President Biden’s third State of the Union address scolded Republican policies and proposals, repeatedly citing his predecessor and Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump, who is seeking the White House in 2024. It was full of political moments.
Biden’s speech Thursday night was criticized as similar to a campaign speech, as it touched on a number of Democratic political issues and talking points that his campaign has been emphasizing in his bid for re-election.
Democratic members of Congress in the audience even took the time to chant “four more years.”
The president opened his speech by calling for more funding for Ukraine, while also accusing Trump of “bowing down to Russia’s leadership,” referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Biden criticizes Trump multiple times in State of the Union address
Biden invoked Trump more than a dozen times throughout his speech, but never once mentioned him by name.
The president attacked Trump again, this time on January 6, 2021, before declaring the traditional phrase, “Labor stands strong.” Biden focused on the Capitol riot at campaign events this year, drawing connections to it. President Trump condemns “political violence” in the country.
“My predecessor and some of you here are trying to bury the truth of January 6th,” he said. “I won’t do that. It’s time to tell the truth and bury the lies.”
He added: “This is the simplest truth: You can’t love your country only when it wins.”
Biden went on to call on lawmakers and Americans to “stand together and protect our democracy.”
“Remember your oath of office to protect us from all threats, foreign and domestic,” he said.
Biden criticized Trump, adding: “We will respect free and fair elections, restore faith in our institutions, and make clear that there is no place for political violence in America.”
President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Thursday, March 7, 2024, at the Capitol in Washington. (Shaun Hsu/Pool via AP)
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After the Supreme Court ruled against Roe v. Wade in 2022, the president moved on to the issue of women’s reproductive rights.
Mr. Biden also cited Mr. Trump on this issue and pointed to female voters.
“In its decision overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court majority wrote, “Women do not lack the right to vote or political power.” They are not kidding,” Biden said. “Clearly those who brag about overturning Roe v. Wade have no clue about the power of women in America.”
Biden then mentioned the 2022 midterm elections and the 2023 election, predicting that Democratic policies will prevail in 2024.
“But they found out when reproductive freedom was on the ballot and won in 2022 or 2023, and they’ll find out again in 2024,” Biden said.
The president’s State of the Union address was criticized by conservative commentators for being angry and dark, as opposed to bright and positive.
But the president touted his administration’s economic policies, saying, “America’s revival is about building the future of American potential, building an economy not from the top down but from the middle out and the bottom up, and investing in every country.” ” he said. America, and all Americans, ensure that everyone has a fair chance and no one is left behind! ”
“I inherited an economy that was on the brink. Now our economy is the envy of the world,” Biden said, celebrating “15 million new jobs in just three years.” .
Biden also discussed lowering drug costs and strengthening Medicare.
“I want to cap everyone’s prescription drug costs at $2,000 a year,” Biden announced.
In health care, Biden also announced plans to spend $12 billion to “transform women’s health research.”
The president also discussed an annual tax credit that would give Americans $400 a month for the next two years “to lower mortgage rates when you buy your first home or trade up for a little more space.”
Biden also said his administration wants to invest in and build 2 million affordable housing units while eliminating title insurance premiums on federally backed mortgages.
Biden also talked about providing access to education and preschool, stressing that he wants every child to be able to “learn to read and write by third grade.”
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After that, he continued to promote student loan cancellation benefits. Call for a 25% tax on billionaires. more.
All this before addressing the crisis at the U.S. southern border.
Biden began that portion of his speech by slamming Republicans for failing to pass border legislation.
He echoed President Trump in calling on lawmakers to block the bill, arguing that closing the border requires additional “emergency” powers from Congress.
Biden was heckled over the issue by Republican lawmakers who wanted recognition for Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student who was killed last month by suspected illegal immigrants.
Biden appeared to refer to Laken Riley as “Lincoln Riley,” but said she was “an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal alien.”
He also said his “heart breaks” for her parents “because I myself have lost a child.”
Meanwhile, Biden continued to address LGBTQ+ issues and urge passage of the Equality Act.
“Message to transgender Americans: I have your back!” Biden said.
A former White House speechwriter slammed the speech as an “utter disgrace” and “the most partisan” in modern history.
“Directly attacking an opponent in the first few minutes of a speech is unprecedented and perhaps the most partisan opening to a State of the Union address in modern memory,” said Fox News contributor and President George W. Bush. Mark Thiessen, a former speechwriter for the administration, said: said during his speech. “As someone who helped create several SOTUs and respects this important presidential institution, I am stunned by this speech. An utter disgrace.”
He added: “This man should never be allowed to step up to the podium of the House of Representatives and deliver the State of the Union address again.”
Meanwhile, the president also declared that the country is “safer now than when I took office.”
At that moment, Gold Star’s father interrupted him and shouted “Monastery Gate, Monastery Gate,” in reference to the terrorist attack outside Kabul airport during the failed U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. .
Thirteen soldiers were killed in the attack.
Regarding national security and U.S. military engagement overseas, Biden called for the U.S. military to build a “temporary pier” on the Gaza coast that could “receive large ships loaded with food, water, medicine, and temporary shelter” during the war. “Lead an emergency mission to establish the facility.” The conflict between Israel and Hamas intensifies.
“America’s boots will not be on the ground,” Biden said, calling on Israel to “allow more aid to Gaza and ensure humanitarian workers are not caught in the crossfire.”
Biden also emphasized the need for “stability in the Middle East” and said his administration is working to contain “the threat posed by Iran.”
“I ordered the attack to degrade the Houthis’ capabilities and protect U.S. forces in the region,” he said. “As Commander-in-Chief, I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and our service members.”
On the other hand, the president said, “I want competition with China, but I don’t want confrontation.”
“And we are in a stronger position to win the 21st century competition with China and other countries,” Biden said.
Ahead of the president’s speech, many opponents, as well as some supporters, expressed concerns about the president’s age and accomplishments. The speech came just weeks after Special Counsel Robert Hur released a damning report that did not indict Biden and described him as a sympathetic, well-meaning senior citizen with a poor memory.
Biden, 81, appeared to be referring to the issue of age, saying on Thursday night that he has been told throughout his career that he is both “too young” and “too old.”
“Whether we’re young or old, I’ve always known what lasts. It’s our North Star: America’s belief that we are all created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives,” Biden said. That’s the very idea.” “We’ve never fully executed on that idea, but we’ve never walked away from that idea, and I’m never going to walk away from that idea.”
Biden added: “My fellow Americans, the question facing our country is not how old we are, but how old our thinking is.”
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“Hate, anger, revenge, retribution are some of the oldest ideas,” he says. “But we cannot lead America with old ideas that will only set us back.”
“To lead America, the land of possibility, we need a vision of what America can and should be,” Biden said.
Biden said he would “defend democracy without weakening it,” “restore the right to choose and protect without taking away other freedoms,” and “the middle class will finally get equal rights and the rich will finally get their taxes.” “You have to pay for it,” he said in the future. “A fair share of our taxes,” and “a place that saves our planet from the climate crisis and protects our country from gun violence.”
