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Chapter 1: What is the significance of the People's State of the Union event?
Good evening, everyone. I'm Katie Bethel, and I'm the Executive Director of MoveOn. MoveOn is one of the largest progressive advocacy organizations in the country. We're a force of millions, with members in every congressional district in America. And on behalf of our members and our co-hosts, the Midas Touch Network, it is my privilege to welcome you to the People's State of the Union.
Some of you may know that giving a State of the Union address, or at least a report, is part of the job of the president. It's constitutionally required. So in a great shift, Donald Trump is following the law tonight. So why are we boycotting? Why are we boycotting the State of the Union?
We're boycotting because we know that Donald Trump's State of the Union will bear no resemblance to what's actually happening in this country today. He will lie, distort, and ignore the real stories.
Chapter 2: Why are we boycotting the State of the Union?
He's not gonna talk about the killings of innocent people. He's not gonna talk about the thousands of people who are afraid every day because of ice roaming their streets. He's not going to talk about the victims of Jeffrey Epstein. And he will not talk about the millions of people who've lost their health care on his watch.
But MoveOn members, the millions of people who've been protesting at No King's protests, the American people, we know the true state of our union. We've seen it and we're living it. And it is not normal. We have asked our leaders this last year, don't treat this like business as usual. Fight for us. Folks, tonight we're coming out swinging.
And we're making history with the largest organized boycott of any State of the Union ever. Behind me on this stage are members of Congress and their guests, who have all personally experienced the harms of the Trump administration. They represent millions more. They represent all of us.
I want to personally thank our members of Congress here tonight for your act of defiance, for breaking a norm to stand up for our values. And I want to thank our special guests who you're going to hear from tonight for your courage. You represent the best of America and you make us all want to be brave. This moment is only possible because of people's bravery.
The first boycott of the State of the Union was conducted by the founders of the Congressional Black Caucus during the Nixon administration. We honor their example. We honor the millions of patriots who've turned out over the last year in marches across this country.
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Chapter 3: What truths about America are being highlighted?
And we honor every person who showed up, who's risked something, who's cared for a neighbor, even when it was safer to do nothing. That courage led the way to this moment, but we have to make sure that the road doesn't stop here. We need you, everybody joining us here on the Capitol Mall tonight, and everybody watching online, come to the March 28th No Kings protest and stand up for this country.
Before I introduce our hosts for tonight, I just want to give a special thanks to all of the people behind the scenes who helped to make tonight happen. Move On staff, the staff who serve, our congressional representatives and senators here tonight, our partners, thank you so much. This is no small task to put on a historic event to fight for our country. Thank you.
And now, I'd like to introduce you to our hosts. independent journalists Joy Reid and Katie Fang. And while they come to the stage, I want to thank you for being here. I want to thank you for being brave.
Chapter 4: How can we take action against the current administration?
And I want to thank you for being a part of building the America we can all be proud of. Thank you. Well, hi. Well, hello there. Hello, everybody. Good evening, everyone. Are you guys excited to be here? Let's hear it. And not in there? That's right. Come on. I am Joy Reid, host of The Joy Reid Show. And I'm Katie Fang, host of the Katie Fang News Channel.
And we are both exes of the artist formerly known as MSNBC. We are so excited to be here. Please give one more round of applause to these members. Members of Congress. Let's hear it. They had the courage to not be here. So, Katie. The reason that I am so excited to be here is that, as we just heard from the wonderful folks at MoveOn and Midas Touch, please give them a round of applause. Please.
It takes courage to stand out. It does. And look, if you turn around and you look amongst us, it's not just the people that are here. It's hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people in the United States and across the world that are defending democracy, but they need the courage and the bravery of our members of Congress and our electeds to make sure that democracy is defended. Indeed.
And so tonight we are not going to hear a false state of the union. We are going to hear the true state of our union from the people who are being impacted by the policies that are taking place at the hands of someone who has demonstrated no love for the Constitution, for the truth, or for the care and concern of the American people.
It's much more important to hear what people are truly facing and going through. That's what you're going to hear tonight. The American people deserve the truth. They do not need more lies from this regime. So tonight, you are going to hear people that have been impacted directly by the bullshit of this administration. Amen. And because I'm also a church girl. Sorry, Joy, for my language. Oh, no.
I'm a cousin Christian, sis. It's all good. I'm a cousin Christian. But we want to start off this night by doing something that I think is so important, Katie. And that is reclaiming. the Christian voice from white Christian nationalism, which not only threatens our freedom, but also threatens a very important faith throughout this world.
Christianity is not what you have been sold by Project 2025. So right now, to do our invocation, meaning we're gonna invoke the spirit of freedom, liberty, and justice, please put your hands together for the Reverend Paul Brandeis Rauschenbusch.
Thank you, Joy and Katie. Hello, everybody. Hello, America. Let me start by saying that my soul is so glad to be here with the People's State of the Union. I come to you as the president of Interfaith Alliance and as a Baptist minister with good news. We, the people, have the power Is that good news?
All across America, people of diverse faiths and beliefs are showing up, are speaking out, and are proving that love for our neighbors and commitment to our democracy will prevail against the cruelty, immorality, and authoritarianism of this administration. Let me speak plainly as an American and as a Baptist minister.
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Chapter 5: What are the key values and demands for government accountability?
I want to be able to trust my government again. I want elected officials who will be honest with me. I want to see courage. And real talk, y'all, we have a government that is working harder to harm us than help us. Real talk, we have a government right now where justice goes to the highest bidder and the lowest kneeler. And that is not what we signed up for. And that's not what we deserve.
It is time. It is way time. It is past time in Black History Month and every other month of the year, y'all. It is time for the moral goodness of this country to match our economic might. For our leaders to put people over profits, compassion over cruelty, and equity over evil. This is our country. This is our moment. And just like Jenna Lisa said, we will not be silenced.
The People's State of the Union starts tonight, and we're going to keep it going every day of the week through November and to the end of this man's term until we get the country that we deserve. Thank you so much. Well done. Well done. All right.
Chapter 6: What urgent issues are raised regarding immigrant rights and healthcare?
All right. All right. All right. California love. Don't make me crib walk up in here because I'm from that generation. Coming to the stage next from the great state of Massachusetts. How many of y'all want to see the Green New Deal? Okay, we like breathing. We like clean air, right? We like clean water. Green New Deal, we like it.
Coming to the stage right now is the champion of the Green New Deal, a man who has fought for justice, for equality, and for a country we can actually breathe in. Give it up! up for Senator Ed Markey.
He is going to be reading a story from Gladys Vega, the president and CEO of La Colaborativa in Chelsea, Massachusetts, which has been providing critical resources and support to Chelsea and the greater Boston region since the year of our Lord 1990 by empowering Latino individuals and families, promoting educational opportunity, advocating for social justice, and fostering economic empowerment.
Give it up for Senator Ed Markey.
Joy Reid, what a job she is doing tonight. Just absolutely incredible, Joy. Thank you. And thank you all for being out here this evening.
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Chapter 7: How do personal stories illustrate the impact of current policies?
Tonight, I am not in the U.S. Capitol, but Donald Trump stated the union address. I am here with you at... the people state of the union, because the state of the union should be a moment of truth, a reckoning with reality, a commitment to the common good. But under Donald Trump, it has become a Liza Palooza that goes on for hours with
Him, if he was Pinocchio, his nose would stretch across the entire length of the floor of the Congress this evening. It's one big lie, a made-for-TV spectacle, a bogus sales pitch, and a slap in the face of the millions of Americans who are living through their struggles each and every day. Trump will stand before Congress tonight and say that everything is fine.
He will say the economy is the best ever while working families are drowning under the weight of health care bills and housing costs and food costs and Trump tariff taxes. He will say the system is working and that we need more corporate tax breaks. while the billionaire CEO cronies loot this country under the cover of manufactured crisis.
He will say the country is safer while immigrant communities live in fear of masked agents ripping parents from their children and innocent people are murdered in our streets at the hands of ICE thugs operating with impunity. This is not a State of the Union address. I will legitimize. So tonight I stand with you with an urgent message. We cannot agonize.
We must organize against Donald Trump in 2026. And we must fight back because Donald Trump is doing to our country And it is something that cannot be allowed to continue because I will not stand while this administration attacks immigrant families and uses ICE as his own private army to use a paramilitary force that terrorizes entire communities.
I will not stand by while they gut our health care system, undermining Medicaid,
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Chapter 8: What actions are proposed to challenge the status quo?
Medicare, the Affordable Care Act, our education system, our environmental justice funding, and looting all of that money to give tax rates to millionaires and to billionaires. I will not stand by while they target transgender people, demonizing trans kids, banning them from schools and sports, and trying to erase their very existence from public life. Trans rights are human rights.
They cannot... They cannot be trampled. I will not stand by while they roll back civil rights protections, undermine reproductive freedom, rig our tax code so that billionaires pay less while the rest pay more. Every time I vote against a Trump nominee or a Trump budget, I draw a line for you. A line. A line between democracy and authoritarianism. A line between justice and cruelty.
A line between government that represents we the people and one that glorifies we the Epstein class. And I will keep drawing that line every single day. But I know that voting no is not enough. Because what is at stake at this moment is not a single bill or a single nominee or even a single presidency.
What is at stake is whether the United States of America remains a democracy that works for the many or becomes a dictatorship that serves only the few. We are living in a critical moment and we must fight back. Trump wants to scare us into submission. But when he rolls back our rights, we roll up our sleeves. And that means we must be louder, we must push back harder than ever before.
So I'm here to ask every single person out in the crowd and online, will you fight for our future? Will you fight for our democracy? Because we know that we must defund and abolish ice. We must get ice out of our cities. We must remove RFK Jr. from any public health position that puts lives at risk. We must say out loud that vaccines work. We must fire Kristi Noem and Kash Patel.
for their lawlessness and complicity in the crimes that we have seen committed right before our eyes. We must reverse Trump's disastrous tax cuts for the wealthy and instead invest that in relief for working families. And we must save Medicare and Social Security and expand funding for Medicaid. We don't need endless warfare. We need universal health care. We need Medicare for all.
The real security Americans need is a livable future. Affordable housing, free college, clean air, clean water, clean energy, and a Green New Deal. That is what we need. And we must impeach Donald Trump. We are not... We are not going to allow him to steal this election. We are not going to allow him to terrorize black and brown voters from going to the polls. We are going to stand up.
We are going to fight. If he puts the Marines and the Army out on the streets this October and November, we're going to come out by 10 million people. 20 million people, 30 million people onto the streets of this country and shut this country down for democracy, for our ability to have an election. So this is not time to stay silent. This is a time to stand up and fight.
When the minute men and minute women were taking on the most powerful military in the world, they were knocked down, they were knocked, knocked out. They got up, they fought, they won. When the abolitionists fought, they were knocked down, they were knocked, knocked out. They got up, they fought, and they won. When the suffragettes were out, they were knocked down.
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