--- 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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Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ## 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. 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