WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – President Joe Biden turned his State of the Union speech Thursday night into an animated argument for a second term as he laced into GOP front-runner Donald Trump for espousing “resentment, revenge and retribution” and jeopardizing freedom at home and abroad.
It wasn’t a normal State of the Union address, however. His speech from the House rostrum, delivered just eight months before Biden stands for reelection, was something of an on-the-job interview for the nation’s oldest president as he tries to quell voter concerns about his age and job performance while sharpening the contrast with his all-but-certain November rival. Raising his voice, he delivered a broadside against his predecessor for not standing by American allies abroad and for embracing antidemocratic ideas in the U.S.
The scrappy tone from Biden was a sharp break from his often humdrum daily appearances and was designed to banish doubts about whether the 81-year-old president, the country’s oldest ever, is still up to the job.
For 68 minutes in the House chamber, Biden goaded Republicans over their policies on immigration, taxes and more, invited call-and-response banter with fellow Democrats and seemed to relish the fight.
Biden began his speech by vowing to continue opposition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and toward revisionism around the January 6 insurrection, which Biden warned, “History is watching” how the U.S. responds to these issues.
“You can’t love your country only when you win,” Biden said. He said he faults the GOP with trying to “bury the truth” about Jan. 6, saying that the “threat to democracy” must be countered.
The president also came out swinging with a strong message toward the GOP and those who “celebrate” the overturning of Roe v. Wade, saying that the popularity of Roe v. Wade has been proven in Democrat-winning elections since then and will be proven in 2024.
“Women are not without electoral or political power,” Biden said. “You are about to realize just how much. Those bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade are about to find out.”
On Thursday night, the president was greeted by the new leader of the House, Speaker Mike Johnson, who has been a major critic of the Biden administration, especially the economy.
In that vein, the president showcased his accomplishments on infrastructure and manufacturing, and pushed Congress to approve more aid to Ukraine, tougher migration rules and lower drug prices. He also sought to remind voters of the situation he inherited when he entered office in 2021 amid a raging pandemic and a contracting economy.
Taking a victory lap in selling his legislative accomplishments, such as one that bolsters manufacturing of computer chips nationwide, Biden veered from his prepared script to take a dig at Republicans who voted against such policies but are eager to take credit for them back home.
“If any of you don’t want that money in your districts,” Biden said, “just let me know.”
White House aides said Biden was aiming to prove his doubters wrong by flashing his combative side and trying to needle Republicans over positions he believes are out of step with the country, particularly on access to abortion, but also tax policy and healthcare. It’s part of his campaign-year effort to use even official speeches to clarify the choice for voters at the ballot box this fall.
Biden also railed against the proliferation of gun violence in the U.S., saying he intends to propose a ban on assault rifles and high capacity magazines. The president made reference to words by “his predecessor” former Pres. Donald Trump — who Biden never mentioned by name — saying that instead of telling Americans to “just get over it,” as Trump recently said after a shooting in Iowa, that he, Biden, intends to “stop it.”
One of the most contentious moments of his speech came during his remarks on immigration, when Biden was running down the endorsements by conservative groups of the bipartisan border legislation that Republicans killed last month.
Some in the audience appeared to yell and interject, and Biden shot back, “I know you know how to read.”
As Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, decked out in pro-Trump paraphernalia, continued to shout at Biden, the president held up a white button that the Georgia Republican had handed him earlier bearing the name of Laken Riley, who authorities say was killed by a Venezuelan national who unlawfully crossed into the U.S. in September 2022.
Biden seemed eager to engage with his critics. “Say her name,” Greene yelled at the president. “Laken Riley,” Biden responded, calling her an “innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal.” He expressed condolences to her family, saying his heart goes out to them.
Alabama Senator Katie Britt gave the official Republican response later Thursday night, lambasting the Biden administration for what she calls “inviting” a southern border crisis. Though Britt also discussed the economy, saying that “Bidenomics aren’t working.”
“We’ve become a nation in retreat,” Britt said.
Biden entered the speech with work to do shoring up his standing. Just 38% of U.S. adults approve of how he is handling his job as president, while 61% disapprove, according to a recent survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
The same survey found that more than 6 in 10 (63%) say they’re not very or not at all confident in Biden’s mental capability to serve effectively as president. A similar but slightly smaller share (57%) say that Trump lacks the memory and acuity for the job.
The already intense scrutiny of Biden’s age was magnified when special counsel Robert Hur raised questions about the president’s mental acuity in his report last month on Biden’s handling of classified information. Hur is set to testify Tuesday before lawmakers about his investigation.
Following the speech, Biden was set for a weekend of campaign travel, holding events in Pennsylvania on Friday and Georgia on Saturday. Trump, too, will be campaigning in Georgia that day. The president’s Cabinet also will fan out across the country to amplify his message.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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