 --> 00:13:05.034
And the fact that president trump, from an
00:13:05.034 --> 00:13:06.569
Optics standpoint, overpowered that noise and just kept
00:13:06.569 --> 00:13:10.240
Hitting them and came back with all that energy,
00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:13.943
That, the dynamism, he came back and said,
00:13:13.943 --> 00:13:16.346
You should be ashamed of yourself.
00:13:16.346 --> 00:13:17.413
You should be ashamed.
00:13:17.413 --> 00:13:18.481
I knew that a big moment had just happened.
00:13:18.481 --> 00:13:20.283
Even though i missed the point.
00:13:20.283 --> 00:13:21.451
You could feel it in the room.
00:13:21.451 --> 00:13:22.852
Just absolute like the tension.
00:13:22.852 --> 00:13:25.121
You could cut it with a knife.
00:13:25.121 --> 00:13:26.956
Yeah, it's.
00:13:27.290 --> 00:13:28.358
It's a remarkable image.
00:13:28.358 --> 00:13:29.726
A lot of people were saying,
00:13:29.726 --> 00:13:30.693
Could you cut an ad based on that?
00:13:30.693 --> 00:13:32.595
I don't know that i've ever actually seen an
00:13:32.595 --> 00:13:34.063
Ad that used the state of the union.
00:13:34.063 --> 00:13:36.399
It would be interesting to see, but it certainly
00:13:36.399 --> 00:13:39.769
For us, is the perfect symbol of how it is that
00:13:39.769 --> 00:13:43.573
You go back to that 1990, i think it was 96 or 97,
00:13:43.573 --> 00:13:46.743
The state of the union, bill clinton
00:13:46.743 --> 00:13:48.177
Boasting about his efforts to deport illegal immigrants.
00:13:48.177 --> 00:13:51.247
30 years later, you have democrats just
00:13:51.247 --> 00:13:54.484
They are the party of illegal immigrants.
00:13:54.484 --> 00:13:56.486
That is what defines them, arguably
00:13:56.486 --> 00:13:59.022
More than anything besides transgender surgeries.
00:13:59.022 --> 00:14:02.058
I guess.
00:14:02.058 --> 00:14:03.493
Yeah, the lines have been drawn.
00:14:03.493 --> 00:14:05.495
You are either for the american people or you are not.
00:14:05.495 --> 00:14:09.065
That that moment where he baited them
00:14:09.065 --> 00:14:11.200
And they took the bait is the defining moment of that speech.
00:14:11.200 --> 00:14:15.071
And they are going to live to regret it.
00:14:15.071 --> 00:14:16.306
I truly believe that. we'll be right back.
00:14:16.306 --> 00:14:20.999
I truly believe that. we'll be right back.
00:14:20.999 --> 00:14:25.950
Up now is congressman byron
00:14:26.550 --> 00:14:29.286
Donalds from the great state of florida.
00:14:29.286 --> 00:14:30.988
He's also running for governor
00:14:30.988 --> 00:14:33.290
For the great state of florida.
00:14:33.290 --> 00:14:35.225
Welcome back to the show, congressman.
00:14:35.225 --> 00:14:36.994
What a night.
00:14:36.994 --> 00:14:37.928
I ran into you in the halls afterwards.
00:14:37.928 --> 00:14:39.897
You were, i would say in a very good mood.
00:14:39.897 --> 00:14:42.766
You were in a very good mood.
00:14:42.766 --> 00:14:43.968
You were, doing a bunch of media hits.
00:14:43.968 --> 00:14:46.403
Tell us your reaction.
00:14:46.403 --> 00:14:48.238
30,000ft view.
00:14:48.238 --> 00:14:49.573
Great. the president speak.
00:14:49.573 --> 00:14:52.643
The president hit a homerun last night.
00:14:52.643 --> 00:14:55.412
You know, let me put it this way.
00:14:56.146 --> 00:14:58.082
This is my sixth state of the union.
00:14:58.082 --> 00:14:59.950
What i saw last night
00:14:59.950 --> 00:15:00.951
Was really a speech that unified america.
00:15:00.951 --> 00:15:03.220
It talked about america's greatness.
00:15:03.220 --> 00:15:05.456
It didn't talk about america's a political divide.
00:15:05.456 --> 00:15:08.192
It it actually celebrated, obviously, the united states
00:15:08.192 --> 00:15:11.028
Hockey team and them coming in with the gold medals.
00:15:11.028 --> 00:15:13.998
That was probably the best moment
00:15:13.998 --> 00:15:15.165
I've seen in a state of the
00:15:15.165 --> 00:15:16.300
Union overall, definitely
00:15:16.300 --> 00:15:17.634
The best one i've been a part of in six years.
00:15:17.634 --> 00:15:20.437
But honoring our world war two veteran, 100 years old,
00:15:20.437 --> 00:15:24.508
Honoring, the national guardsman
00:15:24.508 --> 00:15:27.411
Who was on patrol here in dc, who's praying mother.
00:15:27.411 --> 00:15:31.515
Basically, through the grace of god,
00:15:31.515 --> 00:15:33.884
He is still with us today.
00:15:33.884 --> 00:15:35.319
Him being honored,
00:15:35.319 --> 00:15:36.620
Honoring of the helicopter pilot in the mission,
00:15:36.620 --> 00:15:39.356
To bring maduro to justice here in the united states.
00:15:39.356 --> 00:15:42.426
It was a unifying speech.
00:15:42.426 --> 00:15:44.028
Of course, the president talked about policy.
00:15:44.028 --> 00:15:46.497
He got into domestic policy
00:15:46.497 --> 00:15:47.865
And how he's bringing back the american economy,
00:15:47.865 --> 00:15:50.334
How no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, the largest
00:15:50.334 --> 00:15:53.670
Tax cut for social security recipients in american history.
00:15:53.670 --> 00:15:57.608
How that's helping people keep more money in their pocket.
00:15:57.608 --> 00:16:00.144
The president wants to take on housing.
00:16:00.144 --> 00:16:02.146
He wants to get blackstone and his institutional investors
00:16:02.146 --> 00:16:05.115
Out of buying homes
00:16:05.115 --> 00:16:06.450
And taking them out from underneath
00:16:06.450 --> 00:16:07.718
The feet of the american people.
00:16:07.718 --> 00:16:09.219
He wants to make sure that we're driving down
00:16:09.219 --> 00:16:10.788
Energy prices, driving down food prices
00:16:10.788 --> 00:16:13.590
And and of course, deporting criminal illegal aliens
00:16:13.590 --> 00:16:16.427
And helping from the from the leadership perspective
00:16:16.427 --> 00:16:19.396
Of the president of the united states,
00:16:19.396 --> 00:16:21.065
Helping to end conflicts around the globe.
00:16:21.065 --> 00:16:23.067
It was a great speech,
00:16:23.067 --> 00:16:24.868
And the only thing that was damning
00:16:24.868 --> 00:16:26.403
Is that the democrats couldn't even get out of their own way
00:16:26.403 --> 00:16:29.740
To acknowledge the fact that every elected
00:16:29.740 --> 00:16:32.276
Official in america, whether you're on capitol hill
00:16:32.276 --> 00:16:34.545
Or local government or state government,
00:16:34.545 --> 00:16:36.313
We all have a responsibility.
00:16:36.313 --> 00:16:38.082
First and foremost
00:16:38.082 --> 00:16:39.616
To the american people and to the united states of america.
00:16:39.616 --> 00:16:43.520
That truly is what america first means.
00:16:43.520 --> 00:16:45.689
That's our responsibility.
00:16:45.689 --> 00:16:47.491
And the democrats are so, deranged,
00:16:47.491 --> 00:16:50.661
With donald trump, they they just so lost it.
00:16:50.661 --> 00:16:54.264
They couldn't even acknowledge a simple question.
00:16:54.264 --> 00:16:56.834
Who comes first?
00:16:56.834 --> 00:16:57.868
The american people or criminal illegal aliens?
00:16:57.868 --> 00:17:00.571
I mean, i just think their party is lost.
00:17:00.571 --> 00:17:02.673
They're gone.
00:17:02.673 --> 00:17:03.841
I saw you playing, charlie's take, from from dj daniels
00:17:03.841 --> 00:17:07.411
Last year at the joint session of congress last year.
00:17:07.411 --> 00:17:10.280
And it was the same thing.
00:17:10.280 --> 00:17:11.348
Like, if you can't even acknowledge
00:17:11.348 --> 00:17:12.683
That you don't deserve political power
00:17:12.683 --> 00:17:15.419
Because your worldview is so warped,
00:17:15.419 --> 00:17:17.554
We can't trust you with that authority.
00:17:17.554 --> 00:17:20.691
I totally agree.
00:17:21.091 --> 00:17:22.326
And, you know, i do believe charlie said this last year
00:17:22.326 --> 00:17:25.529
During the joint address that,
00:17:25.529 --> 00:17:27.297
You know, there's a spiritual sickness
00:17:27.297 --> 00:17:28.765
That has taken over the democrat party.
00:17:28.765 --> 00:17:30.367
And i just, i,
00:17:30.367 --> 00:17:31.668
I was on full display last night and being in that
00:17:31.668 --> 00:17:34.838
Gallery and hearing the shouts and the jeers,
00:17:34.838 --> 00:17:38.375
From some of the, you know, by the way, nancy pelosi's
00:17:38.375 --> 00:17:41.445
A liar. she's saying you could barely hear it.
00:17:41.445 --> 00:17:43.680
I barely like, you know, hear it in the in the room.
00:17:43.680 --> 00:17:46.850
I heard it, like, loud and clear.
00:17:46.850 --> 00:17:49.219
The acoustics in that room are incredible.
00:17:49.219 --> 00:17:50.854
So you're hearing everything.
00:17:50.854 --> 00:17:51.922
Everybody saying total live from her.
00:17:51.922 --> 00:17:53.891
By the way,
00:17:53.891 --> 00:17:55.025
I got to get your reaction to some of your colleagues
00:17:55.025 --> 00:17:57.194
In congress that are unhappy with the president's speech.
00:17:57.194 --> 00:18:00.597
This is democrat rep janelle bynum.
00:18:00.597 --> 00:18:02.766
She says it was racist for 53.
00:18:02.766 --> 00:18:05.502
Did you think about that moment
00:18:05.502 --> 00:18:06.436
When the president was asking democrats to
00:18:06.436 --> 00:18:08.839
To stand up
00:18:08.839 --> 00:18:10.040
For american citizens during that part of the speech,
00:18:10.040 --> 00:18:12.776
When he was talking about immigration and immigration
00:18:12.776 --> 00:18:15.512
Enforcement efforts, there's thinly veiled, racist language,
00:18:15.512 --> 00:18:19.116
Anti-immigrant language and what he was asking.
00:18:19.116 --> 00:18:22.619
And that was, that was an uncomfortable.
00:18:22.619 --> 00:18:25.789
Your reaction, congressman?
00:18:25.789 --> 00:18:27.724
But that's just crazy.
00:18:28.192 --> 00:18:29.826
That's that's crazy.
00:18:29.826 --> 00:18:30.861
I don't even know what she's talking about.
00:18:30.861 --> 00:18:32.329
How was that thinly veiled we the president was clear
00:18:32.329 --> 00:18:35.599
We are going to deport criminal, illegal aliens.
00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:37.968
We are going to protect the american people.
00:18:37.968 --> 00:18:40.270
How is that racist?
00:18:40.270 --> 00:18:41.939
Jocelyn nangyari was not a young little white girl.
00:18:41.939 --> 00:18:45.275
She was a young hispanic girl.
00:18:45.275 --> 00:18:46.843
She was raped and murdered by criminal illegal aliens.
00:18:46.843 --> 00:18:49.680
How was it racist to stand for her and her mother?
00:18:49.680 --> 00:18:51.982
All the other young girls?
00:18:51.982 --> 00:18:53.450
Rachel moran, who lost her life.
00:18:53.450 --> 00:18:55.953
How is that racist to stand for her life?
00:18:55.953 --> 00:18:57.955
This is craziness.
00:18:57.955 --> 00:18:59.489
And this is like, i'm telling you, man,
00:18:59.489 --> 00:19:00.691
The democrats have lost it
00:19:00.691 --> 00:19:02.059
Because they would rather continue to drive these wedges
00:19:02.059 --> 00:19:05.429
Using race, which, by the way,
00:19:05.429 --> 00:19:06.697
The american people are sick of it.
00:19:06.697 --> 00:19:07.965
They're over it. they're done.
00:19:07.965 --> 00:19:09.433
They've heard the
00:19:09.433 --> 00:19:10.567
Talking points now for 15 years in american politics.
00:19:10.567 --> 00:19:12.869
They're tired of everything that a republican proposes
00:19:12.869 --> 00:19:15.339
Is being somehow racist or bigoted.
00:19:15.339 --> 00:19:17.374
It's just simply not true and everybody knows it.
00:19:17.374 --> 00:19:20.711
So if that's the take that she's going to have, it
00:19:20.711 --> 00:19:23.780
Demonstrates further why
00:19:23.780 --> 00:19:25.549
The american
00:19:25.549 --> 00:19:26.683
People cannot trust democrats with the reins of power
00:19:26.683 --> 00:19:29.853
Here in washington or, quite frankly, in any state
00:19:29.853 --> 00:19:32.689
In the country.
00:19:32.689 --> 00:19:34.858
Yeah.
00:19:35.092 --> 00:19:35.692
I mean, i totally agree.
00:19:35.692 --> 00:19:36.493
There's one other one
00:19:36.493 --> 00:19:37.628
I want to play here for you, mocking president trump,
00:19:37.628 --> 00:19:41.798
Giving the congressional medal of honor to our brave military
00:19:41.798 --> 00:19:46.169
Men and the 100 year, nearly, 100 year old, war veteran.
00:19:46.169 --> 00:19:51.008
This is, your colleague, democrat rep robin
00:19:51.008 --> 00:19:53.243
Kelly, for 51.
00:19:53.243 --> 00:19:56.246
I was there, i was there, and,
00:19:56.246 --> 00:19:58.782
It was as horrific as i thought it would be.
00:19:58.782 --> 00:20:02.085
Did you literally.
00:20:02.085 --> 00:20:03.720
Absolutely.
00:20:03.720 --> 00:20:05.689
It it was it was like an award show.
00:20:05.689 --> 00:20:08.458
You get a medal, you get a medal, you get a medal. man.
00:20:08.458 --> 00:20:12.396
You get a medal, you get a medal. congressman.
00:20:12.396 --> 00:20:14.398
Your reaction?
00:20:14.398 --> 00:20:16.433
Acknowledging a 100 year old world war two vet
00:20:16.433 --> 00:20:20.070
Who was in world war ii, who was in korea,
00:20:20.070 --> 00:20:22.572
Was a helicopter, helicopter pilot
00:20:22.572 --> 00:20:24.741
And all those, i believe was a helicopter pilot acknowledging
00:20:24.741 --> 00:20:27.511
His service to this nation, is what we should do.
00:20:27.511 --> 00:20:31.915
Quite frankly, i'm surprised it's
00:20:31.915 --> 00:20:33.283
Not happened at a state of the union before.
00:20:33.283 --> 00:20:34.918
I probably should have,
00:20:34.918 --> 00:20:36.086
Because it's on display for the entire nation
00:20:36.086 --> 00:20:38.588
And the entire world.
00:20:38.588 --> 00:20:39.690
To see that when you sacrifice for this country,
00:20:39.690 --> 00:20:43.460
You are acknowledged
00:20:43.460 --> 00:20:44.728
By the highest ranking official in our government,
00:20:44.728 --> 00:20:46.963
Which is the president of the united states.
00:20:46.963 --> 00:20:48.932
And so if they take it as some sort of award show
00:20:48.932 --> 00:20:51.435
Because they're trying to diminish
00:20:51.435 --> 00:20:52.969
Donald trump, they're not diminishing him.
00:20:52.969 --> 00:20:54.838
They diminish themselves.
00:20:54.838 --> 00:20:56.273
Because when the american people see that clip
00:20:56.273 --> 00:20:58.442
And they're going to see it
00:20:58.442 --> 00:20:59.543
Over and over again in social media,
00:20:59.543 --> 00:21:01.978
Normal people in the country
00:21:01.978 --> 00:21:03.680
Are going to say, you know what?
00:21:03.680 --> 00:21:04.948
Yeah, thank you, donald trump, for acknowledging
00:21:04.948 --> 00:21:07.751
American greatness, acknowledging
00:21:07.751 --> 00:21:09.586
That veteran of our of our, of our armed forces,
00:21:09.586 --> 00:21:13.223
Somebody who truly laid it on the line to protect america
00:21:13.223 --> 00:21:17.227
And to help make america the great country that it is.
00:21:17.227 --> 00:21:20.864
Congressman, one minute left.
00:21:21.498 --> 00:21:23.500
You know, a lot of people moved to florida,
00:21:23.500 --> 00:21:26.169
Especially during covid.
00:21:26.169 --> 00:21:27.904
You are in the state
00:21:27.904 --> 00:21:29.339
From an affordability standpoint, almost
00:21:29.339 --> 00:21:30.841
A victim of your own success, because, you know,
00:21:30.841 --> 00:21:33.110
You got a lot of people moving in.
00:21:33.110 --> 00:21:34.277
It drives up home prices, things like that.
00:21:34.277 --> 00:21:36.079
What this affordability
00:21:36.079 --> 00:21:37.647
Message, what what are you going to do
00:21:37.647 --> 00:21:38.982
In florida specifically if you're elected governor?
00:21:38.982 --> 00:21:41.852
Well, number one, we're going to address
00:21:42.686 --> 00:21:44.788
Of what it how long it takes to build housing in our state.
00:21:44.788 --> 00:21:48.859
National association of home builders says that 30%
00:21:48.859 --> 00:21:51.762
Of the cost to build a home is government permitting.
00:21:51.762 --> 00:21:54.631
We are going to shrink that timeline down.
00:21:54.631 --> 00:21:57.334
We're going to get government
00:21:57.334 --> 00:21:58.402
Out of the way of of contractors building homes.
00:21:58.402 --> 00:22:01.171
If you can get that price down of what it is
00:22:01.171 --> 00:22:03.039
To deliver a home, you can get the price down
00:22:03.039 --> 00:22:05.342
For a young family trying to buy that home.
00:22:05.342 --> 00:22:07.377
Number two,
00:22:07.377 --> 00:22:08.478
I hope the governor is successful with the legislature
00:22:08.478 --> 00:22:10.847
To eliminate homestead property taxes in our state.
00:22:10.847 --> 00:22:13.450
In our state, i fully support that.
00:22:13.450 --> 00:22:15.719
One of the big things we're also going to have to
00:22:15.719 --> 00:22:17.687
Tackle is portability of homestead exemption credits.
00:22:17.687 --> 00:22:21.358
If we get rid of it, great. there's no harm, no foul.
00:22:21.358 --> 00:22:23.660
But we have seniors in our in our state
00:22:23.660 --> 00:22:25.896
Who bought a home a long time ago.
00:22:25.896 --> 00:22:27.564
Their property tax bill is actually quite low,
00:22:27.564 --> 00:22:29.933
And if they sell that home to downsize, their property
00:22:29.933 --> 00:22:33.603
Tax bill is going to shoot through the roof
00:22:33.603 --> 00:22:35.272
Even though they're getting a smaller unit.
00:22:35.272 --> 00:22:37.374
So florida's going to need to address that.
00:22:37.374 --> 00:22:39.209
Hopefully the legislature gets that done.
00:22:39.209 --> 00:22:41.244
But number three, it's about government efficiencies.
00:22:41.244 --> 00:22:43.580
And number four,
00:22:43.580 --> 00:22:44.714
It's about making sure that our young kids in the k-12
00:22:44.714 --> 00:22:47.451
System, college system, university system,
00:22:47.451 --> 00:22:50.187
That every kid in florida
00:22:50.187 --> 00:22:51.588
Is on a pathway to economic success.
00:22:51.588 --> 00:22:54.191
We want them to be able to graduate,
00:22:54.191 --> 00:22:56.126
Put food on the table, and build their families
00:22:56.126 --> 00:22:58.795
In the great state of florida.
00:22:58.795 --> 00:22:59.963
My wife and i are really blessed
00:22:59.963 --> 00:23:01.465
To really build the florida dream.
00:23:01.465 --> 00:23:03.033
We built that florida dream.
00:23:03.033 --> 00:23:04.234
We're excited about it. we're truly blessed.
00:23:04.234 --> 00:23:06.203
We want every kid in florida
00:23:06.203 --> 00:23:07.804
To build that
00:23:07.804 --> 00:23:08.472
Same dream for themselves,
00:23:08.472 --> 00:23:09.906
And there's no better place to do it in america than florida.
00:23:09.906 --> 00:23:12.843
We got to make it more affordable for young kids
00:23:12.843 --> 00:23:14.878
To to get their foot in the economic door.
00:23:14.878 --> 00:23:16.947
So thank you for focusing on that
00:23:16.947 --> 00:23:18.515
And i encourage you to keep up the great work.
00:23:18.515 --> 00:23:20.383
Charlie endorsed byron donald.
00:23:20.383 --> 00:23:22.586
Thank you sir. great to see you.
00:23:22.586 --> 00:23:24.554
Thank you.
00:23:24.855 --> 00:23:25.388
Take it easy guys.
00:23:25.388 --> 00:23:25.388

Byron Donalds: February 26, 2026 | Charlie Kirk Today

February 26, 2026 | 23:29

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