Takeaways from Joe Biden’s State of the Union address

Washington
cnn
—

president joe biden delivered a strident third State of the Union address, one that could be among the most important speeches he delivers during his presidency as he heads toward re-election.

His list of goals was long: tout his accomplishments in office, look toward an agenda for a second term, allay concerns about his age and physical condition and offer a contrast to Republicans, including his rival. donald trump.

The result was an impassioned speech that bore little resemblance to his past in the States of the Union. Seeking to show off his energy and eager to engage with Republicans, Biden delivered a clearly political speech that his advisers hope will ease Democrats’ nervousness about his political prospects.

Here are five takeaways from Thursday’s State of the Union:

Biden may not have uttered his predecessor’s name during his remarks, but there was little doubt that Trump was at the center of the State of the Union, making Thursday’s address a particularly politically tinged annual address.

It was a reflection of the extraordinary political moment that Biden finds himself in, where the political norms of recent decades – the ones that Biden has openly longed for – have been largely cast aside.

The president took multiple hits at Trump; His prepared remarks referenced “my predecessor” 13 times when Biden took the pulpit, one of the perks of the office.

At the beginning of his speech, he referred to “my predecessor” while criticizing the former president for his statement about encouraging Russia to invade NATO members that do not meet defense spending targets.

Shortly after, he attacked electoral lies following the 2020 election as the “most serious threat to democracy” since the Civil War.

By then, a pattern had emerged: On abortion, immigration, taxes and more, Biden repeatedly drew the contrast with Trump, and Democrats in the audience backed him up with cheers.

It was as clear a sign as any of how Biden views the upcoming general election campaign, with nothing less than the future of American democracy on the ballot. And even as he works to tout his own accomplishments, it was equally important for Biden to warn what could happen if Trump returned to office.

State of the Union addresses are typically serious affairs, with predictable lists of policies and proposals. That wasn’t the case Thursday, as Biden frequently went off script to improvise lines and negotiate with Republicans.

The result was the most strident State of the Union in years, with the House chamber brimming with election-year coldness.

Casual disputes with Republicans – over their plans for taxes, Social Security and immigration – clearly energized the president as he delivered his speech. Biden appeared to have incorporated the moments into his speech after last year’s, when his exchange with Republicans in the crowd emerged as a highlight.

The moments allowed Biden to demonstrate that he was willing to dialogue with Republicans, but also – in his opinion – dismantle some of their arguments.

When interrupted by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was drawing attention to the murder of nursing student Laken Riley by an undocumented immigrant, Biden responded directly by picking up one of the pins the Georgia Republican had been handing out that read “Say his name.” : Laken Riley” and using the term “illegal,” which is not how Democrats typically describe immigrants.

Biden appears energetic and forceful amid concerns about his age

By now, questions about Biden’s age and fitness for office have become one of the major backdrops to the presidential campaign. It’s a big reason why many Democrats say they would have preferred a different candidate.

Therefore, it was inevitable that Biden would confront the issue during his State of the Union whether he wanted to or not. Aside from the substance of his speech, the way he spoke and the appearance of him while he spoke were important factors in how Americans absorbed his message.

The president came out fired up and delivered a powerful speech that was a far cry from some of his more moderate efforts that have worried his supporters. He delivered much of the speech at high volume.

Biden spent most of the last week meticulously fine-tuning and rehearsing his speech, both at the White House and at the presidential retreat at Camp David. That seemed to pay off in his powerful speech Thursday night.

Aides acknowledged before the speech that it was an issue on voters’ minds and something the president was willing to address, if not dwell on, in his speech.

His argument on that front – that Trump is almost the same age, but with an old-fashioned and vengeful perspective – sought to defuse the issue and turn it towards his opponent.

“When you get to my age, certain things become clearer than ever,” Biden said in his speech, drawing some laughs.

He continued, “The problem facing our nation is not how old we are, but how old our ideas are,” later adding that “we cannot lead with old ideas.”

Foreign policy often takes a back seat during State of the Union addresses; The target audience is Congress and the American people, and their concerns typically lie within the borders of the United States.

But for reasons not entirely within his control, Biden is a foreign policy president at a time of deep global tensions. He Russia-Ukraine War continues, with the future of American aid in doubt. AND Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, caused by the terrorist attacks of October 7, has generated a humanitarian crisis that is dividing Biden’s political coalition.

So it was inevitable that foreign affairs would take up more of Biden’s time than in previous speeches, even if his aides acknowledge that it’s not an issue that’s always on voters’ minds. He also led much of the first part of his speech.

Even before entering the Capitol, widespread discontent over his handling of the war between Israel and Hamas was evident in protests along his motorcade route.

In his speech, Biden made clear the imperative to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza and announced that he was ordering the US military to build a temporary port in Gaza that will allow more food, water and medicine into the strip.

Sitting President Tries to Reshape and Reset 2024 Narrative

If there was one task that Biden entered Thursday’s speech with, it was to remind American voters – many of whom may have been in the dark for the past three years – what exactly he has been doing.

Polls show many voters are still bitter about the direction the country is heading, despite an economy that by most measures is recovering strongly from the Covid-19 years. When asked in polls, many Americans have little idea of ​​the accomplishments Biden has been working on that have helped the economy recover.

That’s partly why Biden, in his speech, refers to “the greatest comeback story ever told”: partly a pushback against what he sees as persistently negative media coverage, partly an acknowledgment that he could do more to explain their agenda to ordinary Americans.

At the same time, Biden’s team recognizes that a balance must be struck and that Americans with valid concerns about the economy don’t necessarily want to be lectured about positive economic indicators that they themselves are not feeling.

That’s why Biden chose to focus primarily on populist issues, such as raising tax rates for the wealthy and corporations and lowering the cost of prescription drugs, which Democrats are confident will be the winners.

Democrats also believe that showing outrage over corporate greed and price-gouging will work well, particularly as concerns about the cost of living continue to drag down Biden’s poll numbers.

This story has been updated with additional news.