President Biden gave his last State of the Union before the 2024 election on Thursday night.
It was a crucial moment — a rare chance to talk directly to the American public, who currently have a low opinion of the president.
Fifty-eight percent of Americans disapprove of Biden’s job performance, while only 40 percent approve, according to The Hill and Decision Desk HQ's polling average.
Biden is slightly less likely to win in November against former President Trump, who has essentially secured the GOP nomination with big wins on Super Tuesday this week.
Biden met the moderate expectations on Thursday, delivering his 67-minute speech with energy and enthusiasm.
Here are the main things to take away.
Biden, targeting Trump, delivers a campaign speech
For better or worse, this was one of the most openly political speeches in recent years.
Biden took the chance to present his case for the upcoming election, just eight months away.
Right from the start of the speech, he criticized Trump — without using his name — for his recent comments on NATO and Russia.
Biden then transitioned to discussing the events of Jan. 6, accusing Trump and other Republicans of trying to hide the truth about that day. “I will not do that,” Biden said.
He tried to portray the GOP as being controlled by the super-rich on tax issues; against women’s reproductive rights, from abortion to IVF treatment; and as a threat to Social Security and Medicare.
Biden and his speechwriters included some clever moments, like his reminder that the Affordable Care Act is “still a very big deal” — referring to his famously blunt remark to then-President Obama about the law.
Republicans argued that it was an overly partisan speech. However, that argument is weaker when their ranks include figures like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who wore a MAGA hat and heckled the president.
In essence, Biden used the grandeur of the occasion better than expected to begin his general election campaign in earnest.
81-year-old president attempts to address the age issue
Age is the president’s most significant weakness as he seeks a second term.
Polls consistently show that about 75 percent of the American public are worried about the 81-year-old Biden’s ability to effectively serve a second term.
In the final part of Thursday’s speech, Biden directly addressed the issue and tried to use it to his advantage — or at least lessen the impact of the issue.
Starting with a joke, “I may not look like it but I’ve been around a while,” Biden argued that his age provides him with a broad and genuine understanding of American history and values.
He mentioned qualities like dignity and honesty, adding “other people my age see it differently,” clearly taking a dig at Trump. His predecessor, Biden implied, was focused on “resentment, revenge and retribution.”
The age issue will continue to be a concern. Biden did stumble over several lines on Thursday, although he avoided any truly disastrous mistakes.
However, he at least tried his hardest to create a positive story about his significant weakness.
A new action on Gaza, amid increasing progressive anger
The political importance of Gaza has increased along with the terrible death toll in recent months.
Progressives and younger voters are especially dissatisfied with Biden’s strong support of Israel. However, more mainstream Democrats have also begun to express unease.
Biden correctly announced a new development that the White House had previously indicated — a plan to utilize the U.S. military to construct an emergency pier on Gaza’s Mediterranean coast.
The pier is meant to bring urgent aid into Gaza, where the United Nations has stated that over half a million people are facing “catastrophic” deprivation and near-starvation.
Biden made an effort to emphasize that “no U.S. boots will be on the ground.” Instead, the plan is to build the pier from offshore.
It is not known yet if the announcement will lessen any of the political pressure that has mounted on Biden from his left.
He must also deal with the fact that, so far, the ceasefire he says he is seeking in the Middle East has proven difficult to achieve.
An effort to change the story on immigration
The large numbers of migrants crossing the southern border have been a significant burden on Biden’s political fortunes.
Regarding policies, immigration is generally one of two issues — the other being inflation — where the president receives the lowest scores.
However, Biden and the Democrats believe they were given a political advantage when Trump’s opposition sank a recent bipartisan border deal that had been in the works for months.
On Thursday, Biden criticized the Republicans for opposing the deal, which he pointed out would have increased the numbers of immigration judges, asylum officers, and drug detection machines
Biden also stressed that the deal had been supported by the Border Patrol Union.
When Republicans expressed dissent, Biden responded “Look at the facts. I know you know how to read,” as the Democrats cheered him on.
Biden made a mistake moments later, when he mispronounced the name of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old who was killed in Athens, Ga., last month, as “Lincoln” Riley. The man charged with Riley’s murder entered the United States illegally.
Immigration, like age, will continue to be a weakness for Biden. The error in Riley’s name could also undermine the argument he was trying to make on Thursday.
GOP rising star stumbles in response
Giving a response to the State of the Union is a thankless task.
The response, typically delivered alone to camera, automatically seems less impressive than a president speaking amid the grandeur of the Capitol.
No-one has pulled the feat off brilliantly. But Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) fared especially poorly on Thursday.
Essentially, Britt’s remarks were standard GOP rhetoric.
But her peculiar, overly theatrical delivery made her response stand out in all the wrong ways.
She was presumably trying to convey emotion. Instead, social media lit up with mocking claims of inauthenticity.
That was a setback for a young senator seen as a Republican rising star.
On CNN, ex-Trump White House official Alyssa Farah Griffin also objected to filming the response in Britt’s kitchen — a setting that appeared to reinforce sexist stereotypes.
