President Biden was sharply critical of Donald Trump during his State of the Union address Thursday night, mentioning his predecessor more than a dozen times but declining to mention him by name.
Biden, who repeatedly used the phrase “my predecessor” when referring to Trump, began his speech by arguing that the former president incited the greatest threat to the United States since the Civil War.
“My purpose tonight is to wake up Congress and warn the American people that this is not a normal moment,” the 81-year-old president said. “Not since President Lincoln and the Civil War have freedom and democracy been under attack like they are today here at home.”
“The lies about January 6, the 2020 election, and the conspiracy to steal it pose the most serious threat to our democracy since the Civil War,” Biden told Democratic and Republican lawmakers late in his speech. ” he said repeatedly.
By the end of his 68-minute speech, Biden had mentioned his “predecessor” 13 times.
Trump was mentioned only once in the president’s 2023 State of the Union address.
On Thursday night, Biden also criticized President Trump for his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, burying the “truth of January 6,” and criticizing Roe v. Wade. He said he had made good on his promise to overturn it and “put pressure on members of Congress.” She’s trying to block a border bill that would give her more powers over immigration.
The president, unlike his “predecessors,” has offered “a comprehensive plan to fix our immigration system, secure our borders, and provide a path to citizenship for Dreamers,” and how he will respond. He claimed to have leaned into the battle that was taking place. The number of illegal immigrants crossing the border is breaking records.
The former president, who is likely to face Biden in November, did not hold his hands during Biden’s speech, instead choosing to broadcast live from Truth Social and broadcasting to the public hours before Biden’s speech began. published a rebuttal to the text.
“Joe Biden is a threat to democracy! He used government as a weapon against his opponents – we didn’t talk about it and it’s never happened before!” Trump wrote in all caps in response to Biden’s speech.
The rival show and the ups and downs come amid polls showing Mr. Biden trailing Mr. Trump in key battleground states ahead of the general election.
The 77-year-old Republican front-runner criticized Biden’s age and the content of his remarks, writing in a post on Truth Social after the president finished speaking, “This was a speech filled with anger, polarization, and hate.” “It was,” he replied.
In his response, Trump slammed Biden’s record on the border and economy, claiming the incumbent contributed to the “terrible devastation” currently taking place in the United States.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) also appeared on the House floor wearing a “Trump 2020” MAGA hat, giving the former president a presence.
