Biden made an attack on Putin in his last message: he caused laughter

Biden may not have said his predecessor’s name during his speech, but there was no doubt that Trump was at the center of the presidential address, making Thursday’s speech a particularly politically charged annual address, CNN noted.

It was a reflection of the extraordinary political moment Biden finds himself in, in which the political norms of recent decades – the ones Biden openly yearned for – have been largely cast aside.

The overall tone of Biden’s speech, his last State of the Union address before November, was strikingly combative, The Guardian writes.

The President took several shots at Trump; his prepared remarks made derisive references to “my predecessor” 13 times. Biden has repeatedly referenced Trump when criticizing the former president’s views on everything from foreign policy to immigration reform.

At the very beginning of his speech, he mentioned “my predecessor,” criticizing the former president for his statement about encouraging Russia to invade NATO countries that do not meet defense spending targets.

“This is dangerous and unacceptable,” Biden raged from the podium. – My message to President Putin, whom I have known for a long time, is simple. We won’t leave. We will not bow down. I will not bow.”

Shortly after, Biden pushed back against Trump’s post-2020 election claims as the “worst threat to democracy” since the Civil War.

By then, a pattern had emerged: Biden had repeatedly pitted himself against Trump on issues of abortion, immigration, taxes and much more, while Democrats in the room cheered him on.

It was as clear a sign as any of how Biden views the upcoming general election campaign, with nothing less than the future of American democracy on the ballot, CNN emphasized. And even as he works to tout his own accomplishments, equally important to Biden was a warning about what could happen if Trump returns to the White House.

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The speech was delivered during a joint session of Congress in the House of Representatives. State of the Union addresses are often staid statements with predictable lists of policies and proposals. This did not happen on Thursday, as Biden often deviated from the script, adhering to liberal views and negotiating with Republicans, CNN notes.

Occasional clashes with Republicans – over their plans on taxes, Social Security and immigration – clearly energized the US president as he delivered his speech, CNN claims. Biden seemed to build those moments into his speech after last year’s speech, when his back-and-forth with Republicans in the crowd was a standout moment.

These moments allowed Biden to show that he was willing to engage with Republicans, but also, in his view, to dismantle some of their arguments.

At the same time, Republican members of Congress who sat on the House floor when Biden made his remarks occasionally criticized Trump. At the start of his speech, Biden said: “My predecessor failed to fulfill the most basic presidential responsibility he owes to the American people: the responsibility to care. I think this is unforgivable.”

One member of Congress responded to this remark by shouting, “Lies!”

Biden later engaged Republican members directly on immigration, attacking them for blocking a bipartisan border and national security deal that stalled in the Senate last month.

In a tense moment, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a far-right Republican from Georgia, implored Biden to name Laken Riley, a Georgia college student who was killed by an undocumented immigrant.

Greene handed Biden a badge with Riley’s name on it as he entered the chamber, and the president raised the badge while saying her name, although he appeared to mispronounce her name. Biden then expressed his condolences to Riley’s parents and emphasized the need to “change the dynamics at the border,” saying, “I would respectfully suggest that my Republican friends owe it to the American people to pass this bill. We need to act now.”

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By now, questions about Biden’s age and suitability for office have become one of the main backdrops of the presidential campaign. That’s one of the main reasons many Democrats say they would prefer another candidate.

So it was inevitable that Biden would face this problem during his speech, whether he wanted to or not. Beyond the substance of his speech, the way he spoke and the way he looked while speaking were important factors in how Americans received his message, CNN notes.

Biden came out invigorated and delivered a high-energy speech that was a far cry from some of his more subdued speeches that have left supporters uneasy. He delivered most of his speech at high volume.

According to CNN, Biden spent much of last week honing and meticulously rehearsing his speech, both at the White House and at the Camp David presidential residence.

Aides acknowledged before the speech that Biden’s age was a topic on voters’ minds, and the president was willing to touch on it in his speech, if not dwell on it.

His argument on this front – that Trump was almost the same age but with outdated and vindictive views – was aimed at defusing the situation and turning it against his opponent.

“When you get to my age, some things become clearer than ever,” Biden said in his speech, drawing widespread laughter.

He continued: “The problem facing our nation is not how old we are, but how old our ideas are,” later adding that we “cannot lead with ancient ideas.”

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Foreign policy usually takes a backseat during State of the Union speeches; the target audience is Congress and the American people, and their problems usually lie within the borders of the United States.

But for reasons not entirely in his control, Biden is the foreign policy president at a time of deep global tension. The conflict in Ukraine continues, and the future of American aid to Kyiv is in doubt. And Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, sparked by the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, has created a humanitarian crisis that is dividing Biden’s political coalition.

So it was inevitable that foreign affairs would occupy more of Biden’s time than in previous appearances, even if his aides acknowledge that it is not a topic that is always top of voters’ minds. She also took up much of the opening part of his speech.

Beginning his remarks with a strong defense of U.S. allies abroad, Biden called on Congress to approve increased funding for Ukraine amid its conflict with Russia and denounced Trump’s recent comments about NATO. Biden pompously compared the moment to 1941, when the United States stood on the brink of entering World War II, and repeatedly reminded Americans that “history is watching” to see how the nation responds to crises unfolding around the world. Reflecting on the deadly violence seen at the Capitol on Jan. 6, Biden warned that democracy faces a fundamental threat.

“Not since President Lincoln and the Civil War have our freedom and democracy been under attack at home like they are today,” Biden said. “What makes our moment rare is that freedom and democracy are under attack both at home and abroad at the same time.”

Meanwhile, even before Biden entered the Capitol, widespread dissatisfaction with his handling of the war between Israel and Hamas was evident from protests along his motorcade’s route.

In his speech, Biden made clear the need to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza and announced that he was directing the US military to build a temporary port in Gaza that would allow more food, water and medicine to be brought into the strip.

At the same time, as The Guardian notes, Biden promised that the mission would not include the deployment of American troops on the ground and would contribute to a significant influx of cargo into Gaza.

Reiterating his belief in Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas, Biden condemned the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where Israeli airstrikes have killed more than 30,000 Palestinians.

“What I say to Israel is this: humanitarian aid cannot be an afterthought or a bargaining chip. Protecting and saving innocent lives must be a priority,” Biden said. “As we look to the future, the only real solution to the situation over time is a two-state solution.”

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If there was one thing Biden’s speech on Thursday was about, it was to remind American voters – many of whom may not have been paying attention for the past three years – exactly what he’s been up to, CNN said.

Polls show many voters remain dissatisfied with the direction the country is heading despite the economy, by most measures, recovering from Covid-19. When asked in polls, many Americans have little understanding of the achievements Biden has worked toward that have helped rebuild the economy.

That’s partly why Biden talks about “the greatest comeback story never told” in his speech – partly in response to what he sees as persistently negative media coverage, partly in recognition that he could do more to explain his agenda for ordinary Americans.

At the same time, Biden’s team recognizes that there is a balance to be struck and that Americans with legitimate concerns about the economy don’t necessarily want to be lectured about positive economic indicators that they themselves are not experiencing.

That’s why Biden has chosen to emphasize populist issues such as raising tax rates on the rich and corporations and lowering the cost of prescription drugs, which Democrats are confident will benefit from.

Likewise, Democrats believe that showing outrage over corporate greed and pricing will work to their advantage, especially as concerns about the cost of living continue to drag down Biden’s poll numbers.