Fox’s first appearance: Sen. Eric Schmidt (R-Missouri) said President Joe Biden’s “divisive” and “bizarre” State of the Union address did not address key issues important to Americans.
“I thought it was the most divisive State of the Union by the most out-of-touch president in American history. I thought it was strange,” Schmidt said in an exclusive interview after the speech.
The Republican senator added that the president is “not seriously addressing” illegal immigration, which is a top issue for voters heading into 2024.
“At the time, it felt like he was yelling. So the comments were weird, and then the content fell short. He was talking about illegal immigration, which is the biggest issue in the minds of the American people. I wasn’t taking it seriously.”
Biden’s Sotu slams campaign speech as ‘naked partisanship’: ‘absolute disgrace’
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. Vice President Kamala Harris is standing on the left, and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) is sitting on the right. (Shaun Schuh/Pool)
Biden has reminded Congress of the ongoing crisis at the southern border and repeatedly said he is waiting for Congress to pass a bipartisan border agreement before taking serious action. Schmidt agreed with many Republicans that Biden could secure the border now.
Biden attacks ‘predecessor’ Trump, Republican in partisan speech
But Schmidt told Fox that Biden “doesn’t want to secure the border,” adding, “The American people see through that. His speech is basically about what his eyes are telling him.” “Don’t believe it. And that’s what people have done before.” That’s enough. ”
“This is the ultimate fake, because the same laws that were in place today are in place when President Trump was keeping illegal immigration at the lowest level in 40 years. can undo the 90 presidential actions that caused the crisis. Just by doing that, if he wants to go back to where we were in January 2021 and enforce our laws. If we do, we will be able to secure our borders.”
Sen. Eric Schmidt, R-Missouri, speaks during a press conference with Republican senators about border security issues at the U.S. Capitol on January 24, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Drew Angerer)
He added that it was “laughable” that the president suggested the United States was the safest it had ever been under his administration.
Regarding the president’s comments on crime, Schmidt said, “Ask the people whose communities have been ravaged by gang violence and fentanyl, ask the families of those whose loved ones have been murdered by illegal immigrants who recently crossed our border.” said. . “We’re less safe, we’re less secure, and under Joe Biden’s lack of leadership, we’re less prosperous.”
Mr. Biden mentioned his “predecessor” former President Donald Trump several times during his speech, as he is expected to face a rematch with the former president in the fall 2020 general election.
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers the annual State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress in the House chamber of the U.S. Capitol on March 7, 2024 in Washington, DC. This was Biden’s last speech before the general election in November. (Shaun Shue Pool)
“This felt like a campaign speech,” Schmidt said, adding that the president seemed “really divisive” and “overly partisan.”
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Schmidt invited Kari Rosbeck, executive director of the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance, to speak as a guest.
