Analysis · Floor speech · beta

John Thune

Republican on Tribute to Ava Powell 2026-07-29

114 words · 5 sentences · 7 clauses

Statement grade

C–

58 / 100, held down by Signal

A score under 50 is red. Choose a measurement to see where it lost points and why; choose it again to clear.

Greeting 32%Claims 28%Positioning 16%Thanks 25%

This view breaks the statement into its steps and names what each one does.

Mr. President, Greeting · 36 wordstoday I recognize Ava Powell, an intern in my Washington, DC, office, for all of the hard work she has done for me, my staff, ¹and the State of South Dakota over the past several weeks.Greeting Claims · 32 wordsAva is a graduate of Greens Farms Academy in Westport, CT.² Currently, she is attending Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, ³where she is pursuing degrees in English and human and organizational development.⁴ Positioning · 18 wordsShe is a hard worker who has been dedicated to getting the most out of her internship experience.Positioning Thanks · 28 wordsI extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Ava for all of the fine work she has done and wish her continued success in the years to come.Thanks

At a glance

Lost points for
Little substanceMuch of this statement went to praise, blame, greetings, routine procedure or general stories rather than reasons, requests or specific points.

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 28

4 of 4 deductions are Signal

Signal checks whether every part makes a point, gives a reason, or asks for action. A low score means the speaker filled time with fluff, pleasantries, or attacks.

Greetings and pleasantries.What the tags mean “today I recognize Ava Powell, an intern in my Washington, DC, office, for all of the hard work she has done for me, my staff,”A greeting: no claim, reason or ask.
Greetings and pleasantries.What the tags mean “and the State of South Dakota over the past several weeks.”A greeting: no claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “She is a hard worker who has been dedicated to getting the most out of her internship experience.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Thanks and tributes.What the tags mean “I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Ava for all of the fine work she has done and wish her continued success in the years to come.”Thanks: no claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · no score

Not applicable: nothing to answer. Excluded from the average.

Relevance checks whether the speaker stays on topic and answers the question asked. A low score means the speaker dodged the issue.

Respect · no score

Not checked: graded before this measurement existed. Excluded from the average.

Respect checks whether the speaker argued with people’s positions and records rather than attacking the people: insults, mockery, or bad motives assigned to them. Criticism of what someone did, however strong, is not marked.

Clarity · 100

0 of 4 deductions are Clarity

Clarity checks for plain speaking, clear ownership of actions, and honest limits on certainty. A low score means vague promises or evasive language.

Nothing lost points.

Claims · 4

This list shows the factual statements you can check for yourself: the words as said, and the claim restated to stand on its own.

1“an intern in my Washington, DC, office”Ava Powell was an intern in Senator John Thune’s Washington, DC, office.search
2“a graduate of Greens Farms Academy in Westport, CT”Ava Powell is a graduate of Greens Farms Academy in Westport, Connecticut.search
3“attending Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN”Ava Powell attends Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.search
4“pursuing degrees in English and human and organizational development”At Vanderbilt University, Ava Powell is pursuing degrees in English and human and organizational development.search

Analyzed on 2026-09-15