i'm susan davis. it has been one year since the covid-19 pandemic shattered our reality and stopped the world in its tracks. here's dr. anthony fauci and former president trump last year at this time. >> we will see more cases and things will get worse than they are right now. >> we will be suspending all travel from europe. it goes away. it's going away. we want it to go away with very, very few deaths. and i'm officially declaring a national emergency to. two very big words. and we're now in very strong shape. susan d.: in his first prime time speech to the nation, president joe biden looked back at one of the deadliest years in american history. and charted a path forward. president biden: we've lost so much over the last year. we've lost family and friends. we've lost businesses and dreams. we spent yearsuilding. but as i stand here tonight, we're proving once again someing i've said time and time again. it's never, ever a good bet to bet against the american people. america's coming back. susan d

with that, let's bring in the lead-off guest for thursday night m jonathan lemime, and susan page, and eugene davisck for us with politico, and good evening, welcome to you all. and mr. lemire. you were in the room when it happened and you get the associated press to write the first draft of history. talk about his approach tonight. and his physicality. leaning forward, changing the volume, tone, tenor of his voice and delivery. did it meet the moment in more than just the room where you witnessed it? >> brian, the president's goal tonight was to do two things. to blend a mix of remembrance and mourning those who had been lost in the year, and acknowledge how american society has changed. the norms of day-to-day life rewritten, and there is no american politician who speaks better on the topic of grief than joe biden. sadly, his own personal experience with the subject. we wanted to mix that subject with a note of hope. delivering good news in terms of timetables, and vaccine distribution, and it can return to normal, the patriotic july 4th. where we were, the print press pool just off to his right

susan paige, veteran journalist, best-selling author, "usa today" washington bureau chief. and eugene davis back with us. white house correspondent for politico and co-author of "the politico playbook." good evening and welcome to you all. mr. lemire, since proximity has privileges, since you were indeed in the room when it happened, and since you get at the associated press especially to write the first draft of history, talk about his approach tonight and his physicality, leaning forward, changing the volume, tone, tenor of his voice and delivery. did it meet the moment in more than just the room where you witnessed it? >> brian, the president's goal tonight was to do two things -- to blend a mix of remembrance and mourning those who have been lost in this year and acknowledge how american society has changed and norms of day-to-day life completely rewritten. and i will say there's no american politician who speaks better on the topic of grief than joe biden because of sadly his own personal experience with that subject. but he wanted to mix that with a note of hope dlifrks good news in t