President Joe Biden argued strongly for a second term in his State of the Union address Thursday night, criticizing GOP front-runner Donald Trump for expressing resentment, revenge, and retribution, and for endangering freedom at home and abroad.
Enjoying the political moment, Biden criticized “my predecessor” without mentioning Trump by name — 13 times in total — raising his voice multiple times to address voter concerns about his age and job performance while highlighting the contrast with his likely November opponent.
Biden's feisty tone was a significant departure from his typically unexciting daily appearances and was meant to dispel doubts about whether the 81-year-old president, the country’s oldest ever, is still capable of the job.
During 68 minutes in the House chamber, Biden taunted Republicans about their immigration and tax policies, engaged in banter with fellow Democrats, and seemed to enjoy the confrontation.
“I know I may not look like it, but I’ve been around a while,” Biden joked. “And when you get to my age certain things become clearer than ever before.”
Biden, born during World War II and coming of age in the 1960s, stated: “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. To respect everyone. To give everyone a fair shot. To give hate no safe harbor. Now some other people my age see a different story: an American story of resentment, revenge, and retribution. That’s not me.”
The president connected Trump’s approval of those who overran the Capitol to undermine the 2020 election with antidemocratic threats abroad.
“Freedom and democracy are under attack both at home and overseas at the very same time,” Biden stated while urging Congress to support Ukraine’s efforts to defend itself against Russia’s two-year-old invasion. “History is watching.”
Biden directly mentioned the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol and criticized those who have downplayed it.
“My predecessor — and some of you here — seek to bury the truth about Jan. 6 — I will not do that,” Biden stated. “This is a moment to speak the truth and to bury the lies. Here’s a simple truth. You can’t love your country only when you win.”
The State of the Union address is the primary event on the White House calendar, allowing presidents to directly address a captive audience of lawmakers and dignitaries in the House chamber as well as tens of millions of viewers at home — likely to be Biden’s largest audience of the year. Biden knew he would be scrutinized not just for his message, but for his delivery with energy and authority.
Aides said Biden aimed to prove his skeptics wrong by showing his combative side and attempting to provoke Republicans over positions he believes are out of touch with the country, particularly on access to abortion, as well as tax policy and healthcare.
Celebrating his legislative achievements, including funding to strengthen computer chip manufacturing across the country, Biden went off script to criticize Republicans who opposed these policies but still claim credit for them in their districts.
“If any of you don’t want that money in your districts,” Biden said, “just let me know.”
The president spoke before a historically ineffective Congress. In the GOP-led House, Speaker Mike Johnson took power five months ago after the chaotic ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Legislators are still struggling to approve funding bills for the current year and have been deadlocked for months on foreign assistance bills to help Ukraine stave off Russia’s invasion and to support Israel’s fight against Hamas.
Johnson urged Republicans in a private meeting Wednesday to show “decorum” during the speech, but he appeared to have limited success. A number of House Republicans began to stand up and leave the chamber as Biden discussed raising taxes on billionaires and corporations. Others remained in their chairs and shook their heads, while Johnson didn’t disguise his emotions, raising his eyebrows and occasionally rolling his eyes.
Biden engaged in a loud call and response with lawmakers as he rhetorically questioned whether the tax code was fair and whether billionaires and corporations need “another $2 trillion in tax breaks,” as he charged Republicans want.
Biden also highlighted his efforts to fight “shrinkflation” — companies putting fewer pretzels in the jar and less yogurt in sealed cups — and so-called “junk fees” on services. Neither is a primary cause of inflation, but the White House aimed to show consumers that Biden is fighting for them.
Congressional Republican leaders showcased one of their newest lawmakers through the State of the Union rebuttal, hoping to make a generational contrast with Biden. Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, the youngest Republican woman elected to the Senate, painted a picture of a nation that “seems to be slipping away” and one where “our families are hurting.”
“Right now, our commander-in-chief is not in command. The free world deserves better than a dithering and diminished leader,” Britt said, speaking deliberately in an address from her home kitchen. “America deserves leaders who recognize that secure borders, stable prices, safe streets, and a strong defense are the cornerstones of a great nation.”
Biden, by contrast, insisted the state of the union was “strong and getting stronger.”
Trump responded to the speech in real time on his Truth Social site, defending himself and criticizing Biden for what he called “may be the Angriest, Least Compassionate, and Worst State of the Union Speech ever made. It was an Embarrassment to our Country!”
This year, Biden faced heightened emotions — particularly among his base supporters — over his strong support for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Biden had initially hoped a short-term cease-fire would be in place by the speech to allow for the release of more hostages and surge much-needed aid into the territory. The White House blames Hamas for not yet accepting a deal brokered by the U.S. and its allies.
Biden said that Israel needs to allow more aid into Gaza and ensure that humanitarian workers are not caught in the fighting. He warned Israel not to use aid as a bargaining chip with Hamas, while also affirming Israel's right to defend itself from attacks by the militant group.
Many Democrats and Republicans wore pins and stickers to honor the Israeli hostages held in Gaza. In contrast, some House progressives wore Palestinian keffiyehs, the black and white checkered scarfs that symbolize Palestinian solidarity. On the way to the address, Biden's motorcade took a roundabout route to the Capitol, as hundreds of pro-cease-fire demonstrators tried to disrupt its path from the White House.
Immigration was a contentious issue during the night.
The GOP-controlled House has rejected the Senate-passed aid legislation, demanding tougher measures to limit migration at the U.S.-Mexico border. This comes after Trump used his influence to derail a bipartisan compromise with similar measures.
While Biden listed the endorsements of the legislation by conservative groups, some in the audience seemed to yell and interrupt. Biden responded, "I know you know how to read."
As Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, wearing pro-Trump gear, continued to shout at Biden, the president held up a white button that the Georgia Republican had given him earlier, with the name of the slain Laken Riley. Authorities say the Georgia nursing student was killed by a Venezuelan national who illegally crossed into the U.S. in September 2022.
Biden mentioned Laken Riley, calling her an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal. He offered condolences to her family, expressing that his heart goes out to them.
Access to abortion and fertility treatments was also a focal point of Biden's speech, particularly in light of a controversial ruling from Alabama’s Supreme Court that has disrupted access to in vitro fertilization treatment in the state.
Biden told his friends across the aisle not to delay families any longer. He acknowledged Latorya Beasley, a guest of first lady Jill Biden, whose IVF treatments were canceled after the Alabama ruling. He urged to guarantee the right to IVF nationwide.
Another guest was Kate Cox, who sued Texas and eventually left her home state to get an emergency abortion after a severe fetal anomaly was detected, in a case that gained national attention.
