Analysis · Floor speech · beta

Steve Daines

Republican on Tribute to Matt Lloyd 2026-08-04

313 words · 12 sentences · 16 clauses

Statement grade

B+

Average 80 / 100

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

Greeting 20%Claims 63%Positioning 14%Thanks 3%

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

Madam President, Greeting · 29 wordstoday I have the distinct honor of recognizing Matt Lloyd for his decades of devotion to Montana and the Nation as he retires from 25 years of public service.¹Greeting Claims · 167 wordsAfter graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Matt began his journey in Washington, DC, ²as press secretary for U.S. Congressman Rick Hill and U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady.³ During the George W. Bush administration, Matt answered the call to serve and worked at the Department of Agriculture under Secretary Ann Veneman before returning to the U.S. House as communications director for Congressman Mike Pence, guiding the Congressman throughout his tenure in Congress and his campaign for Governor of Indiana.⁴⁵ During the first Trump administration, Matt once again served in the executive branch, first as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, then as Senior Advisor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, ⁶⁷and finally as Principal Deputy Director for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Justice.⁸ His last role before coming to my office was deputy chief of staff and communications director for U.S. Senator Rob Portman.⁹ Matt started on Team Daines in January 2023.¹⁰ Positioning · 45 wordsAs my deputy chief of staff and communications director, he has provided principled and thoughtful counsel during a pivotal timespan in our Nation’s history. He has a sharp eye, a keen sense of the political current, and has been an integral member of my staff.Positioning Claims · 31 wordsThroughout it all, Matt has never lost sight of what matters most: being a loyal husband to his wife Amy and a great father to his two children Emmett and Charlotte. Greeting · 33 wordsAs Matt ends his time with Team Daines and his tenure in public service, I would like to congratulate him on his outstanding record and his devotion to both Montana and this Nation.Greeting Thanks · 8 wordsThank you for your service, Matt. ``Montana proud!’’Thanks

At a glance

Lost points for

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 60

6 of 6 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 have the distinct honor of recognizing Matt Lloyd for his decades of devotion to Montana and the Nation as he retires from 25 years of public service.”A greeting: no claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “As my deputy chief of staff and communications director, he has provided principled and thoughtful counsel during a pivotal timespan in our Nation’s history.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “He has a sharp eye, a keen sense of the political current,”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “and has been an integral member of my staff.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Greetings and pleasantries.What the tags mean “As Matt ends his time with Team Daines and his tenure in public service, I would like to congratulate him on his outstanding record and his devotion to both Montana and this Nation.”A greeting: no claim, reason or ask.
Thanks and tributes.What the tags mean “Thank you for your service, Matt. ``Montana proud!’’”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.

Reasoning · no score

No score: nothing is concluded. Excluded from the average.

Reasoning checks for sound logic and solid support for any conclusion. A low score means the speaker made unsupported leaps or used weak arguments.

Conclusions found · 0

None: nothing is concluded.

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 6 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 · 10

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“retires from 25 years of public service”Matt Lloyd is retiring after 25 years of public service.search
2“graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign”Matt Lloyd graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.search
3“press secretary for U.S. Congressman Rick Hill and U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady”Matt Lloyd served as press secretary for Congressman Rick Hill and Congressman Kevin Brady.search
4“worked at the Department of Agriculture under Secretary Ann Veneman”During the George W. Bush administration, Matt Lloyd worked at the U.S. Department of Agriculture under Secretary Ann Veneman.search
5“communications director for Congressman Mike Pence, guiding the Congressman throughout his tenure in Congress and his campaign for Governor of Indiana”Matt Lloyd was communications director for Congressman Mike Pence during Pence’s time in Congress and his campaign for Governor of Indiana.search
6“Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services”During the first Trump administration, Matt Lloyd served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.search
7“Senior Advisor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of State”Matt Lloyd later served as Senior Advisor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of State during the first Trump administration.search
8“Principal Deputy Director for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Justice”Matt Lloyd served as Principal Deputy Director for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Justice during the first Trump administration.search
9“deputy chief of staff and communications director for U.S. Senator Rob Portman”Before joining Senator Daines’s office, Matt Lloyd was deputy chief of staff and communications director for Senator Rob Portman.search
10“Matt started on Team Daines in January 2023”Matt Lloyd joined Senator Steve Daines’s staff in January 2023.search

Analyzed on 2026-09-15