Democrat President Joe Biden will take the podium Thursday evening to deliver his third and possibly, depending on the outcome of the November presidential election, last State of the Union address as president of the United States.
Biden will appear in the U.S. House chamber before the entire Congress — and sitting behind him will be Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) — for the address, scheduled to begin at 9:00 p.m. ET. The annual address from the nation’s chief executive is always filled with Washington pageantry, as most of the president’s cabinet — except for a designated survivor — as well as top military advisers, most of Congress, and most Supreme Court Justices attend the event in the House chamber.
State of the Union addresses are where presidents often tout accomplishments in the past year or lofty goals for the year ahead. But in Biden’s case, 2024’s speech comes at a particularly perilous time for him politically and for the nation policy-wise. Biden’s main general election opponent, former President Donald Trump, wrapped up the Republican nomination for president on Super Tuesday by knocking his last remaining challenger out of the race. Trump currently leads Biden in most general election polling and in key battleground states around the country, while Biden has reached a near-record low in his disapproval rating from American voters.
Furthermore, Biden’s own Justice Department — through Special Counsel Robert Hur — just determined that Biden will not face criminal charges he otherwise would have because, in Hur’s estimation, Biden is too “elderly” with “poor memory” issues. Biden will seek to use the stage on Thursday evening to prove his doubters wrong, something that he will likely do easily if he just sticks to the teleprompter throughout the address.
Then there are major problems facing the nation and the world that Biden will seek to regain control over. First off is the economy, where inflation continues to rage out of control, and Biden will seek to shift blame for that from himself and his Democrats’ failed policies to companies by leaning into the buzzword “Shrink-Flation.” That is hardly the only place Biden will play the blame game on Thursday: When it comes to immigration and his failed policies — which have allowed millions upon millions of migrants into the country — Biden will undoubtedly seek to blame Trump and Republicans in Congress for the flow because of their decision to block a bipartisan Senate foreign aid deal negotiated by, among others, Sen. James Lankford (R-OK). Biden’s blame on that will be factually inaccurate, however, since the Lankford deal would have made the problem far worse, not better at all, than it is currently — and Biden could fix this problem easily via executive action and a return to Trump’s policies.
Trump, for his part, says he will provide live commentary and fact-checking of Biden’s lies throughout the address via his Truth Social account. Trump’s response is far more important than the “official” Republican response offered by Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL), a selection of outgoing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Johnson, who will deliver her own speech afterward.
But perhaps the biggest tell in his State of the Union address will be how Biden handles what he and his closest advisers recently told the New Yorker they expect to be the centerpiece of his 2024 reelection campaign: The nonsensical argument that Republicans and Trump are somehow a threat to democracy itself. How political Biden gets in this speech, and how it is received after the fact, could very well determine whether Trump maintains or expands his general election-season-opening lead in the race for the White House.
Follow along here on Breitbart News for the latest breaking news and analysis throughout the address and afterward.
UPDATE 10:59 p.m. ET:
It’s hard to hear anything Britt is saying since she sounds like she’s about to cry the entire speech.
UPDATE 10:56 p.m. ET:
Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) is beginning the GOP response now. She’s giving the speech from her kitchen in Montgomery, Alabama.
Britt is bashing Biden as a “permanent politician” who’s been in office “longer than I’ve been alive.”
Britt is very smiley, but seems slightly nervous as she delivers the response. Leaked talking points ahead of Britt’s response being delivered seemed to step on her moment too:
Talking points from Katie Britt team on how to praise her rebuttal (which has yet to be delivered):
— Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) March 8, 2024
– Calling her "America's mom"
– Comparing her to Reagan – his Berlin speech + Shining City on a Hill
– Contrasting her with Biden on age and "relatability"https://t.co/JrdhAkoRsF
UPDATE 10:47 p.m. ET:
Tucker Carlson is doing a response to Biden’s State of the Union right now live:
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) March 8, 2024
UPDATE 10:35 p.m. ET:
Biden has finally finished this travesty of a partisan hit job speech. Even Jake Tapper on CNN says he has “never heard” a State of the Union with so many partisan attacks on the president’s leading political opponent.
UPDATE 10:30 p.m. ET:
Biden is about to wrap up the address and the crowd cheers the end of this travesty.
UPDATE 10:27 p.m. ET:
Now, Biden is claiming the Chinese Communist Party is not as strong as they’ve ever been thanks to him being in the White House, just totally and completely lying about China trying to claim he is standing up to them. This section is filled with lies.
UPDATE 10:24 p.m. ET:
Next up Biden is bashing the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, and pledges to bring home Hamas prisoners. He gets a rare bipartisan applause for that. He also says Israel has a right to go after Hamas. But now he’s defending the Palestinians too. “Israel has a fundamental responsibility thought to protect innocent civilians in Gaza,” Biden says.
Biden claims 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, “most of whom are not Hamas.”
So he turns what was a big bipartisan moment into a hard-left partisan attack on Israel.
Now he orders the U.S. military to build a port in Gaza–a wild move.
UPDATE 10:21 p.m. ET:
Now, Biden is leading the charge for gun control. More extreme partisanship from Biden. He’s also now attacking “my predecessor” again repeatedly. This is amazing to watch a president yell at his predecessor and general election opponent this year in an election year State of the Union address.
Biden then calls for an “assault weapons ban” and then lies by claiming “none of this violates the Second Amendment.”
UPDATE 10:17 p.m. ET:
A heckler was just led out of the chamber. It’s unclear what he was yelling at Biden.
UPDATE 10:14 p.m. ET:
Biden wraps the immigration section with an impassioned plea to Congress to send him the dead border bill now.
Then he immediately shifts into more partisanship on election issues and voting rights. Again, this is easily the most highly partisan State of the Union address in history.
UPDATE 10:12 p.m. ET:
Biden keeps attacking Trump directly, calling him “my predecessor.” While having a coughing fit, the president attacks Trump with fake attacks on immigration. This is wild.
UPDATE 10:10 p.m. ET:
Biden attacks Trump, then he trails off in his remarks and has a senior moment. Then, he mispronounces Laken Riley’s name as he holds up a button that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) gave him on his way into the chamber.
UPDATE 10:09 p.m. ET:
Now, Biden is lying claiming the Lankford immigration and foreign aid plan would have helped solve the border crisis. These lies draw a seriously harsh response from the Republicans in the chamber who boo him, derailing the president off his planned remarks.
UPDATE 10:05 p.m. ET:
Biden is straight up lying now about Republicans on Social Security, falsely claiming that the GOP wants to cut Social Security. Trump has made clear that he wants to protect Social Security.
Next, he’s blaming others than himself for inflation pushing this fake concept of “Shrink-Flation.”
UPDATE 10:03 p.m. ET:
Now Biden is pushing a billionaire tax of 25 percent, which he says will raise a half trillion dollars. Only Democrats are cheering.
UPDATE 10:01 p.m. ET:
Now Biden is attacking Trump’s tax cuts. He’s yelling out to the audience and Democrats are agreeing with him. Republicans are sitting there in awe at just how extreme this speech is.
UPDATE 9:59 p.m. ET:
Now Biden is beginning to make a pitch to increase taxes. The extremism continues.
UPDATE 9:57 p.m. ET:
Biden had his first major gaffe of the evening with that very odd “Moscow” moment. He’s also continuing to sound like he’s yelling at everyone in what is shaping up to be an extremely angry and partisan address.
UPDATE 9:44 p.m. ET:
The White House just released the full text of Biden’s State of the Union address which is visible on the White House website.
UPDATE 9:43 p.m. ET:
Joe Biden is currently falsely claiming his administration has succeeded on Made in America initiatives. He has not. Fact checkers are going to rip him apart on this part of things.
UPDATE 9:41 p.m. ET:
While Biden is ripping America apart with arguably the most divisive State of the Union address in history, and an angry and nasty tone, Trump in contrast is providing humorous commentary over on his Truth Social feed. Trump’s feed is worth the read.
UPDATE 9:37 p.m. ET:
Biden then shifts to attacking the U.S. Supreme Court for overturning Roe v. Wade, and the Alabama Supreme Court for its recent in-vitro fertilization decision. So Biden starts with Ukraine then goes to January 6 and then straight to abortion. This is an extremely Dark Brandon hyperpartisan speech from the outset. The Democrats are loving it but the Republicans are sitting there stone-faced in awe at such hackery from the commander-in-chief.
UPDATE 9:33 p.m. ET:
Biden goes right from Ukraine to January 6, sharpening his attacks on Trump and his supporters right off the bat. Biden keeps yelling into the chamber. This speech is extremely partisan right off the bat.
Now, he’s talking about “threats to democracy.”
“Here’s a simple truth: You can’t love your country only when you win,” Biden says.
UPDATE 9:30 p.m. ET:
Biden begins the speech by pushing for more money for Ukraine and attacking those opposed to wasting more tax dollars there.
Biden sounds nasty to begin the speech. He’s attacking Trump right off the bat and yelling nastily at the chamber. This could get wild.
UPDATE 9:25 p.m. ET:
Biden is handing copies of his address to the Vice President and to the Speaker. He is now standing at the podium about to begin his speech.
UPDATE 9:24 p.m. ET:
Democrats are feebly chanting “four more years” as Biden continues to make his way through the chamber.
Biden is now speaking with the Supreme Court Justices. Biden is nearing the podium now.
UPDATE 9:22 p.m. ET:
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), decked out in a MAGA hat, urged Biden to “make it right” and “say her name,” a reference to Laken Riley–the young nursing student killed by an illegal alien that Biden’s immigration policies allowed into the country. Biden did his best to ignore her. Greene tried to hand Biden a Laken Riley button and he rebuffed her.
UPDATE 9:18 p.m. ET:
Biden is entering the chamber now and members of Congress are interacting with him as he walks down the center aisle to the podium.
UPDATE 9:13 p.m. ET:
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona is the designated survivor this evening.
UPDATE 9:10 p.m. ET:
Jill Biden, the First Lady, just entered her seat in the House gallery.
Tapper from CNN noted that Biden is late for the address.
The Speaker, Mike Johnson, just gaveled in the House and the clerk welcomed the president’s cabinet into the chamber.
UPDATE 9:09 p.m. ET:
A Biden biographer, Evan Osnos, is on CNN arguing that this might be the most important speech of Biden’s long career in politics.
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, Kamala Harris’s husband, entered the House gallery.
UPDATE 9:02 p.m. ET:
Biden’s motorcade has arrived at the Capitol and the president is walking through the building.
UPDATE 8:59 p.m. ET:
Key officials like the diplomatic corps and several Supreme Court Justices are entering the Chamber now too.
UPDATE 8:55 p.m. ET:
CNN’s Kasie Hunt is saying dating back decades of State of the Union addresses she’s covered she’s never seen anything like the protests currently derailing Biden’s arrival for his address.
Currently on the House floor, Speaker Mike Johnson and Vice President Kamala Harris–who serves as president of the Senate–are bringing the joint session of Congress to order via procedural motions.
UPDATE 8:53 p.m. ET:
CNN’s Jake Tapper reported that U.S. Secret Service took President Biden via an alternate route to the Capitol because of the pro-Palestinian leftist protesters who blocked the originally planned route.
UPDATE 8:51 p.m. ET:
Biden’s motorcade is now en route to the Capitol. He is set to deliver the speech at 9 p.m. ET. Whether that starts on time or is disrupted by the protests remains to be seen.
UPDATE 8:49 p.m. ET:
CNN’s Jake Tapper reports that the president normally would have left the White House by now, but leftist protesters blocking his route to the Capitol may have the U.S. Secret Service planning an alternate route.
Biden has now finally just left the White House along with First Lady Jill Biden.
UPDATE 8:44 p.m. ET:
Biden reportedly intends to use this speech to aggressively attack Trump. How that goes will be interesting, but he is reportedly going to attack Trump’s age. Trump is younger than Biden by a few years.
UPDATE 8:43 p.m. ET:
Biden is about to leave the White House soon to head to Capitol Hill. Vice President Kamala Harris just entered the House chamber with senators. Pro-Palestinian protestors are apparently blocking Biden’s motorcade’s path to Capitol Hill.
