DAILY WIRE
President Joe Biden touted his administration’s record, called for bipartisanship, and appeared to kick off his re-election campaign in his second State of the Union address Tuesday night, and first to a Republican-controlled House of Representatives.
In a 74-minute address punctuated by occasional GOP jeers, Biden claimed the economy is strengthening, vowed to protect social security, and renewed his call for the rich to “pay their fair share” in taxes before concluding the nation is in good shape.
“Because the soul of this nation is strong, because the backbone of this nation is strong, because the people of this nation are strong, the State of the Union is strong,” Biden declared, as Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy stood behind him.
One of the first things Biden did during his address was to recognize the new Congress and give McCarthy a handshake, a gesture that received loud applause. “Mr. Speaker, I don’t want to ruin your reputation, but I look forward to working with you,” Biden quipped.
CSPAN on X (formerly Twitter): “LIVE –> State of the Union Address & Republican Response – LIVE on C-SPAN https://t.co/2kxXKC4nP8 #SOTU #SOTU2023 https://t.co/m7Otem8wTO / X”
LIVE –> State of the Union Address & Republican Response – LIVE on C-SPAN https://t.co/2kxXKC4nP8 #SOTU #SOTU2023 https://t.co/m7Otem8wTO
McCarthy released a video on Twitter signaling that he would not repeat the “theatrics” that his predecessor, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), put on display when she ripped up a paper copy of former President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech in 2020. However there were multiple outbursts by members of his caucus as Biden spoke.
Biden, 80, slurred and stumbled over some words and phrases in the speech, which was long by State of the Union standards, his voice rising oddly at various times. The president talked tough about China, although he only indirectly alluded to the suspected spy balloon that flew over the United States last week, saying, “If China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country. And we did,” he said. The U.S. military shot down the balloon over the weekend, but only after it reached the Atlantic Ocean.
“Name me a world leader who’d change places with Xi Jinping! Name me one!” Biden proclaimed, referring to China’s leader, in a puzzling moment apparently aimed at touting what has been widely viewed as a tepid response.
