Biden's State of the Union Address: On Trump, the Economy, Ukraine, Putin, and the Middle East

(Patria) - President Joe Biden delivered a fiery State of the Union address, attacking Donald Trump and covering broad themes of his re-election campaign, the BBC reported.

Biden used the phrase "my predecessor" thirteen times in a speech lasting more than an hour, referring to Trump. He accused him of "bowing" to Russia and criticized him for the Capitol unrest. Biden also covered immigration, abortion, the economy, and Gaza.

The atmosphere in the House chamber was at times boisterous, with loud cheers from Democrats and jeers from some Republicans. It was a spectacle more typical of a political convention than a State of the Union address – a constitutionally mandated report that is usually heavy on pageantry and policy.

Attack on Trump

Unsurprisingly, many of his claims were aimed at Trump, given that he is almost certain to be his opponent in the general election in November.

"My predecessor failed the most basic duty that any president owes the American people – the duty of care," he said, referring to Trump's handling of the Covid pandemic. "That is unforgivable."

He criticized Trump for his recent comments on Russia and NATO and said he had tried to "bury the truth" about the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol. He blamed him for the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v Wade, which guaranteed the right to abortion, and for blocking bipartisan immigration reforms.

Trump, meanwhile, vowed to respond in real-time to the speech on his Truth Social platform.

"Biden is running from his record and lying like crazy to try to escape responsibility for the terrible devastation that he and his party have caused," he wrote. "They are continuing the same policies that are causing this horror show to continue," he added.

Biden alluded to his age, also referencing Trump, who at 77 is only a few years younger than him.

"I know it may not look like it, but I've been around for a while," he said.

After listing a string of positive attributes he said defined America, he added:

"Some other people my age see a different story: an American story of resentment, revenge, and retribution."

On Immigration

Biden regularly responded to what was at times a hostile audience on the Republican side of the House. He joked, parried, and feigned surprise at their outbursts.

He stumbled when discussing immigration. After Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene accused him of ignoring the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley by an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant, Biden held up a badge with her name on it, which Greene had given him as he entered.

After seemingly mispronouncing her name as "Lincoln" Riley, he said she was killed by an "illegal" – a term criticized by immigrant rights groups. Biden went on to call on Republicans to support the bipartisan immigration bill passed by the Senate and accused Trump of "playing politics" by opposing the bill for electoral gain.

Biden's Successes

When not attacking Trump, he sought to highlight what he characterized as record successes during his first term and to present a platform for his re-election.

"I inherited an economy that was on the brink," he said, "and now our economy is the envy of the world."

US economic figures have been rising for months. Public perception of the economy, however, is much darker. Biden nodded to this disconnect, calling the US economic turnaround "the greatest untold story."

It was a speech aimed at the American middle class, who make up the majority of the electorate. It included a number of new proposals, most of which would require passage by Congress, an unlikely scenario unless Democrats regain control of the House in November.

He offered a tax credit for new homebuyers, whose purchasing power has been eroded by higher mortgage rates. He also called for extending the cap on prescription drug costs to every American with health insurance and increasing taxes on corporations.

On Gaza and Ukraine

Biden began his speech by calling for military aid to Ukraine and welcomed Finland and Sweden's entry into NATO, but much of his foreign policy discussion came towards the end when he turned his attention to the Middle East.

Biden said his administration was working on a ceasefire that would last "at least six weeks" and detailed a plan, announced earlier in the day, for the US to build a temporary pier in Gaza to allow humanitarian aid to arrive by ship.

He delivered some sharp words for Israel, calling the civilian casualties in Gaza "heartbreaking" and saying it had an "essential responsibility" to protect innocent lives. He had previously condemned Hamas's attack.

He called for the creation of a Palestinian state, which he sees as a guarantee for Israel to live in peace with its neighbors. Speaking about Ukraine, Biden pledged to stand with Kyiv and told Americans that Ukrainians were just asking for weapons and that they could stop Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"I say this to Congress: We must stand up to (Vladimir) Putin. Send me the bipartisan national security bill. History is literally watching us," Biden urged.