The Background:
On Thursday, March 7th, President Biden delivered his third State of the Union Address. The State of the Union, derived from the Constitutional requirement that the president must “from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union,” has evolved into an annual event that draws millions of viewers across America. 2024’s State of the Union presented Biden with a crucial opportunity to regain voters' support and approval. Among several concerning metrics, like the overwhelming majority (86%) of Americans who believe Biden is too old to serve another term, Biden’s recent gaffes, and his approval rating percentages stagnating in the 30s, Biden needed to dispel concerns over his age by proving he still has what it takes to deliver a powerful speech on the national stage.
What We Got:
In his opening remarks, Biden stated that his purpose was “to wake up the Congress.” In a speech many summed up to be more akin to a campaign speech than a conventional State of the Union address, Biden frequently ad-libbed impromptu spars with political opponents. He refused to call out former President Trump by name, instead referring to Trump as his “predecessor” 13 times and offering criticism ahead of their presumptive November rematch. Importantly for his campaign, Biden mainly avoided major blunders during his speech. However, his mispronunciation of the name of Laken Riley, a college student who was murdered on the University of Georgia’s campus by an undocumented immigrant, as “Lincoln” was undoubtedly untimely. Beyond Biden’s speech, which garnered mixed reviews, the issues discussed were typical; Biden touched on all his familiar talking points about Ukraine, Israel, January 6th, abortion, the economy, and immigration. But the State of the Union––and those whom we have elected to lead––continue to make clear that politics have recentered around rhetoric and drawing eyes rather than the core issues.
For Democrats, Biden’s speech exceeded expectations. Former Obama official Patrick Gaspard called Biden’s vitality an issue at the “front and center” of American minds, further demonstrated by enduring concerns within his own party about his age. Based on CNN polling data, the number of people who believe Biden can carry out his duties as president slightly rebounded as Americans reacted somewhat positively to his speech. It’s hard not to share some of that sentiment; in what AP News called a ‘fiery’ State of the Union address, Biden appeared more energetic and showed more vitality than usual.
Republicans widely criticized Biden’s address, emphasizing his political approach to the speech. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), a moderate Republican, called it a “highly political speech” that would “not move the needle” looking ahead to the 2024 election. Romney has a point; Biden promised in 2020 and continues to promise that he is working towards unity, but by abandoning the typical State of the Union speech grounded in the issues while leaning hard into politics, Biden only further emphasized how previously non-politicized events have become affected by our polarization. It’s hard to imagine the unity he promised remains a priority after he spent much of his speech demonizing the candidate most Americans prefer, according to eight out of ten recent polls.
As for the rest of Congress, it is clearer than ever that we have entered a new era in politics; elected representatives failed to adhere to even the most basic protocols of attire and decorum. Attempting to make their own political statements, Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA 14th District) and Troy Nehls (R-TX 22nd District) appeared in a Make America Great Again hat and a t-shirt adorned with Trump’s mugshot, respectively.
Why This Year’s State of the Union is Significant:
Ordinarily, the State of the Union contains a familiar refrain from the sitting president: “The state of the Union is strong,” followed by a touting of his achievements while in office. But with political tensions rising between America’s two major parties, it seems each party couldn’t resist the opportunity to attempt to tear down the other, even if it meant creating a hard-to-watch spectacle in the middle of one of America’s traditions. For me, the real state of the Union––specifically, the state of politics––is disheartening. The activities of Congress and our elected officials on both sides seem to be more about tearing each other down than strengthening America, and that should be concerning for all of us.
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