The State of the Union address is one of the permanent fixtures of the presidency, a forum that always favors the speaker in a one-way conversation with millions of Americans.
Most speeches are immediately dissected, and forgotten almost just as quickly. But this is a very unusual year, as President Biden needs to prove not only that his policies guarantee a second term, but that he has the personal capacity at 81 to do the job.
He laid out clear lines for the campaign ahead, criticizing former President Trump over the Jan. 6 insurrection and going after the Supreme Court, with the justices present, for its ruling that invalidated Roe v. Wade.
In addition to reducing the size of the Snickers bar.
Here are some key points from the speech.
He who will not be named
Biden opened his speech with fiery condemnations of the pro-Trump rioters who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, then singled out House Republicans and GOP opponent Trump. But he refused to mention Trump's name, saying, “My predecessors and some of you here are seeking to bury the truth about January 6.”
He boils this down to a larger theme that democracy is under threat at no point since the Civil War, suggesting a clear line of attack he will use against the unnamed man.
He also criticized Trump's assertion that Russian President Vladimir Putin can “do whatever he wants” with regard to NATO allies, and appealed to Congress to approve additional aid to Ukraine.
Speaking with a force that his supporters said he lacked, he set up a contrast between his internationalist worldview and the more isolationist tendencies of his “predecessor.”
Biden used almost the entire speech to find ways to try to convince Americans of the contradiction.
Age question
When asked about his age and how it affects his ability to become president, Biden's answer was: Watch me.
On Thursday night, he delivered what many of his supporters found wanting. It was a lively and powerful speech, and at times he made fun of Republicans in inappropriate terms. When they objected to his support for bipartisan border security legislation, Biden said: “Look at the facts. I know you know how to read.”
Biden faltered on a few words, and in Republican response, Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama called him “hesitant and diminished,” but it was a more energetic performance than in other speeches where his remarks can be meandering or difficult to hear. It was also a response to criticism that Biden is too old to continue as president. He will be 86 at the end of his second term, and Republicans — even though Trump is only four years younger — have enjoyed cutting up videos of the president and making him look as weak as possible on social media.
Biden leaned on his age, noting that he was born during World War II, but defended his vision for the country as new. “You cannot lead America with outdated ideas that will only set us back.”
Abortion on the ballot
The president said efforts to restrict abortion rights were an “assault on liberty,” and mocked the Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, with the justices who were in the majority in that decision sitting just feet away.
He also welcomed Kate Cox, a Dallas mother whose fetus developed a fatal condition that put her health at risk. She had to leave the state in order to get an abortion. “My God,” Biden said, “what freedoms are you going to take next?”
Biden has not emphasized abortion rights for most of his career. In his speech, he showed how much he believes this issue could be key to a second term.
Obamacare, still a BFD
Return to “Selfie”. Biden joked that the Affordable Care Act — also known as Obamacare — “is still a big problem,” praising the moment when the vice president used more colorful language to describe President Obama's historic political victory. He pledged to work to make the tax exemption associated with the 2010 law permanent.
“More than 100 million of you can no longer be denied health insurance because of a pre-existing condition,” Biden said. “Well, my predecessor, and many people in this room, want to eliminate the prescription drug benefit by repealing the Affordable Care Act. I'm not going to let that happen.”
Biden appeared to slide into an argument about pharmaceutical companies selling their drugs at cheaper prices around the world, telling the audience that he would like to take them on Air Force One to several major global cities — including Moscow — to see how well they work. It will save on the same medications.
Biden himself quickly caught on, saying this was “probably” the case even in Russia, and moved on. “Bring your prescription with you. I promise I'll get it for 40% of the cost you're paying now.”
The war in Gaza
The bloody conflict between Israel and Hamas served as the inevitable backdrop to Biden's speech. His motorcade took a different route to the U.S. Capitol after protesters blocked part of Pennsylvania Avenue. Inside the House chamber, some lawmakers wore keffiyehs, the black-and-white-checkered scarves that symbolize solidarity with the Palestinians.
Biden announced plans to help the US military establish a temporary dock on the Gaza coast, an effort the administration says should significantly boost the flow of aid to the besieged area.
The revelation of the plan was perhaps the most important element of his speech that touched on the war. It has allowed Biden to show he is taking action in the face of anger and defiance from some Democrats over his strong support for Israel even as the Palestinian death toll mounts. This also comes after Biden agreed last week for the US military to drop air aid into Gaza.
Biden said the temporary dock “will enable a massive increase in humanitarian aid arriving in Gaza.”
But at the same time, he called on the Israelis to make more efforts to alleviate the suffering even as they try to eliminate Hamas. “To Israel, I say that this humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip,” Biden said.
Middle class atmosphere
Biden outlined an economic vision that included large and small. He touted a post-pandemic economic recovery that did not sacrifice job creation to tame inflation. As housing prices continue to rise, he proposed a tax credit that would lower mortgage costs.
He also criticized Republicans for tax policies that favor the wealthy. “Check the numbers. Folks back home, does anyone really think the tax code is fair?”
Biden said there should be a minimum tax rate for billionaires of 25%, saying that “no billionaire should pay a lower federal tax rate than a teacher, janitor, or nurse.”
The president talked about cracking down on unwanted tariffs that could impact Americans' budgets, and criticized snack food companies for “deflation” — that is, getting less products for the same price.
“You're charged the same amount, and you get 10% less Snickers bars.”
It's a must-see, but not necessarily on TV
When Biden was elected to the Senate in 1972, his State of the Union address was a made-for-TV show for tens of millions of Americans who watched it on three major networks.
Now it's much more than just a TV event. Traditional methods of measuring viewership have shown a steady decline. Biden's speech last year attracted the second-smallest audience for the annual event in at least 30 years, according to Nielsen.
The audience is so divided that the Biden campaign was set up with target segments to pump out to specific audiences on social media. Guests whose stories are highlighted in the speech will make the rounds in local television markets to talk about the real-world impact of Biden's policies. And look for Biden and his delegates to find creative ways to get the parts of his message to Americans that weren't heard Thursday evening.
Hours before delivering the speech, Biden posted on his X account a video of himself receiving advice on giving the big speech from actors, including Morgan Freeman, Michael Douglas and Geena Davis, who have played presidents in movies and on television.
Megarian and Madhani write for The Associated Press.
