but also our force today and of the future. that's why this amendment is so important -- this commitment is so important. and that's why we're fortunate to have a lot of help keeping it. and other nongovernmental groups support our work. friends and allies around the world serve as critical partners in helping us reach, account for infra, our fallen. aa work and women of dp day in and day out in remote field sites and high-tech laboratories alike across the united states and around the world to meet that promised, and to give hope and solace to our families. today, we can meet our sacred commitment to the force of yesterday, tomorrow. thank you for your partnership. thank you cap and coffee, senator cornyn for sharing your

stories with us. thank you for joining us to commemorate our pow/mia recognition day. may god bless you and may god bless this great nation. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, general sola. >> thank you, secretary carter. going to break from script for just a minute on behalf of chairman joe dunford and all the soldiers, sailors and airmen and and, we coast guard salute you for your patriotism and your courage and bravery. thank you for being here today. [applause]

it is truly an honor to be here today as we pay homage to often unsung heroes. i extend a very special welcome to former prisoners of four and family to join us this day. you have taught us the legacy of honor and duty that we try to carry out every single day. i would also like to welcome the families of those still missing in action. your sacrifice is humbling and we thank you for your faith and perseverance. you are for us to begin of hope. beacon of hope. committed toa few bringing everyone american hero home from foreign shores. we are grateful for your continued determination. national prisoner of war and missing in action resignation day -- recognition day is important for iris to recognize for us toices -- recognize the sacrifices of our military men and civilians who defend this nation.

these proud men and women behind the represent that military heritage. a heritage strengthened by the courageous spirit of every prisoner of war and member missing in action. although service members they represent and we are here to honor today. today is important because we make the time to show how much our heroes as far back as the world for, korean war -- world wars, korean war, vietnam, and recent topics mean to every one of us. we can say thank you to those hottest adversity and showcase the steel of the american character. we still search for those who have not made it home. they gave their lives of soldiers and missions across this world for our country. we play fat mission on their shoulders. onplace that commission their shoulders. secretary carter shirts of what of the stores. you will hear more later today. it is also important that we take time to recognize the

significance of the sacrifices that every family of every one of those prisoners of war have major rebuilding their own lives. through the hardship of not knowing. the difficulty of holding out hope. please note that thousands of people are resolute in their efforts to provide closure to you and your loved ones. we cannot do any of this without the many organizations that have undertaken this task as a personal and professional mission. their tireless efforts and commitment to ensure we keep the echoes accurate was -- our pride in the nation and our pride in the men and women who have dedicated their lives to service. i want you to know that we remain steadfast in our nation's promise to bring home every prisoner of war and every member of our service missing in action. military and civilian. it is a promise to the men and women from the past and those

who serve today. like those who stand behind me. we will forever honor our sacred duty. we will never leave a fallen warrior on the battlefield. powmotto that applies on a mia flag is when we have internalized to our core. forget.never it is emblazoned on our hearts as is the memory of every member that we have lost in battle and that remains in -- missing in action. i would like to thank every family member that is here, every individual that has served in captivity. all of those who long for the knowledge of a missing loved one. and to every service organization who assist in the rebuilding of those lives and the constant kindling of the flame of hope. thank you all for being here today. [applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, captain coffee.

>> distinguished guests here secretary carter, thank you so much for the honor of being a part of this ceremony this money. -- morning. it is good to, see you. families,es and mia thank you for allowing me to emphasize this honor of recognizing our losses and our wins. i was shot down over north of 1966.n february

finally released from the communist dungeons in february of 1973. seven years and nine days. powst to tell you that we looked at our time in the prisons of north vietnam as another form of combat. we never gave up. we never gave in. we never lost faith in our country. as a matter of fact, faith was truly the key to our survival. faith in ourselves to do what was necessary to survive and not just survive, but take this opportunity to grow and build upon the uniqueness of our experience every day. realize that we are simply in

a different kind of combat. a combat of resistance. a combat that has tried to keep a separate as if we did not know that there are other pows in never -- whatever prison we were in. the challenge was to organize ourselves. as you can imagine, six or seven different prisons, that organization was challenging. i want to type about the pow code because it does illustrate their creativity and persistence and dedication of making the most of that opportunity and taking good care of each other. upon 25 letters of the alphabet. -- leaveut the letter out k. matrixes ofged in

five lines of five letters each. one row on top of the other. 30.topper consisted of a roug e and so on. a matrix of 25 letters and from that matrix we were able to communicate with each other in ways that were incredible. that's only by listening to the cap code, but by flashing it whenever there is a line of sight connection. in givingortant comfort and solace to one another. when he knew that the man in the self next year was hurting, his feet locked in ankle cuffs, his hands cuffed kind in, had been like that for a week. or a month.

you get up to the wall himuently and cap -- tap to g b. that meant bless. it meant, be tough. i'm praying for you. every week or month or whenever, he would get on his wall and encourage you. the same way. example, on the pow flag, never forget. n-e-v-e-r f-o-t-e. never forget.

we came out of that experience as stronger men. in some ways, it was like turning a doctorate degree in do those years of prison. i would like to leave you this morning with a pow message. , we signd of every day off and say good night. g-n. good night. -b-a. don bless america. every single night. -- god bless america. every single night. thank you for those gathered here because of your loved ones or pows or missing in action. thank you so much for your sacrifices.

secretary for hosting this occasion. it is really significant. it means a great deal to every person here. thank you. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, senator cornyn. >> thank you for sharing that story and thank you for your

service to our country and the great example that you are for all of us. served asr story has a great inspiration for so many and a beacon of hope for many more. i want to think secretary carter for the invitation to be here today. running the department of defense is a tall order. thank you for rising to the challenge time and time again. i consider it a great privilege to join you and general silva on this special day. we are grateful for the defense andmia accounting agency predecessors. and there commitment to fulfilling our nations promised to the families of our missing military and -- men and women. it is an honor to be here today with all of you and those service members who represent those families of the pows. i know service members have not

yet returned to our country. today, we appropriately remember there tremendous sacrifice and heavy burden put on the shoulders of their loved ones. thank you to all of you for helping us the here to honor these brave men and women. mentioned,y carter my dad served in world war ii. he was a b-17 pilot. group in the 303rd bomb in the eighth air force stationed in england. they were known as the hells angels. the 303rd was a force to be reckoned with. 364 combat record of missions. they did it before the advent of the technology that we have come to take for granted. laserguided gps, guided munitions and the like.

their success was not without great cost. 150 sustained more than missing in action and 764 of them were captured and prisoners of war. my dad was one of them. i can't help but think of him and his story today in the presence of all of you. missions.w in 26 26 of the strategic bombing missions over germany targets. on his 26 mission, his plane was hit several times by enemy fire. flack hit the nose of the aircraft. more to the engine. interrupted and claims. bay.hird time, the bomb they bailed out at 20,000 feet and were captured in the french g d.er and sent to stala]gg

if you don't you camp in nuremberg. awful conditions. food was scarce. my dad told me that to eat simple white bread tasted like angel food cake. they were lucky to get a daily ration of bread and dehydrated vegetables and potatoes. sanitation was abysmal. the camp was infested with lice, please and bedbugs. illness run rampant. in the dead of the bavarian winter. in unheated barracks. like so many of our men and women, he persevered and he survived. after several months, he was liberated by patton's army. came home to texas where he met my mother and married. throughh all he went and my dad, like so many of that

generation did not talk about that much during his lifetime, my dad's story was a happy one. it is about the power of perseverance that captain carter talked about. it is a story about doing everything you have when there is nothing left in the tank and never giving up. it is a story about the hope that comes at the beginning of each new day. the truth is that there are many thousands of similar stories of sacrifice and commitment across the country. andink in addition to cap coffee, people like john mccain and sam johnson who i served with. there's a story of many of you here today, a father, grandfather, who survived torture. day after day in a japanese prison camp during world war ii. or a brother or husband who vanished in the midst of acres

battle in the jungles of vietnam or the rice paddies of korea. the mother or daughter captured battlefieldeastern at the hand of the enemy. as we remember these lives and stories of uncommon courage, let's also remember that my father and your loved ones sacrifice made the freedom and liberty we enjoy today possible. months before the end of the civil war, president abraham lincoln famously penned the letter to a widow who is said to have lost five sons in that for. -- war. the note was 130 words. president lincoln knew how to get to the heart of the matter quickly. he began humbly. she admits that any word of consolation he might offer would be weak and fruitless given her

terrible grief. he ends the letter with a prayer. theng that god give her relief from the tremendous burden of grief she was suffering and ask that god would leave her with cherished memories of her loved ones in a solemn pride that she laid so costly a sacrifice on the altar of freedom. current --incoln's encouragement is timeless. many of you have suffered greece -- grief and have burdens to bear. presidentso take lincoln's words and find pride and enduring hope and selfless sacrifice our loved ones made in the cause of liberty. today, it is good and right that we honor those of you who have

made that sacrifice. i know each of us aren't. saint mixed emotions. -- are experiencing mixed emotions. we remember the survivors. some of them are with us today. their incredible courage and perseverance as prisoners of war fighting each day for survival. they serve as a great reason for all of us, for hope. a reminder to each of us to never give up. that theirconfidence members live on in our hearts and we know that the many sacrifices they made were not in vain. noh day, we strive to leave stone unturned and no person behind. to the families and friends representing hundreds of men and women, thank you for letting me

honor my dad and the thousands of others who were taken prisoner like he was in the families of those who have lost ones have still not made it home. may god continue to bless you and may god bless our men and women in uniform and may god continue to bless the united states of america. [applause]

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would see towards ronald reagan airport, you will see black hawk helicopters. [applause] the department of defense is proud to have served. thank you for attending and enjoy the remainder of your day.

>> join us as we follow the candidates to the road to the white house.we will hear from donald trump as he correct statements about the president's citizenship. after that, we will join the first lady campaigning for hillary clinton. then leaders in the evangelical community debate support for donald trump.

>> c-span's washington journal live every day with news and policy issues that impact you. coming up saturday morning, wall street journal health policy reporter will join us to discuss the exit of major health care insurers from the affordable care act exchange. president obama's plans to meet with insurers next week over the future. then, a reporter for the investigative front on his investigation on uncovering health care problems from prisoners. avril will talk about -- admiral will talk about the nation's years unprepared for the workforce, military service and many have criminal records. he will discuss recommendations outlined in the report. be sure to watch a c-span's

washington journal live at 7 a.m. eastern saturday morning. join the discussion. >> our campaign coverage continues today as we follow donald trump and his soon to open hotel in washington. he addresses the controversy over president obama's citizenship, saying he was born in the united states. this is over one half hour. >> thank you very much, everybody. please sit down. nice hotel. [laughter] [applause] under budget and ahead of schedule. [cheers] it is a great honor. this is a brand-new ballroom. you only see a small piece of it because we have it broken down. the hotel is completed, we will have our openings or money in october. it is going to be something special. it is an honor to have our first

event. this is our first event. [applause] it is such an honor to have our first event for medal of honor winners. they are the finest. [applause] get some endorsements from the medal of honor winners and it is incredible. i look forward to spending a lot of time here. [laughter] [applause] they have a lot more courage than i do. it is such an honor to have this particular ceremony be the first ceremony because when the hotel opens officially it will be one of the great hotels anywhere in the world. i want to thank the general

services. they have been spectacular. these are spectacular people. these are tremendously talented people. all of the workers, all of the construction folks, all of the managers, the hotel staff, amazing how good our country can do when they want to do it. we have put in tremendous amounts of work and energy and money. this will be the best hotel in washington. i think it may be one of the great hotels anywhere in the world. [applause] honor to have this as our first event. i'm pleased to be here this morning with two medal of honor recipients and eight six flag and -- a six flag in general officer. tremendous talent. general flynn, general kellogg. the room is stacked with

generals and talented people and leaders. i love leaders. great people represent 120 flag and general officer endorsements. 120. [applause] that number is going up rapidly. now 17 medal of honor recipients. that is a tremendous amount of brave people. in addition, i'm honored to be joined by the many veterans that are supporting us are out the room. thank you very much for being here. [applause] i'm also honored to have a gold star wife here. jane is with us. [applause] please stand. thank you. [applause]

incredible. jane lost her husband in afghanistan on september 9, 2011. jane, it is such an honor to have you here. i have heard so many great things about chris. he was a winner. thank you very much on behalf of the country. [applause] it is incredibly humbling to be in the company of these real and true heroes. i have the privilege to introduce our first medal of honor recipient, mike thorton. mike is a retired united states navy seal. a tough cookie. a recipient of the united states militaries highest decoration,

the medal of honor. for his actions in vietnam. in addition, he is the recipient of the silver star, three bronze stars and a purple heart. i'm proud to have him on my team. such a great honor from me. and fellow recipient bob patterson who, likewise, has a medal of honor. we have 17 medal of honor recipients and they have all endorsed me for president of the united states. i have been endorsed by generals and many of the generals have become very good friends of mine. we seem to have a very good chemistry together. even the generals admit there is something special about medal of honor recipients. if i might ask you to just say a

low, it's a couple of words and thank you very much for being here. -- couple of words, thank you very much for being here. [applause] >> we don't need more of that. this is all about getting the word out. i have known mr. trump since 1996, when it was not fashionable to support the military, some great people like donald trump, the uss intrepid there, he supported us. ladies and gentlemen, the metal i wear around my neck, i do not deserve the middle and i never will but it belongs to every man and woman who ever served our great nation. ladies and gentlemen, freedom is not free. [applause] today is the most trying time in

my life. i have been around for almost 70 years. this election means so much. we do not need any more bureaucratic leadership from washington dc. [applause] we need true leadership from the top. mr. trump has never failed in anything because he listens to his advisors, his people. for the last eight years, our president has not been listening to anybody. that is the reason why we have lost cia directors, secretary of defense and many other general officers have dropped out or resigned because of his leadership. we cannot stand for four more years of leadership like that. we need somebody who will lead

from the front like donald trump. [applause] thank you very much for having us here. god bless you. god bless america. god bless donald trump. [cheers] i'm supposed to introduce bob patterson, my good friend for 45 years. >> just like the navy, they can't admit the army is better. i'm here to tell you something, i spent 26 years of my life defending this country. after that i spent 17 years taking care of those veterans who i served with and we are still serving. i worked for the v.a. before i finally retired. i watched our country take a complete turnaround from where it was.

we used to be the shining star. and we're getting dimmer and dimmer. it is because of the bureaucrats here in washington, d.c. it is time we send someone to washington that knows how to say you're fired. [cheers] the gentleman i'm back to introduce it to major general, he is the ceo and president of the united states mexican chamber of commerce based here. he is health service on many commissions under nixon, ford and both the bushes he entered the military in 1964. he has numerous awards and decorations including silver

star, five bronze stars and a purple heart. [applause] >> he made me older than all everybody up. mr. trump, thank god for you and your leadership. [applause] being a vietnam veteran and serving all the way through the iraq and afghanistan war and in the department of defense, for half of the military that we deployed to that region 15 years ago, we are still there. when they came home, they cannot

use the v.a. because they were not veterans because they were still part of the reserve in the national guard unit. i know the next president of the united states, donald trump, will fix that. [cheers] i also would like to say, deplorables are also deployables. [cheers] ladies and gentlemen, it is an honor for me to be here in supporting the next president of the united states who will lead from the front, who has the kind of leadership that we need and is not afraid to make that decision. ladies and gentlemen, i'm honored to be with donald trump. i am all with you. [applause] i actually probably did this on

him purpose. this next fellow is a personal friend. i have immense respect for him. he went to silver star in korea when the north koreans try to take over our location. he is a very special warrior. major general. [applause] >> we go way back. i don't buy to the korean war, but that is where i was awarded the silver star. after 40 years of serving this nation and for combat deployments, i have become convinced that our nation needs

a multidisciplinary interagency approach to defeat our enemies and secure a long-term path to victory. what we need is some fresh thinking, innovative approaches and strong leadership. it has been my privilege to have such quality time with mr. trump on and off the campaign trail over the past few months. i have been extremely impressed with this gentleman's stamina. if any of you are privy to the schedule, he would be amazed at -- you would be amazed with what he has been able to do. [applause] i have been impressed with his intellectual curiosity. and his raw intelligence. and his energy and enthusiasm. and his temperament. he has the right temperament. [applause] the thing i have been most impressed with is his absolute love for the men and women in

uniform and the support he's going to give them from the white house. [cheers] i can guarantee you that -- in addition to the billions of taxpayer dollars we spend supporting them, that is why i stand by mr. trump to be the next commander-in-chief. with my pleasure to introduce fellow combat and arms, the admiral who commended a destroyer squadron. he was an executive assistant and he ended a brilliant career as a deputy director for strategic plans and policy. he covered russia, africa and nato.

my pleasure. [applause] >> thank you, everyone. we are a group of national security professionals who dedicated our lives to the security of our nation as deplorable as we are. [laughter] we are not a political group. we are national security group that has chosen to support a political candidate. the series of discussions you have all listen to mr. trump cap deal with national security. national security is not solely about the military. it is comprised of many facets, economic security, development, energy security, border security, cyber security, homeland security. [applause]

the logical policy presentations that mr. trump has delivered over the last few weeks lay out a sound strategic approach to providing the security of the nation and the security of all americans. these policies compress a holistic approach to addressing the complex facets of national security and in a complex and extremely dangerous international world. moreover, he combines this multifaceted approach to our security with a pronounced amendment to those in uniform serving our nation today. in fact, all veterans who have worn the cloth of the nation. that commitment extends to the families of those who have served. as all of us in this room know, their sacrifice has been as equally difficult, if not more so than our own.

george washington said the willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of earlier wars were treated and are appreciated by our nation. [applause] mr. trump has embraced those words of our first president. mr. trump has also shown an extreme dedication to those that have shouldered the wounds of battle in service of our nation. we have several of those people with us today. he has committed himself to the words of president abraham lincoln, words emblazoned on the motto of our department of veterans affairs. to care for him who shall have

borne the battle and for his widow, an orphan. this is why all of us here are assembled to support donald trump for president. [applause] we have lived national security for a large part of our lives. we understand how a strong economy, cooperative governance combined with skilled diplomacy, sound energy policy, sound alliances and the united american public all defended by a well-trained, appropriately funded, fully committed and technologically unsurpassed military come together to make america strong and make the world a safer place. [applause] finally, all of us on the stage,

all of you in the audience that has served, you took an oath, he pledged sealed with the honor and commitment in your lives, and is not salute to our country or our flag, not to a chain of command or not to a commander-in-chief, but an oath to a piece of paper, a piece of parchment on which is written, those ideals in which we believe, those values that define us as a nation, the very virtues that those who have served before us defended with their lives. an oath to defend the constitution of the united states from all enemies foreign and domestic and to bear true faith and allegiance to the constitution. to form a more perfect union, to establish justice, to ensure domestic tranquility, to provide

for the common defense. to promote the general welfare and to secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and prosperity. that oath is important to all of us here today. [applause] that oath remained the cornerstone of our lives long after we have taken off the uniform. that oath is important to donald trump. he will take that very same oath on january 20, 2017. [applause] that is why we assembled in this room along with many other veterans and their military families will support his candidacy for president of the united states of america. together, we will all make america great again. thank every single one of you for your service and may god continue to bless our united

states of america. [applause] it is my pleasure to introduce lieutenant general tom. a west point graduate, but we will not hold that against him. second lieutenant of the army. he then joined the air force. completed pilot training and went on to a long, distinguished military career including assistant vice chief of staff for the u.s. air force. he has service medals, legion of merit, distinguish flying cause, bronze star. a true american hero. [applause] >> thank you. it is very simple.

we go all -- we, all warriors here, are supporting donald trump goes he has the only budget and economic plan that can rebuild the military. [applause] if you elect hillary clinton, he will get 1% growth, you will get 3.5-6% growth with this administration because he knows how to take the handcuffs off of america's economy. we need that. [applause] make it clear to the american people that there is only one candidate that can rebuild the united states military and make us great again. [applause] it is my distinct pleasure to introduce lieutenant general keith kellogg who is on the national security part of mr. trump's team.

he had two tours in vietnam, the 101st airborne division and with special forces. he has a very distinguished career culminating in the commander of the 82nd airborne division. finishing as a j six. god bless mr. trump and god bless america. keith kellogg. [applause] >> thank you. i'm honored to be on the stage with these great americans. to medal of honor winners, to a 17 -- these are meant to know the meaning of kurds and sacrifice to they are with us. i also want to identify mr. king

horton. the goldstar wife. -- jane horton. the goldstar wife. chris was a great young sniper. the thunderbirds of oklahoma. god bless you and what he has done. these great veterans behind me who have served as a well, we started last week, there were 88 who signed. we are over 165 today. [applause] these are men and women who have led at all levels of leadership. they believe deeply in his temperament, leadership, vision and his guts to be commander-in-chief. [applause] those of you watching, let me tell you a little bit about the people to support him. the people behind me and the people not here. in the millions of americans who are hopefully watching. these are commanders who fought in afghanistan.

they fought in iraq. mogadishu. panama. we have leaders have been wounded fighting for this nation. we have leaders who hunted down saddam hussein. one of the commanders we have on our team hunted down and killed public of our -- pablo escobar. [applause] we are in the middle of a change election. to those of you here today, to those of you listening and watching, if you want to keep it status quo then you know where you can go. if you want to move forward with courage, before we can be, what we should be and what we will be, then you will elect donald trump to be president of the

united states of america. to those of you watching, join with us on this stage. join the millions who stood with us. carry this man and with him, our nation to victory on november 8. god bless you. [cheers] >> without further do, the person you are here to the center, the next resident of the united states, donald j. trump. [cheers] >> thank you, everybody. please sit down. we want to get back to work. whether it is building the military or our country, we have

to get back to work. we have a lot of work to do. we have been left behind. speaking with the admirals and generals and all of the military people, we talk about the word depletion, it has been so badly treated in terms of its equipment and money being spent. this is a time where we need our military perhaps more than ever. when you look at the number of ships, the number of military personnel, the numbers are setting records for all-time lows. we can't have that.

there is a world out there and it is not nice to say, but there are a lot of very dangerous, evil people heading up potentially strong countries. we have to be prepared. we have to keep our country so great and so strong. to have all the support from so many generals and admirals, people i respect so much, they are smart, tough, they know what is happening. i believe in them totally. and they believe in me and it is one of the great honors of my life. i want to thank everybody. [applause] not to mention her in the same breath, but hillary clinton and her campaign of 2008 started the birther controversy. i finished it. president barack obama was born

in the united states period. now we all want to get back to making america strong and great again. thank you. thank you very much. [cheers] temporal kingdom that will forwar [applause]

>> very briefly -- the big things that have come out today, first, we want to deeply thank all of our military men and women who continue to serve this great country. if being a deplorable and watching our country to be great again, then i am a deplorable. for those individuals who serve the military, the military, veterans and families who stand behind all the sacrifices, they are not deplorable. they are great americans. [cheers] one word came out and the theme of what you witnessed, one working out, leadership. we need leadership desperately in this country. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, thank you.

thank you all for being here. god bless this country. let's make america great again. [applause] [chanting "usa"] >> you can watch the rest of this and all of our campaign coverage at our website, c-span.org. after donald trump's speech, he invited the media on a tour of his new hotel. a number of reporters said that only cameramen were actually allowed to tour the facility. this tweet from the daily beast saying that security kept reporters locked in the bathroom. this tweet from candace smith

says when she attempted to accompany her cameraman, she was physically restrained. she's referring to being the designated pool producer. a pool is a group of news outlets that work together to cover events such as campaign events. another tweet from politico, the trump tv pool voted to hold the camera back from the tour and not air the footage. also happening after the event, while msnbc reporter katy tur was on the air reporting afterwards, the backdrop to the stage that had just been used fell behind her, take a look at the video. >> before she gave her press conference, it is important to note hillary clinton has given -- the stage is falling apart behind us. been hammering hillary clinton for hiding. >> we will have more road to the

white house coverage on c-span on saturday. we will be back covering donald trump. he will be in houston to speak at a luncheon hosted by the remembrance project. we will be there live saturday afternoon. now to fairfax, virginia where the first lady, michelle obama campaigned for hillary clinton. this is a little over one hour and a half. ♪ first lady obama: hey! how are you guys doing? wow.

look at you. my goodness. [cheers] first lady obama: my goodness. let's get started here. you guys have been standing up for a while, right? so let's start talking about some stuff. first of all, let me just say i am thrilled to be here today to support the next president and vice president of the united states, hillary clinton and tim kaine. yes. i have to do a few thank-yous before we go in. i want to thank henry for that introduction. i want to thank the members of congress who are here today, representative bobby scott, gerald connolly, and i want to point out the outstanding dnc president, donna brazile. i want to thank charity for her fabulous remarks. and i want to recognize another great first lady of virginia right here, dorothy mcauliffe, who is here.

so glad she could join us. and to all of you, the students of george mason university. look at you all. whoo! let me say, it is so hard to believe that it is less than two months to election day. and that my family is almost at the end of our time at the white house. yeah, it is almost time.

and let me say -- i have to say -- no, no -- >> four more years! first lady obama: let me say this. you have me and barack working on behalf of you for the rest of our lives. but let me tell you this time is bittersweet to me. it is a time of real transition for me and barack and our girls. my husband is going to need a new job. i am going to have to find a new job. we are going to be moving to a new home, so we will have to pack. we got to get the old house cleaned up so we can get our security deposit back. but in all seriousness, this is not just a time of transition for my family, but for our entire country, as we decide who

our next president will be. and transitions like this can be difficult. they involve a lot of uncertainty, we saw that in 2008 when barack was first elected. i do not know if many of you were old enough to remember -- do you remember? but back then people had all kinds of questions about what kind of president barack would be, things like, does he understand us? will he protect us? and then, of course, there were those who question and continue to question for the past eight years, up through this very day, whether my husband was even born in this country. well, during his time in office, i think barack has answered those questions with the example he set by going high when they go low.

and he has answered these questions with the progress we have achieved together, progress like bringing health care to 20 million people, creating over 15 million private sector jobs, helping millions of young people like all of you before college. expanding lgbt rights and marriage equality. marriage equality is now the law of the land and we just learned that last year the typical household income rose by $2800, which, by the way, is the largest one-year jump on record. and 3.5 million people were lifted out of poverty. that is the biggest one-year

decrease in poverty in nearly 50 years. you hear me? all right. but even after all this progress, it is understandable that folks are feeling a little uncertain as we face the next transition. so the question is, for all of you, for all of us, for the nation, is how we sort through all the negativity and name-calling in this election and choose the right person to lead our country forward. as someone who has seen the presidency up close and personal, here is what i have learned about this job -- first and foremost, this job is hard. ok, this is the highest stakes, most 24/7 job you could possibly imagine. the issues that cross a president's desk is never black

and white. think of the crises this president has faced these last eight years. in the first year alone, barack had to rescue the economy from the worst crisis since the great depression. he had made the call to take out osama bin laden. [applause] he had to work to stop millions of gallons of oil that were gushing into our gulf coast. he had to respond to devastating natural disasters like hurricane sandy and so much more. so when it comes to the qualifications we should demand in a president, to start with, we need to choose someone who takes this job seriously, someone who will study and prepare so they understand the issues better than anyone else on their team. and we need someone, not with good judgment, but with superb

judgment in their own right, because the president can hire the best advisors on earth, but let me tell you, five advisors will give five different opinions, and the president and the president alone is always the one to make the final call. believe me. we also need someone who is steady and measured, because when you are making life or death or war or peace decisions, the president cannot just pop off. [cheers] first lady obama: we need someone who is compassionate, someone who is unifying, someone who will be a role model for our kids. someone who is not just in this for themselves, and the good of this country.

at the end of the day, as i have said before, the presidency does not change who you are. it reveals who you are. and the same thing is true of a presidential campaign. so if a candidate is erratic and threatening, if a candidate tracks in prejudice, fears, and lies on the trail, if a candidate has no clear plans to implement their goals, if they disrespect their fellow citizens, including felt to make extraordinary sacrifices for our country, let me tell you, that is today are. that's the kind of president they will be. trust me, a candidate is not going to suddenly change once they get into office. in fact, because the minute that individual takes that oath, they are under the hottest, harshest like there is, and there is no

way to hide who they really are. and at that point, it is too late. they are the leader of the world's largest economy. the commander in chief of the most powerful military force on earth. with every word that they utter, they can start wars, crash markets, change the course of this plan -- this planet. so who in this election is truly ready for this job? who do we pick? well, for me, i am just saying, it is excruciatingly clear that there is only one person in this election we can trust with those responsibilities, only one person with the qualifications and the temperament for that job, and that is our friend hillary clinton.

we know that hillary is the right person because we have seen her character and commitment, not just on the trail, but in the course of her entire life. we have seen her dedication to public service. how after law school, she chose to be an advocate for kids with disabilities. she fought for children's health care as first lady, for quality child care as a senator, and when she did not win the presidency in 2008, she did not throw in the towel. she once again answered the call to serve. keeping us safe as our secretary of state. and let me tell you, hillary has the resilience it takes to do this job, because when she gets knocked down, she does not complain or cry foul. she gets right back up and she comes back stronger, for the people who need her the most.

and here is what is also true, and i want you to think about this. hillary is one of the few people on this entire planet and clearly the only person in this race who has any idea what this job entails, who has seen it from every angle. dear me, the staggering stakes, the brutal hours, the overwhelming stresses, and here's the thing -- she still wants to take it on. she believes she has an obligation to use her talent to help as many people as possible. that is why she is running. let me tell you, that is what dedication looks like. it's what love of country looks like. when i hear when folks a they do not feel inspired in this election, let me tell you, i disagree. i am inspired, because for eight

years, i have the privilege to see what it takes to actually do this job. here is what i absolutely know for sure -- listen to this -- right now, we have an opportunity to elect one of the most qualified people who has ever endeavored to become president. hillary has been a lawyer, a law professor, first lady of arkansas, first lady of the united states, a u.s. senator, secretary of state -- do you hear me? see, that is what i am inspired by hillary clinton. i am inspired by her persistence and her consistency, by her heart and her guts. i am inspired by her lifelong record of public service. no one in our lifetime has ever had as much experience and exposure to the presidency, not

barack, not bill, as he would say, nobody, and yes, she happens to be a woman. [cheers] first lady obama: so we cannot afford to squander this opportunity, particularly given the alternative. because here is what we know -- that being president is not anything like reality tv. it is not about sending insulting tweets or making fiery speeches. it is about whether or not the candidate can handle the awesome responsibility of leading this country. so, george mason, virginia, as you prepare to make this decision, i urge you, i beg of you to ignore the chatter and the noise and ask yourselves, which candidate really has the

experience, the majority -- maturity and the demeanor to handle the job i just described to you? which candidate's words and actions speak to the future we want for our country and the values we share, values like inclusion and opportunity, service and sacrifice for others? your answers to these questions on election day will determine who sits in the oval office after barack obama. and let's be clear, elections are not just about who votes, but who does not vote. that is especially true for young people, like all of you. in 2012, voters under the age of 30 provided the margin of victory for barack in four key battleground states, pennsylvania, ohio, florida, and right here in virginia.

right here. without those votes, barack would have lost those states and he would have definitely lost that election, period, and -- and oend of story. for those of you who think my vote is not really matter, that one person cannot make a difference, i want you to consider this -- in 2012, barack won virginia by 150,000 votes, and the difference between winning and losing the state was only 31 votes per precinct, 31 votes. he won ohio. the difference there --

in ohio, the difference there was just nine votes per precinct. you hear me in florida, the difference was six votes per precinct. those are real numbers. presidential elections are won and lost on handful of votes. that are plenty of states where each of you could swing an entire precinct just by getting your friends and your few family members registered and out but it is going to take work. yes, we can. it is going to take work. it is going to take work. >> yes, we can. first lady obama: it is not enough just to come to a rally, to take selfies, you get angry

and just speak out. we also have to work and make that change and take action, and that starts with alleging folks who will stand with you and fight with you. and that is why you need to get yourself and everyone you know registered to vote today, and we have got volunteers here. i want you all, if you are not registered, i want you to find them, find them and get registered before you leave this building. and then we need to roll up your sleeve and get to work, making calls, knocking on doors, thinking about those handful of votes that you could carry and get people out on election day. you can sign up to volunteer with any of the staff who are here, so get it done. right? george mason?

work your hearts out. and as you are working your heart out for hillary, if you start to feel tired or discouraged by all the negativity in this election, if you want to just hide under the bed and come out when it is all over i want to you -- i want you to remember what is at stake. the choice you make on november 8 will determine whether you can afford college tuition. it will determine whether you can keep your health care when you graduate. on november 8, you will decide whether we have a president who believes in science and will fight climate change or not. you will decide whether we have a president who will honor our proud history as a nation of immigrants or not. you will decide whether we have

a president who thinks that women deserve the right to make their own choices about their bodies and their health. or not. and here's the thing -- at a time when incomes are rising, by thousands of dollars, when millions of people are being lifted out of poverty, ask yourself, is now really the time to fundamentally change direction when we are looking -- when we are making so much progress? do we want to go back to the way things were before barack was president, a time of economic crisis, that wages, when we were losing nearly 800,000 jobs a month? or do you want a president who will keep moving this country forward? well, that is what is at stake, so we cannot afford to be tired or turned off, knots now -- not now, because if this feels like

a time of uncertainty or division, i have never felt more hopeful about the future of this great nation. let me tell you, i feel this way because for the past eight years, i have had a great honor of traveling from one end of this country to the other, and that we tell you, i have met some of the most amazing people, people from every conceivable -- and ellen -- but people from every conceivable background and walk of life. and time and again, i have seen proof of what barack and i have always believed in our hearts, that we as americans are fundamentally good folks and we all truly want to say things. i mean, that is the thing.

we are not that different. time and again barack and i had met people who disagree with everything we have ever said, that they still welcome us into their community. they keep their minds open, willing to listen. and while we might not always change each other's minds, we always walk away reminded that we are really not that different. folks in this country are working long hours to send their kids to college, just like my mom and dad did for me. they are helping raise their grandkids just like barack's grandparents did for him. they are teaching their kids the exact same values that barack and i are trying to teach our girls, that you work hard for what you want in life and you do not take shortcuts, that you treat people with respect, even if they look or think differently from you, that when someone is struggling, you do not turn away, and you certainly do not take advantage.

you imagine walking a mile in their shoes and do what you can to help cause that is what we do in america. we live in a country where a girl like me from the south side of chicago, whose great-great-grandfather was a slave can go to some of the finest universities on earth. we live in a country where biracial kid from hawaii named barack obama, the son of a single mother, can become president, a country that has always been a beacon for people who have come to our shores and poured their backbreaking hard work into what has made america great. that is what has made america great. do not ever forget it.

i know we deserve a president who can see those truths in us, a president who believes that each of us is part of the american story and we are always stronger together. we deserve a president who can always bring out what is best in us, our kindness and decency, our courage and determination, so we can keep on perfecting our union and passing down those blessings of liberty to our children. let me tell you this -- i have never been more confident that hillary clinton will be that president. so here is what i am pledging -- from now until november, i am going to work as hard as i can to make sure that hillary and tim kaine window selection. i need your help to do that as well. are you with me? i cannot hear you? are you with me? so roll up your sleeves. you got to make it happen.

virginia will make a difference in this election. are you ready, virginia? thank you, all. god bless. applause]d ♪ ♪

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>> we all want to get back to making america great again. -- i am running for everyone working hard to support their families. everyone who has been knocked down and gets back up. app and-span radio c-span.org. on tuesday, october 4, vice presidential candidate debate outlaw one university in long bill- debate at university in virginia.

taking place at the university of nevada las vegas on october 19. live coverage on c-span. listen live on the free c-span radio app. posted by national religious broadcasters, this is about one hour and a half. >> thank you and welcome to evangelical debate 2016 election.

trump or other? that is the question. i'm jerry johnson, president of national religious broadcasters. is rb is an assertion -- nrb is the organization to advance the buckle trade, and defend free speech. i remember when mike huckabee first ran for president. a debate moderator challenged him because he had been a pastor and a christian leader, maybe you are too pious to be political. maybe you can't handle the cut and thrust of political debate. mike huckabee said, obviously, you've never been to a business meeting at a baptist church. we [laughter] we are seeing christians debate,

tweet and blog, but what we are not seeing, hearing the discussion, and i can tell you it is needed. this presidential election is unlike any other in recent years . evangelicals are among the most vocal critics of both major party nominees while others strongly back donald trump. we are holding this form to allow for a reasoned, careful debate among evangelical leaders in the hope that it will result in more light and less heat. i i am grateful to these leaders of diverse backgrounds, professions to engage each other

on this critical matter. christians, now more than ever, must be america's best citizens. we hope this form will help them be that in this election season and beyond. being the best citizens necessarily includes an educated vote for president, including this year. the present attendance, we are grateful for your interest in this debate and the way to think about this forum is that it is a family conversation. perhaps much like the ones that are happening this fall across the nation among evangelicals around dinner tables in church, parking lots and sunday school classes. clearly there are some strong disagreements among evangelicals but after november 8, we will , still be part of the same family. common concerns and common commitments to improve our nation. we are glad for you to listen in and listen on to conversation and to report what you hear. you

you are certainly free to ask questions of the participants after the debate is concluded should they be willing to elaborate on their views. as a nonpartisan association of christian communicators, and are -- nrb neither supports or rejects candidates for president we have support on both sides of the debate and felt our organization would be an ideal platform to host this conversation. we want to thank the national press club for hosting us. we want to thank c-span2 for airing this debate live and also welcome the nrb tv audience our participants, some of who are nrb members, while the other should be, are eric erickson, janet parshall, bishop harry jackson. the debate will have three stages. this debate, three parts.

eric and janet will each make ten minute opening remarks following which each will have five minutes to respond to the other. then harry and bill will have ten minute opening remarks following which will have five minutes to respond to each other . then i will ask a series of questions of the panel and they will engage each other. first, eric erickson is host of atlantis evening news on the radio in atlanta and editor of the resurgent.com. will present the never trump position. eric is a fox news contributor and pursuing a masters degree at reformed theological seminary. let's welcome eric erickson. [applause] go for it. >> i am a "star trek" fan. one one of the worst "star trek"

movies ever made was "star trek" five where everyone becomes brainwashed by a cult and is convinced that god, not a black hole, is at the center of the milky way. they go looking for god at the center of the milky way and sure enough they find god and it's not until kirk asks the relevant questions that they all snap out of it. what does god need with a starship? what does god need with a sinner in the white house.gov -- white house? i am not owing to dissuade you if you've decided you are going to vote for trump in the voting booth. go for it. i will not ask you to violate your conscience any more than ask you to buy like mine. i do think christians in america, particularly those with platforms, should not be supporting donald trump openly. i think it is harmful for our witness. let's look at our candidates in this election.

one candidate in an interview has been asked who jesus christ is and referred to him as her figure. one candidate in this act election has been asked multiple times who jesus christ is and the closest he has gotten to it is when cal thomas asked him and he said, jesus to me is somebody i can think about for security and confidence and someone i can revere in terms of bravery and courage and because i consider the christian religion so important. to david brody he described him as the ultimate. you look at this, here we are on the pacific ocean, how did i ever, how did i ever on this? i bought it 15 years ago. i made one of the great deals ever. i i have no mortgage on it as i will certify and represent to you. i was able to buy this and that's what i want to do for the country. we want to bring it back, but god is the ultimate. between two candidates, one says

jesus is her savior and the other says he is someone i can think about for security and confidence. if our chief end is to glorify god in advance the kingdom of god, when a new person interested in faith comes to us and asks us, why do not believe him when he doesn't say jesus as savior and you think he's a christian and she says she's a christian and says jesus is her savior. why him, not her? please explain. please explain how you as a christian are openly advocating for the man who has bragged in his book about multiple affairs and cleaning with married women, -- including with married women has cheated widows and single , moms and the elderly out of money through trump university, has stiffed the low income worker on his building saying if you want to collect you need to sue. how does he represent our values

? we believe him. if you want to advocate for that, ok. but how are you advancing the kingdom of god talk of -- god? trump has never asked for or given us, christianity 101. i realize god has never asked donald trump for forgiveness either but donald trump has never asked god for forgiveness. asked god for forgiveness let's review the list. he's bragged about affairs from married women, he's taken money from elderly and single women, from deuteronomy and james, to -- undefiled religion in the sight of our father to visit , orphans and widows and keep oneself unstained by the wordpad -- by the word. he has filed for bankruptcy and let others put the bill, he's refused to pay labors and small businesses what they were actually owed going to sue.

he told them in iowa he's never had to ask for forgiveness. he told anderson cooper he's never had to ask for forgiveness. jake tapper a few months later, never had to ask for forgiveness. he will ask for forgiveness if he has ever repented. he says he is a christian. he says he had never had to repent. he's been asked who jesus is and he said the guy he can look up to. matthew 3:2, in those days john the baptist came preaching in the wilderness of judea and saying repent for the kingdom of heaven is near. mark 1:15 jesus went into galilee and proclaim the gospel of god for the time is fulfilled, the kingdom of god is near. repent. mark 6:12, so the apostles proclaimed people should repent.

acts jesus said repent and be 238, baptized. the time got overlooked but now he commands all people to repent. revelations, be zealous and repent, he has not repented and he said he hasn't repented. we are going to say this is a man who christian should advance the public? if you with the book for him in the privacy of your bid, but for him. you're harming your witness if you advocate for him. it is not just that. let's look at first corinthians five, everyone who is not a christian judge not lest you be , judged. paul writes, now i'm writing to you not to associate with anyone embarrassed and a brother for what have i to do with judging outsiders. is it not those in the church from you are to judge. repeats later we instruct , brothers to the name of our lord jesus christ to shun

brother who conduct himself in a disorderly way and not according to the traditions. some people would argue they were writing these individual churches. matthew henry wrote they were to have no commerce with them, they were to have no commerce and shame them that in so shaming them they might bring them to repentance and it's not to shun him. for those who think this only applies to the individual church , you would come into conflict people.y all have written on first corinthians five and all have said this applies to the church universal. we have a man running for president of the united states who has bragged about his affairs, bragged about dipping others with the bill, cheated women, widows who had said he's never had to ask god for