President Biden gave a passionate State of the Union speech to a deeply divided Congress and nation on Thursday night. Many saw it as unusually political as the president gets ready to confront former President Trump in the general election.
The speech, which lasted over an hour, covered several important issues for the 2024 election, such as immigration and abortion. It also included interruptions from conservatives and progressives, including an unplanned discussion between the president and one of his main GOP critics.
The facial expressions of Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) also made news, as he became the third Speaker to sit behind Biden during a State of the Union address.
Here are five memorable moments from the president’s speech.
Biden and Greene have an unusual interaction
One of the most talked-about moments of the speech was an unusual interaction between the president and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), one of his strongest critics in Congress. It was about Laken Riley, a Georgia student who was killed by a man who had crossed the border illegally.
Greene gave Biden a pin as he entered the chamber for his speech with “say her name Laken Riley” written on it. Greene had given these pins to lawmakers before Thursday night’s address.
Then, while Biden was talking about the situation at the southern border, Greene shouted “it’s about Laken Riley” and other Republicans echoed “say her name.”
Biden held up the pin Greene gave him and replied to the congresswoman from the dais.
“Laken Riley, an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal,” he said. “To her parents I say my heart goes out to you, having lost children myself. I understand.”
The exchange received criticism from Democrats. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told reporters after the speech “I wish he hadn’t engaged with Marjorie Taylor Greene and used the word illegal.”
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), when asked about the interaction, said Republicans became “very emotional” during the speech because it was “overly partisan.” Johnson had urged his members to act respectfully during Biden’s remarks.
“People got very emotional tonight because it was an overly partisan speech and it was filled with information that is just objectively not true. So you saw the visceral reaction, I think, from people in the chamber and I suspect that a lot of people at home were feeling that same frustration,” he said.
Progressives hold signs saying ‘stop sending bombs’
Several progressive lawmakers criticized the Biden administration’s approach to Israel, holding up signs with the message “stop sending bombs” as Biden discussed the conflict with Hamas.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), the only Palestinian member of Congress, as well as Reps. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) were seen holding the signs.
This silent protest reflects the divisions within Biden's own party, with many unhappy about his military support for Israel as Palestinian civilian casualties rise.
Biden talked in detail about the conflict in his speech, saying that “Israel has a right to go after Hamas” and also pointing out that many of the 30,000 Palestinian casualties are not connected to the terror group.
The Biden administration announced on Thursday that it would start a temporary pier to help deliver aid to Gaza.
Biden also made some of his strongest comments about Israel’s need to protect civilians.
“To the leadership of Israel I say this: Humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip. Protecting and saving innocent lives has to be a priority,” he said.
Trump enters House chamber
Former President Trump may not have been in the Capitol for Thursday night’s speech, but his presence was felt in the House chamber.
Greene, a close ally of the ex-president, wore a bright red MAGA hat during Biden’s remarks. Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas), meanwhile, wore a shirt featuring Trump’s mugshot with the words “never surrender!” and a patriotic bowtie. The Texas Republican stood in the back of the chamber with his blazer open, displaying the Trump shirt.
But it was not just the attire that indicated Trump. Biden’s speech — which Republicans criticized for being unusually political for a State of the Union address — did not mention Trump but referred to “my predecessor” thirteen times, according to prepared remarks provided by the White House.
Biden criticized Trump for his comments about the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, blamed the former president for derailing the bipartisan immigration bill crafted by a group of senators, and condemned his efforts to overturn Roe v. Wade by stacking the Supreme Court with conservative justices.
The lines received applause from Democrats but were met with expectedly cold reception from Republicans.
“The speech was angry, it was divisive. It was out of touch with reality,” said Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas), criticizing portions that called on Republicans to support a bipartisan immigration package drafted in the Senate.
“I think that he was insinuating that we are the ones that are causing [the border] to not be secure. And so it’s just, where’s the inspiration for our country? Where’s the leader that is not so angry, yelling at us. I honestly felt like it was just an angry speech,” he added.
Johnson shakes head throughout remarks
Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) facial reactions to Biden’s speech drew attention, with the nods and occasional eye rolls a constant feature behind the president.
Before the speech, Johnson’s first as Speaker, he urged his party to behave with dignity during the event.
But the calm Speaker’s disagreement with the speech came through nevertheless, including shaking his head no and offering a slight eye roll when Biden criticized Trump for “fail[ing] the most basic duty” to care for the American people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“People are saying that I made funny facial expressions. I tried to keep a poker face, but it was very difficult. I disagreed so strongly with so much of what he said, and I think the people back home did as well,” Johnson told reporters after the speech.
“Many memes are circulating tonight about my facial expressions. I did not like the speech, and I don’t think the American people liked it either. There wasn’t much I could do about that. I suppose I didn’t hide my feelings very well,” he told Fox News’ Sean Hannity.
Johnson expressed disbelief and disapproval when Biden discussed his administration’s policy on the federal deficit.
Johnson also expressed disapproval a couple of times when Biden criticized the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that Trump signed into law in 2017. This continued when Biden criticized Trump for the increase in the national debt during his presidency.
And Johnson expressed contempt and disagreement when Biden accused Republicans of wanting to put Social Security “on the chopping block” and giving tax cuts for wealthy individuals.
Lankford nodded in agreement as Biden praised stalled immigration package
Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) gave a solemn nod and mouthed “it’s true” when Biden ran down a list of immigration priorities that would have been addressed by a bipartisan package negotiated by the Oklahoma Republican.
As soon as Biden mentioned the stalled reform bill, cameras immediately focused on Lankford, who was swiftly abandoned by his party after the monthslong effort collapsed with the loss of support from key Senate Republicans.
A serious-faced Langford initially stared straight ahead as Biden both praised the bill as “the toughest set of border security reforms we’ve ever seen” and took Republicans to task for failing to support it.
“Oh, you don’t like that bill, huh?” Biden said amid Republican boos. “That conservatives got together and said was a good bill? I’ll be darned. That’s amazing.”
But as Biden listed the priorities in the bill – 1,500 border agents, as well as funding the hiring of 100 more immigration judges and 4,300 more asylum officers – Lankford began to nod in agreement.
