Hey, everyone listening to the podcast. This is Ari. This has been a week with a lot of fireworks and Democrats punching back using their congressional oversight powers and obviously getting the president's attention.

In our special edition of the podcast, we get into all of that as well as what matters coming out of the state of the union.

A discussion of why Democrats tapped Stacey Abrams for the response.

And Sinbad comes by talking about why he thought Nancy Pelosi had such an important viral moment

with that clap back during the president's address.

All of that is in this podcast extra.

I hope you take a listen and hope you keep watching The Beat with Ari Melbert.

My family understood firsthand that while success is not guaranteed, we live in a nation where opportunity is possible. But we do not succeed alone. In these United States, when times

are tough, we can persevere because our friends and neighbors

will come for us.

Our first responders will come for us.

I stand here tonight because I hold fast to my father's credo.

Together we are coming for America, for a better America.

Late tonight, Democrats are saying they were right to take a risk in handing this response

to Trump to Stacey Abrams, arguing that even after narrowly losing her race for governor of Georgia in November,

she shows how to battle Trump while offering as well a positive vision.

Some saying her political future right now

in these late hours is even brighter after that performance tonight. Mara and Jason are still

with me, hanging live at the table, late night coverage, waiting on Sinbad. And we're joined by

Kristen Clark, who leads the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a group that works on many

of the same

voting and civil rights issues that Abrams devoted her career to. I know you, Kristen, and I want to

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