Biden Casts His Age as Asset, Making the Case for 2nd Term in State of the Union Address
The president took credit score for the post-Covid-19 financial restoration, calling it ’the best comeback story.’
WASHINGTON—President Joe Biden delivered his third State of the Union tackle on March 7 amid mounting issues about his age and psychological health in a vital election 12 months.
He seized the chance to laud his achievements regardless of low job approval scores, notably on essential coverage points just like the economic system and unlawful immigration. He sought to show that he was worthy of a second time period.
One of many extremely anticipated moments of the State of the Union was the president’s response to issues about his age.
“I do know I could not appear to be it, however I’ve been round some time,” he joked as he neared the tip of his speech. “And once you get to my age, sure issues change into clearer than ever earlier than.”
President Biden, 81, is the oldest sitting president in American historical past. If he wins reelection, he’ll be 86 by the tip of his second time period.
“In my profession, I’ve been instructed I’m too younger and I’m too previous,” he stated. “Whether or not younger or previous, I’ve all the time recognized what endures. Our North Star.”
A latest New York Occasions/Siena Faculty ballot confirmed that President Biden’s age is more and more worrying Individuals, together with those that supported him in 2020. In accordance with the ballot, 61 p.c of respondents believed President Biden was “simply too previous” to be an efficient president.
The State of the Union tackle got here a number of weeks after a particular counsel raised issues concerning the president’s psychological sharpness and characterised him in a report as a “well-meaning, aged man with a poor reminiscence.”
“My fellow Individuals, the difficulty going through our nation isn’t how previous we’re, it’s how previous our concepts are.”
Biden’s FDR Second
In his tackle to the joint session of Congress that began at 9:26 p.m. native time, President Biden started his speech by stating that “freedom and democracy are underneath assault, each at residence and abroad.”
He likened the second to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s tackle in January 1941, when “Hitler was on the march” in Europe.
He warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin is equally on the march, attacking Ukraine and inflicting chaos throughout Europe and past. He urged Congress to approve Ukraine help and “rise up” to Putin.
He then spoke about January sixth, describing it as “the gravest menace to our democracy because the Civil Battle.” He accused his predecessor and a few Republicans of burying the reality concerning the Jan. 6 occasions.
Throughout his tackle, President Biden took repeated swipes at former President Donald Trump, with out instantly naming him.
The State of the Union tackle, which lasted 68 minutes, echoed the president’s reelection marketing campaign speeches in each tone and magnificence.
The president stated that he assumed workplace throughout probably the most difficult instances of the pandemic. He took credit score for the post-Covid-19 financial restoration, calling it “the best comeback story.”
“I got here to workplace decided to get us via one of many hardest durations in our nation’s historical past. And we now have,” he stated. “It doesn’t make the information, however in 1000’s of cities and cities, the American individuals are writing the best comeback story by no means instructed.”
He went on touting his legislative wins and different initiatives, claiming that they boosted document investments and created 15 million new jobs.
President Biden stated the “state of our union is powerful and getting stronger.”
Reactions
Whereas Democrats believed the speech was sturdy, optimistic, and unifying, Republicans criticized President Biden for being partisan and hostile.
“The speech was sturdy, and President Biden was sturdy,” Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) stated on X (previously Twitter). “He was stuffed with power and optimism for the longer term and for the center class in America.”
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) contrasted the president’s imaginative and prescient with former President Donald Trump’s “Make American Nice Once more (MAGA)” plan.
“President Biden’s hopeful, unifying, forward-looking imaginative and prescient stands in stark distinction with an excessive MAGA agenda that seeks to tear away our freedoms, rig the economic system for the ultra-rich, and abandon our accountability to guard and defend,” she stated on X.
![Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (R) chats with Democratic Representative from California Nancy Pelosi (C) in the House of Representatives ahead of President Joe Biden's third State of the Union in the House Chamber of the Capitol, on March 7, 2024. (Shawn Thew/Pool/AFP)](https://www.theepochtimes.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F03%2F08%2Fid5603327-Schumer_Pelosi-1200x800.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
Nevertheless, Republicans stated that the State of the Union tackle sounded extra like a marketing campaign speech.
“It was a very hyper-partisan speech. I don’t know how one can describe it. It was a marketing campaign speech, and a reasonably vitriolic one,” Home Speaker Mike Johnson instructed reporters.
“I attempted to maintain a poker face, nevertheless it was very troublesome,” he added.
Throughout the State of the Union speech, cameras caught Mr. Johnson rolling his eyes and shaking his head on a number of events.
“Frankly, I believe this complete train has gotten much less and fewer invaluable. It’s political theater. These are marketing campaign speeches,” Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) instructed The Epoch Occasions forward of the speech.
Biden Places Abortion Entrance and Middle
As anticipated, President Biden throughout his tackle emphasised abortion rights, a platform difficulty for his 2024 presidential marketing campaign. He known as on Congress to revive the protections of Roe v. Wade, which was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Courtroom almost two years in the past.
“Clearly these bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade don’t have any clue concerning the energy of ladies in America,” President Biden stated.
“However they came upon when reproductive freedom was on the poll and gained in 2022, 2023, and they’ll discover out once more in 2024. If Individuals ship me a Congress that helps the precise to decide on, I promise you: I’ll restore Roe v. Wade because the regulation of the land once more.”
The White Home and Democrats invited dozens of company to convey this matter to the forefront of the State of the Union tackle.
One of many company was Kate Cox, a Texas girl who needed to depart her state to hunt an abortion after her unborn child was identified with a complication.
One other visitor was Latorya Beasley, an Alabama girl who was impacted by the latest ruling in her state concerning frozen embryos created via in vitro fertilization (IVF).
![Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts (L) and Sheldon Whitehouse from Rhode Island (L) cheer as US President Joe Biden delivers his third State of the Union at the Capitol, on March 7, 2024. (Shawn Thew/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)](https://www.theepochtimes.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F03%2F08%2Fid5603328-Democrats_SOTU-1200x800.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
Border Disaster
The Biden administration is at the moment coping with a historic disaster on the southern border. His State of the Union tackle got here amid rising public disapproval of his border insurance policies, with many Individuals holding him liable for the present surge in unlawful immigration.
Final week, President Biden visited the South Texas border in Brownsville. Throughout his go to, he urged Congress to move a border safety and immigration reform invoice that was agreed within the Senate.
He criticized Republicans and the previous president for obstructing the Senate deal.
He doubled down on his message throughout the State of the Union tackle.
“We will battle concerning the border, or we are able to repair it. I’m prepared to repair it,” President Biden stated. “Ship me the border invoice now!”
Republicans, nonetheless, rejected the Senate border deal, arguing that its provisions weren’t sturdy sufficient to stop the inflow of unlawful immigrants.
“He might repair this yesterday, and but he’s refused to take action,” Home Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) instructed The Epoch Occasions.
“The one purpose he’s involved concerning the border now’s as a result of it has risen to the extent of a political legal responsibility. That’s going to get him out of workplace.”
Unlawful Versus Undocumented
Throughout his tackle, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) interrupted the president, demanding that he acknowledge the latest homicide of Laken Riley, a nursing pupil from Athens, Georgia, allegedly by an unlawful immigrant.
President Biden went off script. “Lincoln Riley, an harmless younger girl who was killed by an unlawful. That’s proper,” he stated, mispronouncing the coed’s title as Lincoln.
![Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) shouts at President Joe Biden as he delivers the State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the Capital building on March 7, 2024. (Shawn Thew-Pool/Getty Images)](https://www.theepochtimes.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F03%2F08%2Fid5603297-GettyImages-2059264207-1200x800.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
He then addressed Ms. Riley’s dad and mom: “My coronary heart goes out to you, having misplaced kids myself.”
President Biden got here underneath hearth for referring to the killer as “unlawful” as an alternative of “undocumented.”
“He ought to have stated undocumented, nevertheless it’s not a giant factor,” Ms. Pelosi defined throughout an interview with CNN.
Gaza Announcement
Throughout his speech, President Biden introduced that he had directed the U.S. navy to construct a port within the Mediterranean, on the Gaza coast, to facilitate the supply of humanitarian help to Palestinians.
The short-term pier will obtain massive ships carrying meals, water, drugs, and short-term shelters to deal with the pressing wants of the civilian inhabitants.
![U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) (C) and Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) hold up signs as President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address at the Capitol, on March 07, 2024. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)](https://www.theepochtimes.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F03%2F08%2Fid5603329-Tlaib_protest-1200x800.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
The president’s State of the Union message on Gaza, nonetheless, was overshadowed by a big protest within the nation’s capital. Demonstrators calling for a ceasefire between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas blocked a route from the White Home forward of the president’s speech.
The protest delayed President Biden’s arrival on the Capitol by about half-hour.
The president acquired a chilly reception throughout the State of the Union from some “Squad” members who’ve been vital of the president’s response to the battle in Gaza.
These members embrace Reps. Summer season Lee (D-Pa.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Cori Bush (D-Mo.), Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Delia Ramirez (D-Sick.), and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.).
They withheld their applause and refused to take part in chants of “4 extra years” throughout the president’s speech.