Rep. Joe Kennedy tied the turmoil of the past year to President Donald Trump's administration, saying, "We all feel the fault lines of a fractured country," in a sharply critical speech as the Democrats' response to the State of the Union address.
"This is a difficult task. Many have spent the past year anxious, angry, afraid. We all feel the fault lines of a fractured country," the Massachusetts Democrat said. "We hear the voices of Americans who feel forgotten and forsaken."
Kennedy, who comes from one of the most prominent families in American politics, also slammed Trump for "targeting laws" that protect Americans.
"It would be easy to dismiss the past year as chaos. Partisanship. Politics. But it's far bigger than that," he said. "This administration isn't just targeting the laws that protect us -- they are targeting the very idea that we are all worthy of protection."
Early on during his speech, he explained why he chose a technical school in Fall River, Massachusetts, as the location for his response.
"From textiles to robots, this is a place that knows how to make great things," he said. "The students with us this evening in the autoshop at Diman Regional Technical School carry on that rich legacy."
He continued: "It is a fitting place to gather as our nation reflects on the state of our union."
On Tuesday night, Trump's State of the Union address argued for bipartisan cooperation while praising the roaring stock market and low unemployment.
