President Biden sought to dispel concerns about his age during Thursday’s State of the Union address, speaking loudly and fairly quickly during a lengthy speech that included ad hoc exchanges with Republicans.
“Throughout my career, I’ve been told I’m too young,” the 81-year-old Biden said near the end of his 68-minute speech. “I was told I was too old.”
“My fellow Americans, the question facing our country is not how old we are, but how old our ideas are. Hate, anger, revenge, and retaliation are among the oldest ideas. One thing. But we can’t lead America with old ideas that will only set us back.”
Many of Mr. Biden’s allies saw his address to the nation as an opportunity to dispel narratives of his infirmity and cast him as an energetic president in full command.
Multiple recent polls have found that more than three-quarters of voters say they have serious concerns about Biden’s age. Biden is the oldest US president in history, and will be 86 years old at the end of his hypothetical second term.
At times, Biden looked like a frog in the throat, but he powered through it and showed off his vitality by tangled with rowdy Republicans on the House floor.
Still, Biden’s big speech was not without gaffes. Early in his speech, Biden appeared to suggest flying Americans to Moscow for cheaper prescription drugs. But he quickly corrected himself.
“I’m sorry to say this, but you want to get on Air Force One and fly to Toronto, Berlin and Moscow. I mean, excuse me…well, maybe Moscow,” he said with a laugh. Ta. audience.
“Please bring me your prescription. I promise you I’ll fill it for you at 40% of the cost.” [of] costs you are paying now. ”
In an off-script moment, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) brought up Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student who was allegedly murdered by an illegal immigrant on February 22nd.
“Say her name,” Green jeered.
“Laken Riley, an innocent young woman who was murdered by an illegal alien,” Biden fired back, pronouncing Riley’s first name “Lincoln.”
In another moment, Biden stumbled while scolding former President Donald Trump (whom Trump strenuously avoided naming explicitly) over the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
“Threats to democracy must be protected. My predecessors and some of you here are trying to bury the truth of January 6th. I don’t,” he said.
But Biden also had off-script moments where he tangled with Republicans, which pleased many Democrats who felt he showed he was in command and nimble on his feet.
Republicans booed him while bashing Republicans for rejecting last month’s bipartisan border security deal and hailing it as “the toughest border security reform we’ve ever seen.”
“Oh, you don’t like that bill, do you?” Biden joked.. “Conservatives got together and said it’s a good bill? That’s going to be crazy. That’s amazing.”
“I know you know how to read,” he chided further.
In a separate verbal exchange, Biden provoked Republicans, saying they were considering “cutting Social Security and giving more tax cuts to the wealthy.”
He received jeers, some calling him a “liar.”
“Oh, you guys don’t want another $2 trillion in tax cuts. I thought that was your plan,” Biden retorted. “Well, that’s good to hear.”
After the speech, many of Mr. Biden’s supporters seemed confident that they had accomplished their mission of blocking reports of Mr. Biden’s cognitive decline.
After the speech, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) tweeted at Biden, saying, “Nobody’s going to talk about cognitive impairment right now.”
Some users on social media felt that Biden spoke very quickly during his speech, especially early on.
“Why does he talk so fast?” said one X user.
“No kidding, this guy is on some kind of drug, so why is he talking so fast?” Podcast host Jesse Hughes posted on the platform.
“I know it’s late, but Mr. Biden wants to end this problem, but he’s moving too fast,” said Ari Fleischer, a former press secretary for President George W. Bush. Said. “He needs to slow down his rhythm.”
Thursday was Biden’s third State of the Union address and his last before the Nov. 5 presidential election.
Victor Nava contributed to this report.
