--- title: Who Is Joe Kennedy? Meet the Dem Responding to Trump's SOTU description: Rep. Joe Kennedy III will deliver the Democratic response to Trump's first State of the Union Address. But who is he? Here's what to know canonical: https://time.com/5123254/joe-kennedy-iii-state-of-the-union-what-to-know/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-01-29T19:45:13.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-12T22:31:00.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: Who is Joe Kennedy? Meet the Democrat Responding to Trump's 2018 State of the Union og:description: His grandfather was Robert F. Kennedy og:url: https://time.com/5123254/joe-kennedy-iii-state-of-the-union-what-to-know/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4fd75985944ce9dc/6988f9e9bc6cfc52843e4cfe/gettyimages-823151504.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: joe-kennedy-iii og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Who is Joe Kennedy? Meet the Democrat Responding to Trump's 2018 State of the Union twitter:description: His grandfather was Robert F. Kennedy twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4fd75985944ce9dc/6988f9e9bc6cfc52843e4cfe/gettyimages-823151504.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Meet Joe Kennedy, the Democrat Responding to Trump's State of the Union Address Tonight > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=2d19c384-cc65-4e39-9071-d9810f8fd8d9&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Here Are the Promises President Trump Kept and Broke in His First Year [Watch (HLS stream): Here Are the Promises President Trump Kept and Broke in His First Year](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/aVz1krc8.m3u8) (2:11)  _Published 2018-01-20. Donald Trump was elected president after a campaign of bold promises. Voters responded to his sweeping assurances on everything from health care to immigration and his overall pledge to Make America Great Again._ by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Updated: Dec 12, 2023 10:31 PM UTCPublished: Jan 29, 2018 7:45 PM UTC  U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-MA) speaks during a press conference condemning the new ban on transgendered service members on July 26, 2017 in Washington, DC. U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-MA) speaks during a press conference condemning the new ban on transgendered service members on July 26, 2017 in Washington, DC. Justin Sullivan—Getty Images by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Updated: Dec 12, 2023 10:31 PM UTCPublished: Jan 29, 2018 7:45 PM UTC Massachusetts Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III, a member of the Kennedy political dynasty, has been chosen for one of the most challenging jobs in politics: the official Democratic response to President [Donald Trump’s State of the Union address](http://time.com/5123161/trump-state-of-the-union-2018-watch-online-free/) Tuesday, Jan. 30. Democratic leaders in Congress picked Kennedy, currently serving his third term in Massachusetts’s 4th congressional district, because they believe he and his record stand in contrast to President Trump. Kennedy also happens to be the grandson of former Attorney General and U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. “Bullies may land a punch,” an excerpt from Kennedy’s Democratic response reads, according to a release from his office. “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. Kennedy won’t be the only one delivering a response to Trump’s State of the Union, either. In keeping with recent tradition, multiple critics of the Trump Administration will speak after his State of the Union address. Virginia Delegate Elizabeth Guzman will [deliver the Spanish-language response](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/va-democrats-cheer-guzman-tapped-for-spanish-language-response-to-trump/2018/01/26/68885642-02c6-11e8-8acf-ad2991367d9d%5Fstory.html), Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders will [livestream his own remarks on social media](http://www.vermontbiz.com/news/2018/january/29/sanders-deliver-response-state-union) and Rep. Maxine Waters will [speak as part of a program on BET. ](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/maxine-waters-donald-trump-sotu-response%5Fus%5F5a6ca9dee4b01fbbefb22d15) For those less politically inclined, porn star [Stormy Daniels](http://time.com/5104242/donald-trump-stormy-daniels-porn-star/), who allegedly had a relationship with Trump in 2006, is [booked to appear](https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/television/8096412/jimmy-kimmel-live-stormy-daniels-appear-trump-state-of-union) on _Jimmy Kimmel Live!_ after Trump’s State of the Union. While Trump’s speech is among the most anticipated of the year, typically, the Democratic response Kennedy has been selected to give is not. But the moment in the spotlight does raise the profile of lawmakers, particularly those who have their eyes on higher office. Here’s what to know about Kennedy ahead of Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday night. ## Who is Joe Kennedy III? Kennedy, a 37-year-old progressive, is a member of one the most well-known American dynasties, but he keeps a pretty low profile. He also garnered a bit of national attention during the healthcare debate in 2017, after speeches he delivered denouncing Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act [went viral on Facebook](https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2017/05/09/rep-joe-kennedy-iii-is-achieving-facebook-gold-with-his-house-floor-speeches). A graduate of both Stanford and Harvard, Kennedy served as an assistant district attorney in Massachusetts before serving in Congress. He also served with the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republican from 2004 and 2006\. In 2016, Kennedy told _U.S. News and World Report_ that he carries the experiences he had in the Peace Corps with him to this day: “To me, that’s what the Peace Corps is all about – the impact that simple acts of service can have across borders, generations and time,” he said in an interview. “It’s a lesson I carry with me every day.” > [](https://twitter.com/RepJoeKennedy/status/956901513644953601) ## What is Joe Kennedy known for? Kennedy’s may be an unfamiliar face to many, and that’s partially by design. According to Politico, the young Democrat did not want to be seen as a political celebrity when he took office in 2012\. But Kennedy’s profile has risen a bit due to his forceful denunciations of the Republican health care plan. A video of a floor speech he delivered last year garnered more than [3 million views on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/CongressmanJoeKennedyIII/videos/). Kennedy serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee and has sponsored legislation to boost the manufacturing sector. He is also recognized as an advocate for LGBTQ rights and comprehensive immigration reform.  Sen. Edward "Ted" Kennedy (R) and his brothers, John Kennedy (L) and Robert Kennedy (M), are shown at Hyannisport, Mass. Bettmann—Bettmann Archive Bettmann—Bettmann Archive ## Is Joe Kennedy going to run for higher office? Even before he was tapped to deliver the Democratic response to Trump’s State of the Union address, where several other [Democrats have said they will not attend](http://time.com/4635411/democrats-boycotting-donald-trumps-inauguration/), there were already rumblings about Kennedy’s political ambitions, especially given his lineage. The father of two is the grandson of the Sen. Robert S. Kennedy, and great-nephew of Sen. Ted Kennedy and President John F. Kennedy. When [Politico](https://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/03/joe-kennedy-trump-democrats-241544) asked Kennedy if he had plans to run for higher office in September 2017, he said: “Somewhere down the road, if a Senate seat were to open, yeah, it’s something I’d certainly take a look at. But that’s got to be right in time for me and my family.” **Read:** [Here’s Why the Republicans Should Worry About the 2018 Midterm Elections](http://time.com/5123490/donald-trump-fall-elections/) Kennedy has said he would not go up against either of the sitting Massachusetts Senators if they are not open to stepping down. According to [Politico,](https://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/03/joe-kennedy-trump-democrats-241544) Kennedy has a personal connection to one of the state’s Senators: he and his wife Lauren met in Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s class at Harvard. ## Transcript Donald Trump's first year in the Oval Office was a whirlwind. But now that the dust has settled, it's becoming more clear what mattered. As a political novice with a hot Twitter finger, Trump created a steady stream of controversies Occasionally derailing his political agenda. But he also had some wins. The achievement that will likely last the longest is the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, who filled a seat held open by Senate Republicans throughout 2016. On the legislative front, his biggest achievement was the passage of a $ 1. 5 trillion tax cut that reduced corporate rates, Lowered tax rates for the wealthy and doubled the standard deduction used by many taxpayers. When you think you haven't heard this expression, but we are making America great again. You haven't heard that, have you? But Republicans in Congress failed repeatedly in their long- held goal of repealing the Affordable Care Act. On this vote, the yeas are 45, the nays are 55. The amendment is not agreed to. Agreed to. Settling at the end of the year for repealing the individual insurance mandate as part of the tax bill. When the individual mandate is being repealed, that means Obamacare is being repealed. On foregin policy, Trump's major achievements involved undoing the work of his predecessor President Obama. He withdrew from negotiations over the Trans- Pacific Partnership, a trade pact with Asia. Great thing for the American worker, what we just did. Just did. And left the Paris Climate Agreement, making the US the only country not to sign. So we're getting out, but we will start to negotiate and we will see if we can make a deal that's fair. And if we can, that's great. And if we can't, that's fine. He also recognized Jerusalm as the capitol of Israel. Real. A controversial move that could make it harder for the US to act as a broker in peace negotiations. This is nothing, more or less, than a recognition of reality. The Trump administration also made strides at undoing rules and regulations on everyithing from drilling in the Arctic to protecting transgender students to guaranteeing net neutrality. But Trump's reliance on executive orders and internal rule- making Making also leaves that part of his legacy vulnerable to reversal by the next Democratic president. 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