tonight, state of the union. >> mr. speaker, the president of the united states. >> president biden's message to the american people. >> i stand here tonight created, with the help of many people in this room, 12 million jobs. more jobs created in two years than any president's created in four years. >> the message i would give president biden is just to understand the struggles that, you know, that american people are going through. >> plus a divided congress on full display. >> i'm glad to see -- i tell you, i enjoy conversion. >> and the families in the chamber tonight bonded in tragedy. >> what happened to tyre in memphis happens too often. we have to do better.

>> demanding police reform. >> if they don't change this law, they're basically telling me to my face that they didn't give a damn about tyre or the other kids. >> and our powerhouse political roundtable standing by on what all this means for the 2024 presidential race. this special edition of this special edition of "nightline" will be right back. ew. gotta get rid of this. ♪ tell me why ♪ because it stinks. ♪ tell me why ♪ i don't know i've washed it so many times. ♪ tell me why ♪ no you tell me why i can't get rid of this odor. ♪ have you tried new downy rinse and refresh. ♪ it doesn't just cover up odors, it helps remove them 3x better than detergent alone. guess the odor went bye bye. no, that's not us. sorry. rinse odor away with new downy rinse and refresh.

good evening from our nation's capital. thank you for joining us tonight. amid tough economic times, president biden making his case and trying to reassure the american people, highlighting near-record-low unemployment and rising wages. but the failures of the nation were also on full display. from booing in the divided chamber to the presence of black families in mourning demanding change after losing loved ones to police violence. >> mr. speaker, the president of the united states. >> reporter: president joe biden's second state of the union. his speech full of optimism in contrast to the mood of an increasingly divided nation, worries about the economy and inequality. >> the story of america is a story of progress and resilience. we're the only country that has emerged from every crisis we've ever entered stronger than we got into it. look, folks. that's what we're doing again. >> reporter: the goal of biden's

message tonight, convincing americans they are better off under his presidency despite 4 in 10 americans saying in a recent poll that they're worse off financially under biden. >> there were multiple audiences, including skeptics inside his own party, that needed to see the fight, that needed to see some vigor to the arguments he's making. i think he delivered on that. the way he positions himself against republicans, as he started to do in this state of the union, gives you some hints for the fights ahead. >> reporter: biden addressing a markedly different congress after the midterm elections. republicans now holding a majority in the house led by new speaker kevin mccarthy. >> speaker, i don't want to ruin your reputation but i look forward to working with you. [ laughter ] >> reporter: calling on the gop to work with him to, quote, finish the job. rebuilding the economy and uniting the country. >> fighting for the sake of fighting. power for the sake of power. conflict for the sake of power. gets us nowhere. we've been sent here to finish the job, in my view. >> kevin mccarthy, that new

republican house speaker, looming over president biden's shoulder tonight figuratively as well as literally. that is the tangible difference that a republican takeover means. any time you have divided control, it's different. >> reporter: the president's popularity at a low point. with the roughly 53% disapproval rating. >> we're building an economy where no one's left behind. jobs are coming back. pride is coming back. because choices we made in the last several years. >> reporter: yubi george watching in philadelphia hoping to hear solutions for how the president will address the ailing economy. while the u.s. isn't technically in a recession, the restaurant owner says he has definitely been feeling a strain on his pocket book. >> how much more am i spending per week on groceries? easily a couple hundred dollars more. cheese prices and the cream are still high. >> reporter: when i spoke to george last year, he had quit his i.t. job of 21 years to pursue his love for cooking,

opening up his own shop, smell the curry. he says he's been buying extra food at wholesale prices and selling it at cost to his employees to help them save money on their own groceries. >> sometimes they have larger families. just try to do the most we can just to make sure that they're okay when they're feeling the pinch as well. >> reporter: rolling with the punches may be the norm for george now, but he's hopeful more help will come. but only if congress works together. >> the message i would give president biden is just to understand the struggles that american people are going through and try to do your best to help them instead of being just, you know, democrat, republican. just work together to bring the costs down on goods. >> reporter: the challenge of working together on display tonight. republicans erupting in dissent over biden's comment about social security and medicare. >> instead of making the wealthy pay their fair share, some republicans wanted me care and social security to sunset. i'm not saying it's a

majority -- [ shouts ] let me give you -- anybody who doubts it, contact my office. i'll give you a copy, i'll give you a copy of the proposal. >> reporter: congressional members like marjorie taylor greene greene shouting "liar." >> these were extraordinary moments, but unfortunately they're becoming all too normal during addresses. you could see kevin mccarthy uncomfortable, trying to shush some of his members from engaging in the back and forth. it gives you a glimpse how difficult it is to govern in this moment. >> reporter: while the mind of america may be focused on the economy, much of the heart of america is still with the family of tyre nichols. the president tonight putting a spotlight on the nation's ongoing reckoning over systemic racism and the culture of policing. >> but what happened to tyre in memphis happens too often. we have to do better. >> reporter: in an unprecedented move, multiple black families who lovst a loved one to the

police violence in the chamber. the most recent to endure their loss publicly, the family of tyre nichols. his mother rowvaughn and stepfather rodney wells sitting in the first lady's box as guest of the white house. >> tonight along with you all in the chamber will be family members of others who died. the father of michael brown, george floyd's brother, eric garner's mother, william scott's brother. the list goes on and on. >> and on and on. we met those families earlier today. and it was heartbreaking to hear their stories. and just for all of these parents to be here, and their children were killed by the hands of those who are to protect us. that says a lot, doesn't it? i mean, something is wrong here. again, we don't see caucasian kids getting beat up by the police. we don't see videos of that happening. >> reporter: we were there as

they arrived in the nation's capital today. their grief still so raw. burying their son just days ago, his beating by memphis police happening a month ago tonight. >> this is where it happened. this is where the laws are made. so we're going to make a new one. >> amen. >> reporter: the two today also meeting with the congressional black caucus. their attorney, ben crump, by their side. if you could talk to those officers, what would you say to them? >> my words for those officers are -- you messed with the wrong family. >> the symbolism by your presence is significant. but the substance of the expectations in d.c. right now is that it is a divided congress, that nothing will change. what say you? >> if nothing changes, then they're telling us that they don't care about our kids. they're telling me, if they don't change this law, they're basically telling me to my face that they didn't give a damn about tyre or the other kids

that have died at the hands of police officers. >> as a parent myself, what i just heard, i think, was both hurt and anger. >> yes. i'm very hurt. because they should have passed this billabong time ago. maybe my son would still be here if they passed a bill. >> reporter: the george floyd justice in policing act has been stalled in congress since 2021. >> let's come together to finish the job on police reform. do something. do something. >> reporter: tyre's mother tonight mouthing a plea. "please pass it." despite a republican-led house determined to stall biden's agenda, the president still unveiling big plans for the coming year. including an even bigger commitment to infrastructure. >> tonight i'm announcing new standards to require all construction materials used in federal infrastructure projects to be made in america.

>> reporter: the president also touching on a variety of foreign policy issues. >> i'm committed to work with american interests and benefit the world. but make no mistake about it, as we made clear last week, if china threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country, and we did. >> reporter: remarks coming just days after the u.s. shot down a chinese surveillance balloon passing over the u.s. republicans have criticized the biden administration's response. one topic not discussed, the ongoing investigation into biden's handling of classified documents from his time as vice president. >> this is a presidency that faces innumerable outside influences and potential political threats. the unbelievable situation where you have two different special counsels, one investigating former president trump, one investigating the current president, biden, over their handling of classified documents. we don't know where this ends. >> reporter: the republicans' response tonight given by sarah huckabee sanders, governor of

arkansas, who was press secretary in donald trump's white house. >> president biden and i don't have a lot in common. i'm for freedom, he's for government control. at 40, i'm the youngest governor in the country. and at 80, he's the oldest president in american history. i'm the first woman to lead my state, and he's the first man to surrender his presidency to a woke mob that can't even tell you what a woman is. >> it's an intriguing choice for republicans. she's seen as a barrier breaker and someone that -- now a rising star inside the republican party. notably, she has not endorsed her former boss, president trump in his effort to win back the white house. that's being viewed in some circles as maybe a statement of her own independence. >> reporter: tonight's speech seen as a soft launch of biden's potential re-election campaign. >> my fellow americans, we meet tonight at an inflection point. one of those moments that only a

few generations ever face. where the direction we now take is going to decide the course of this nation for decades to come. >> reporter: but the 80-year-old biden faces an uphill battle. >> there are so many americans right now that feel frustrated, feel disenchanted with politics. many are taking that out on biden as the president who brought such promises of unity that haven't been realized. but biden was able to do it once and the hope inside of the white house is speeches like this state of the union can do it again. when we come back, our power house political roundtable is standing by to break it all down. did the president's message resonate with the american resonate with the american people? just between us, you know what's better than mopping? anything! at the end of a long day, it's the last thing i want to do. well, i switched to swiffer wetjet, and it's awesome. it's an all-in-one, so it's ready to go when i am. the cleaning solution actually breaks down dirt and grime.

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♪ i'm joined by former governor chris christie, republican of new jersey. democratic strategist, donna brazile. donna, a central theme tonight was the economy. in a new abc news poll, 40% of americans say they are worse off financially than when biden took office. the president said he gets it tonight, but did america hear him? >> you know, the president said tonight that, i hear you, i hear you about rising gasoline prices, and that's why i reduce oil from the strategic petroleum reserve. he said, i hear you about the cost of eggs, not having enough children's formula on the shelf, that's why i fixed the supply chain. i think this is a president that hears all the american people.

and what he was able to do tonight was to remind the american people that, you know, things have been happening in washington, d.c. that he's been able to get a lot of things done. and some things he's gotten done with the republicans. what the president challenged the country tonight and challenged republicans is to help him finish the job. help him complete the job that he has started. and not just rebuilding a stronger economy, but putting the american people back to work, invest in america by making things in america. and he talked about the things that we need to do together in the long road ahead. >> chris, to that point, the president touted the low unemployment rate, a reduction in inflation. his message, finish the job, as donna said. will his words resonate as he looks towards 2024? >> none of the current circumstances, byron, they just won't. and i wish i could be more optimistic about it. but the fact is that when we talks about gas being $1.50

lower than its high, a high which happened under him, it's still well over $1.25 higher than where it was when he came into office. when you see that you have to pay over $7 for a dozen eggs. you know, people look at that and just say, this is ridiculous and it's because of joe biden's big government spending. and what we heard tonight was, hey, guess what, you like this? more of the same. i want to give you this, i want to give you that, i want to give you this. and we know better, and we're going to take money -- he is the robin hood of government. he's going to take money from some people and give it to others, because government knows how to spend it better than you do. and i think one of the more ridiculous moments of the evening was when he actually blamed the oil companies for not doing more oil production. this is a guy who stood on the debate stage when he was running for president and said, i want to eliminate fossil fuels and i want to do it now. no more permitting, no more

fracking. and he expects then the businesses of this country to invest when he has already said he's sworn to put them out of business. so he has to tap the strategic oil reserve because he won't let people produce energy in north dakota and in texas and in pennsylvania where it could be secure and not having all these price increases for the american people. this was a big government speech tonight, byron, with a large, large scoop of hypocrisy. >> chris, a follow-up, if i may. a new republican speaker was standing right behind the president tonight. the president made several appeals for bipartisanship, but there was a lot of booing in the chamber tonight. so is it possible, bipartisanship? >> sure. in some areas there's going to be a possibility for it. but let's remember, you know -- the president also was very direct in his partisanship tonight. and he had his moments of bipartisanship, but he also took off after republicans in things

that were patently false. saying that republicans wanted to phase out social security. it's patently false. it's another one of those storytime with uncle joe. i'm surprised he didn't preface it saying his dad told him, joey, republicans want to phase out social security. he thinks if he says it like that, people are going to be charmed by it and believe it. listen, he makes things up. he made things up tonight. republicans are leery about that. and so, you know, i don't eight approve of the boo is and the heckling that goes on during these speeches. i think it's uncalled for no matter which party does it. it certainly happened during the trump years as well with democrats doing it. i think it's wrong when either side does it. but the president was not the model of bipartisanship tonight either when storytime with uncle joe leads us to the conclusion that republicans want to phase out social security. that's absurd. >> my friends, we're running out of time. one more question. donna, to you first. the president is facing near

record low approval ratings. only three presidents have had lower approval ratings at this point in their presidency. jimmy carter, ronald reagan, donald trump. is joe biden jimmy carter or ronald reagan? >> you know, i know we're running out of time but joe biden talked to the american people, he didn't talk to partisans. this is not partisan. republicans don't have any ideas so they have to cherry pick what they don't like because they don't agree on the things joe biden has done. like reduce inflation. like help rebuild our american economy to bring jobs to kentucky and ohio. but here's what i want to say about who's joe biden? he's none of the above. joe biden is going to have a whole chapter written about him. when you look at his poll numbers, you can also compare him to ronald reagan who didn't make his announcement about the presidency until late in 1983. and i can guarantee you, he was able to beat mr. mondale with a

landslide. so joe biden's going to be very -- he's going to do very well and he's going to have a really great next two years. but like you said, we've got to finish the job. >> chris, my friend, i owe you. we're out of time. i promise next time i'll give you the last word, please forgive me. thank you both for joining us and have a good night. and have a good night. and we'll be right ba to help protect from hiv, i prep without pills. with apretude a prescription medicine used to reduce the risk of hiv without daily prep pills. with one shot every other month, just 6 times a year. in studies, apretude was proven superior to a daily prep pill in reducing the risk of hiv. you must be hiv negative to receive apretude and get tested before each injection. if you think you were exposed to hiv or have flu-like symptoms, tell your doctor right away. apretude does not prevent other sexually transmitted infections. practice safer sex to reduce your risk. don't take apretude if you're allergic to or taking certain medicines, as they may interact. tell your doctor if you've had liver problems

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♪ that's "nightline" for this evening. first thing in the morning go to "gma." vice president kamala harris. watch all our full episodes on hulu. see you right back here same time tomorrow night from new

york. thanks for the company, america, from d.c., good night.