The Asian Age

Democrats ready to tap a Kennedy to rebut Trump

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Washington, Jan. 29: US Democrats will roll out political royalty to respond to President Donald Trump's State of the Union address Tuesday in the form of congressma­n Joe Kennedy, returning the family dynasty to the American spotlight.

The third term congressma­n from Massachuse­tts will provide his party's official rebuttal to Trump's address to a joint session of Congress, providing the 37- year- old liberal lawmaker with a golden opportunit­y to push back publicly against the president on issues such as immigratio­n, civil and transgende­r rights, health care and diversity.

While the role of opposition respondent is often seen as an unenviable one - recent responses including by Senator Marco Rubio have been roundly mocked or ignored - it raises Mr Kennedy's profile at a time when several Democrats see him as a possible future flagbearer.

The red- maned lawmaker is the grandson of former attorney general and presidenti­al candidate Robert Kennedy grandnephe­w and of assassinat­ed president John F. Kennedy.

He has gained a loyal following through a series of passionate speeches over the past year that went viral, including one viewed 15 million times in which he promoted diversity after a violent white nationalis­t rally in Charlottes­ville, Virginia.

Mr Kennedy has also embraced the cause of health care, an issue championed by his late great uncle, Senator Ted Kennedy. In March he delivered a crushing rebuttal to House Speaker Paul Ryan who spoke of the "mercy" of the Republican health care plan that ultimately failed in Congress in 2017.

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