President Biden, who is struggling with negative approval ratings and is lagging behind former President Trump in the latest public opinion poll average for the general election rematch, has a golden opportunity to turn things around with eight months remaining until the November runoff. are doing.
That high-stakes prime-time moment will come Thursday evening, when the president delivers his highly anticipated and high-profile State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress.
“This will be a very important moment for him,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday. “He…looks forward to talking about his accomplishments over the past three years and the vision he has for this country.”
The speech could give Biden his largest national audience between now and the November election, as it is not certain that the president and Trump will face off in a fall general election debate.
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President Biden speaks during a meeting with the Competition Council at the State Dining Room of the White House on March 5, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
It’s unclear whether Biden will directly address his Republican challenger in his speech, which will be edited and tweaked until the moment the president arrives at the Capitol.
But Michael Tyler, Biden’s re-election campaign communications director, pointed to the rematch with Trump on Tuesday, saying, “The State of the Union is a new moment that further solidifies this election choice for America’s electoral mandate.” “It will be,” he emphasized. big. “
At 81 years old, Biden will be the oldest president in US history. And polls show that a majority of Americans have serious doubts about his physical and mental ability to last four more years in the White House.
This first-term Republican senator will give a Republican response.
Colin Reed, a longtime Republican strategist, pointed to a “series of bad decisions,” including ” [by the president] Pressure mounts on President Biden to show voters’ age concerns aren’t as bad as people think, not to do Super Bowl interview when he’s drawing his biggest audience ever .
“It’s risky to give a speech that usually disappears in the next day’s news cycle,” Reid stressed. “But because people see President Biden as this creaky, wobbly, fragile human being, and voters have deep concerns and reservations[about his ability to do his job]this event is not an issue that would otherwise exist. It gives it more importance than it would have otherwise.”
Mr. Reid is a veteran of presidential campaigns, most recently serving as a top advisor to former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s super PAC supporting Mr. Trump in his 2024 presidential bid.
“My suspicion is that [Biden] “He can’t avoid it, so he’s going to take it on,” Reid said, “and that’s become the most important part of the conversation.”
Asked what the president should say in a speech about age concerns, veteran Democratic consultant Maria Cardona said Biden “needs to do it in a way that clearly conveys a dynamic and powerful tone.” Told.
“He has to have the feeling that age doesn’t matter. He may not be many years younger, but he’s young at heart and, importantly, he has ideas and It has to have the feel of being young and modern in its vision for the future,” he added. Members who have served on multiple presidential election campaigns.
Additionally, Biden said, “American voters will relate better to Biden because of his wisdom, experience, and understanding of what’s at stake than with a dangerous and existential threat.” “There is a need to insist,” he added. Not just to our democracy, but to our rights and freedoms. ”
Former President Trump won a decisive victory this week on Super Tuesday. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
While Mr. Biden will draw a contrast with his Republican challenger, Mr. Cardona said, “I think Mr. Biden will not mention Mr. Trump by name, because I think that would make Mr. Trump too important.” said.
“But there is no doubt that Mr. Trump will be in the room,” she stressed. “And, more importantly, not only will President Trump’s past policies and future intentions be up for debate, but President Biden will also have no doubt who he is running against. It will be revealed.”
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Reade agreed that Biden would put Trump in the spotlight, even if he didn’t mention his name.
“If this election is about Joe Biden, that’s bad news for Joe Biden,” Reid said. “If this election is about Donald Trump, then that’s the only path for Biden. [Biden] You must show a clear contrast between what you propose and want to do and what the other person is doing. ”
President Biden delivers the State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on February 7, 2023. (Jacqueline Martin/AP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Many Republican members of Congress and prominent supporters of President Trump are expected to attend the president’s speech. And there is a possibility that Biden will be interrupted, as happened several times during his speech last year.
“It’s more important than anything,” Democratic strategist and communicator Chris Moyer said. [Biden] he said so. Will he mix things up sharply, as he did with Republicans in last year’s State of the Union address? A repeat performance would be a home run for him and his camp. ”
“Most voters will remember how they felt when they saw him, not necessarily the specific agenda he shared. That’s what will stay with them,” said the Democrat, who has participated in several Democratic presidential campaigns. Moyer emphasized.
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