Right after President Trump gives his first State of the Union address to Congress, Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-MA) will be waiting in the wings to deliver the Democratic rebuttal.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi cheered the choice.
“While President Trump has consistently broken his promises to the middle class, Congressman Kennedy profoundly understands the challenges facing hardworking men and women across the country,” she said in a statement.
Kennedy is just 37 years old and is the grandson of the late Sen. Robert Kennedy and great nephew of the late President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Edward Kennedy. He gained prominence last year after he posted some videos on Facebook tearing apart Republicans over health care and their response to the attacks in Charlottesville, VA. His speeches garnered millions of views.
State of the Union rebuttals have served as make or break moments in politicians' careers - although most of them seem like breaks. Former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's response to President Obama's 2011 address was criticized as being too boring, too scripted and just well, blah. The same goes for Kathleen Sebelius, then the governor of Kansas, who barely showed any emotion during her response after George W. Bush's last State of the Union address. As for Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), will he ever escape that infamous water bottle moment?
This one may top them all though. Then-Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton moderated the response in 1985, featuring clips of "regular" Americans and the band Genesis playing in the background.
It seems cringeworthy now, but you can't blame him. He had to follow The Great Communicator Ronald Reagan.
Maybe the best any politician can ask for is to give a forgetful rebuttal.
