ABC News(WASHINGTON) — Rep. Joe Kennedy III, the Massachusetts Democrat who gave the State of the Union rebuttal Tuesday night, said today he “absolutely” believes divided Americans can find common ground but also urged President Trump to negotiate on immigration “rather than throwing bombs.”
“You’ve got Americans that are coming to this country that are striving that are trying to make our country, our world, a better place,” Kennedy, the grandnephew of former President John F. Kennedy, said on ABC News’ “Good Morning America.”
“Let’s focus on that idea, those values, that vision. And that’s a chord that runs through all Americans that’s not a Democrat or Republican idea,” he said.
He added: “I would urge the president and his administration to, if they really want a deal [on immigration], to sit down and start really hashing out to make one rather than throwing bombs and then saying, ‘Hey, it’s take it or leave it.’ That’s not how a deal is made.”
The State of the Union rebuttal is often billed as a tough gig. It’s a hard act to follow and the responder – Kennedy in this case — usually garners a smaller audience. But he became a target of social media after his heavy use of what appeared to be lip balm before beginning his remarks
“I, oddly enough, decided to go a little light on the Chapstick this morning,” he joked on “GMA” today.
“More on the coffee, light on the Chapstick, which is probably a wise choice.”
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