Biden swipes at GOP in fiery State of the Union speech

President Joe Biden delivers State of the Union address

"Nobody's gonna talk about cognitive impairment now" said Rep. Jerrold Nadler

(Image credit: Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images)

published 8 March 2024

What happened?

President Joe Biden delivered an energetic and political State of the Union speech Thursday night, criticizing his unnamed "predecessor" and congressional Republicans, defending democracy and reproductive rights, touting the economy, and announcing the construction of a pier to get more aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

Who said what?

"I know I may not look like it, but I've been around a while," Biden joked. "My lifetime has taught me to embrace freedom and democracy" and the core American values of "honesty, decency, dignity, equality." Some "other people my age" preach "resentment, revenge and retribution," he said, slyly poking at GOP challenger Donald Trump, "but you can't lead America with ancient ideas" like that. "Nobody's gonna talk about cognitive impairment now," Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) told Biden after the 68-minute speech. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), in the Republican rebuttal, called Biden a "dithering and diminished leader."

The commentary

"Jacked-Up Joe" spent "most of the night shouting" and "speeding through his speech," Sean Hannity said on Fox News. "If Republicans are reduced to complaining he yelled, that's a win," New York Magazine's Jonathan Chait said. "It was a campaign speech but a damn good one." "If I were a Democrat who'd been in a panic for three weeks, right now I'd be feeling a lot better," said Commentary's John Podhoretz.

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What next?

Biden and his team will "fan out" starting Friday "to amplify his message and sell his agenda with visits to key battleground states," The New York Times said.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.