President Biden drew a sharp contrast with former President Trump and Republican lawmakers in Thursday’s State of the Union address, using the bully pulpit to harp on issues that will shape the general election campaign and sell voters on his first three years in office.
Biden’s remarks, which lasted just more than an hour, could at times be mistaken for a campaign address. The president did not refer to Trump by name at any point, but he said “my predecessor” 13 times throughout his speech, according to prepared remarks provided by the White House.
Just minutes into the speech, he referred to Trump’s suggestion that he would let Russian President Vladimir Putin “do whatever the hell he wants” if NATO allies had not spent enough on defense, calling those remarks “dangerous and unacceptable.”
In short order, Biden spoke about threats to democracy, the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, which drew eye rolls from Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and threats to abortion access and reproductive health care, all of which are key pillars of his reelection bid.
“My purpose tonight is to wake up the Congress and alert the American people this is no ordinary moment,” Biden said. “Not since President Lincoln and the Civil War have freedom and democracy been under assault at home as they are today. What makes our moment rare is that freedom and democracy are under attack both at home and overseas at the very same time.”
Biden again blamed Trump for tanking a bipartisan border security bill in the Senate for political reasons and called on congressional Republicans to pass the legislation. He touted provisions in the bill, which was negotiated by senators and endorsed by the White House, with lead GOP negotiator Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), who sat in the chamber, nodding his head and saying, “that’s true.”
Some GOP lawmakers wore pins to raise awareness for Laken Riley, a University of Georgia student who was killed last month by a Venezuelan migrant, according to police. When Biden was entering the chamber, he came across Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) who showed him her pin and told the president “say her name.”
During his address when Biden spoke about the border, Greene yelled out from her seat in the audience: “It’s about Laken Riley.” Others shouted, “say her name.” Biden, in response, held up a Laken Riley pin he was given and said her name.
“Laken Riley, an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal,” he said, speaking off the cuff. “To her parents I say my heart goes out to you having lost children myself. I understand,” he said looking up at the gallery in the chamber.
The president also introduced the sister of a student killed in the Uvalde, Texas, elementary school shooting and contrasted his focus on gun violence with Trump’s connections to the National Rifle Association.
Biden touted the Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare, saying “it’s still a pretty big deal,” harkening back to when he was famously caught on a hot mic in 2010 telling then-President Obama that the landmark health care legislation was a “big f‑‑‑‑‑‑ deal.”
“Over 100 million of you can no longer be denied health insurance because of preexisting conditions,” he said. “But my predecessor and many in this chamber want to take that protection away by repealing the Affordable Care Act. I’m not going to let that happen.”
Thursday’s speech offered Biden a critical opportunity as he seeks reelection to quell some of the concerns voters have and remind them of his achievements of the past three years. Polls show him trailing Trump in key swing states in a likely general election match-up, and a New York Times/Siena College poll found 73 percent of registered voters said they either strongly or somewhat agree that Biden is too old to be an effective president.
Millions of Americans watch the speech each year, and the Biden campaign is expected to use the address as a springboard into ramped up travel and messaging as it gears up for a lengthy general election campaign against Trump.
“You can’t lead America with ancient ideas that only take us back,” Biden said. “To lead America, the land of possibilities, you need a vision for the future of what America can and should be. Tonight you’ve heard mine.”
While Biden periodically stumbled over his words, he had no major hiccups during the speech and appeared energized as he mingled with lawmakers on the aisle going in and out of the chamber. He stopped and took selfies with members of Congress.
The president’s speech was sprinkled with off the cuff moments, including when he sparred with Greene, chided Republicans for pushing a tax cut for the wealthy, and quipped once he arrived at the rostrum: “If I were smart, I’d go home now.”
Biden, 81, referenced his age, which polling has indicated is a major concern for voters, to close his remarks and as a final poke at Trump.
“I know it may not look like it, but I’ve been around a while. When you get to my age certain things become clearer than ever,” he said. “My lifetime has taught me to embrace freedom and democracy. A future based on the core values that have defined America. Honesty. Decency. Dignity. Equality.”
“Now some other people my age see a different story. An American story of resentment, revenge, and retribution. That’s not me,” he added.
In addressing the Israel-Hamas war, Biden called for Israel to allow more aid into Gaza, saying the country “must also do its part” amid increasing backlash from progressives and activists toward Biden because of his pro-Israel stance and handling of the war. Protesters flocked to Washington, D.C., on Thursday and held a large demonstration near the Capitol ahead of and during his speech.
The president also addressed the remaining hostages taken by Hamas, saying he “will not” rest until they are brought home. It was one of the few times Johnson stood up to applaud.
In keeping with campaign themes Democrats believe will help them secure victory in 2024, Biden laid out plans to codify Roe v. Wade, at one point directly referencing the Supreme Court justices who were in the chamber.
“Look, [in] its decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court majority wrote the following — and with all due respect, justices: ‘Women are not without electoral — electoral power,’ excuse me: ‘electoral or political power.’”
“You’re about to realize just how much you were right about that.”
The speech also laid out proposals for the future, such as raising the corporate minimum tax to at least 21 percent, restoring the child tax credit, and banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
He vowed again to stop any proposals that cut Social Security or raise the retirement age. He offered a nod back to his 2023 address, when he spared back-and-forth with Republicans over Social Security cuts.
When he received shouts of “liar and lies” from the crowd when he accused the GOP of trying to cut Social Security, he replied, “that’s good to hear.”
—Updated March 8 at 11:44 a.m.