The Washington Post: Joe Biden’s speech faces unusual scrutiny about the President’s age

President Biden delivered a fiery State of the Union address Thursday night, making a forceful case for a second term while attacking former president Donald Trump as a threat to individual rights, freedom and democracy.

But his age was once again a major focus.

Biden engaged in repeated exchanges with Republican lawmakers in the House chamber, at times, turning the address into a form of political theatre as he seemingly taunted his opponents in an attempt to spotlight policy disagreements on the economy, immigration and abortion.

Unlike a traditional State of the Union address consisting of a laundry list of policy goals, Biden started assailing Trump less than four minutes into his speech, blasting him for suggesting that he would encourage Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” to NATO allies that did not spend enough on defence.

“Not since President Lincoln and the Civil War have freedom and democracy been under assault here at home as they are today,” Biden said. “What makes our moment rare is that freedom and democracy are under attack, both at home and overseas, at the very same time.”

The president would return to critiquing “my predecessor” - never once uttering Trump’s name - repeatedly throughout a speech that lasted just over an hour. He attacked his likely 2024 rival for inspiring the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, for boasting of helping end Roe vs. Wade, for mishandling the coronavirus pandemic and for threatening to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

“You can’t love your country only when you win,” Biden said as he slammed Trump and Republicans for embracing lies about the 2020 election.

The chamber became testy at times, with Republicans shouting out to interrupt Biden midsentence on multiple occasions as he criticized their positions on issues including taxes, Social Security and immigration. Biden and his team had clearly anticipated the disruptions, and the president was ready with retorts.

Adding to the sense of a political event, Democrats repeatedly chanted, “Four more years!” At one point, Biden introduced United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain, who rose and shook his fist triumphantly. In addition to challenging the GOP lawmakers sitting in front of him - sometimes earnestly, sometimes mockingly - he took on the Supreme Court justices in the audience for overturning Roe.

The event became especially contentious when Biden began to speak about border security, calling out Republicans for blocking a bipartisan immigration bill.

“Yeah, you’re saying no. Look at the facts,” Biden said after one interruption. “I know you know how to read.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) handed Biden a pin with the name of Laken Riley, who was allegedly murdered by an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant last month, before the speech. During the address, Greene reprised her role from last year as one of Biden’s loudest hecklers.

In response, Biden held up the pin and departed from his prepared remarks. He said Riley had been “killed by an illegal,” but added “how many thousands of people are being killed by legals?” He offered his condolences to Riley’s parents and urged more funds for processing migrants’ asylum claims more quickly.

At the core of his pitch, Biden linked what he framed as his fight for American freedoms, including abortion rights, with his support for those fighting authoritarianism abroad, especially in Ukraine.

“My lifetime has taught me to embrace freedom and democracy,” Biden said. “A future based on the core values that have defined America: honesty, decency, dignity, equality. To respect everyone. To give everyone a fair shot. To give hate no safe harbour.”

He continued, “Now, other people my age see a different story: an American story of resentment, revenge, and retribution. That’s not me. I was born amid World War II, when Americans stood for the freedom of the world.”

The reference to “my lifetime” was part of an effort to reframe concerns about his age, 81, as an asset that has instilled a deep appreciation for America, while “some other people my age” was a clear reference to Trump, 77, and a reminder that he, too, is an elderly figure.

The president never used the word abortion - a word he is deeply uncomfortable with as a devout Catholic - but he vowed to protect and champion reproductive freedom, which has been a powerful booster of Democrats’ political fortunes since the Supreme Court in 2022 overturned Roe.

“Those bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade have no clue about the power of women,” Biden said, in an apparent reference to Trump. “But they found out when reproductive freedom was on the ballot and we won in 2022, and 2023. And we’ll win again in 2024.”

Several of the guests that Democrats, including first lady Jill Biden, invited to the speech were women whose experiences showcased the repercussions of the reproductive-care restrictions that were enacted by many states following the Supreme Court ruling.

Biden also tried to make his case to the country that his economic plan is working, using the biggest stage of his presidency to recount any number of economic successes.

To the frustration of Biden and his aides, polling shows that many voters give the president low marks for his handling of the economy, with many blaming him for the rising cost of groceries, housing and other essentials.

“The American people are writing the greatest comeback story never told,” the president said. “So let’s tell the story here, tell it here and now. America’s comeback is building a future of American possibilities.”

The White House hoped the speech - and its grand setting before a joint session of Congress, attended by Supreme Court justices and Cabinet officials - would give Biden a rare chance to counter the picture painted by Republicans of an elderly, diminished president who is not up to the job and would be a risky bet for another term. Democrats applauded Biden’s performance, arguing he displayed his command of the issues and the energy needed to take on Trump - even as he tripped up over words and veered off script at times.

Biden has tried to present himself as an elder statesman whose half-century career in Washington has equipped him to work across the aisle and solve intractable challenges.

At the same time, Biden’s team argues that Trump shows far more evidence of mental decline than Biden, regularly mixing up names and embarking on long tangents during his speeches. Biden and Trump have both dominated their parties’ primary elections and their last major rivals have bowed out of the race, leaving them to face one another over the next eight months.

Biden also addressed the war in Gaza on Thursday night, announcing that the U.S. military would construct a temporary pier on the coastline of Gaza to provide a new route for humanitarian aid to reach desperate civilians.

A staunch ally of Israel, Biden expressed continued support for the Israeli people and their right to defend itself. But he also called on Israeli leaders to do more to protect civilians and allow more aid into Gaza, as he detailed the “heartbreaking” death toll of innocent Palestinians.

“To the leadership of Israel I say this: Humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip,” Biden said, adding, “As we look to the future, the only real solution is a two-state solution.”

Biden on Thursday also made a renewed appeal for the House to pass additional funds for Ukraine in its war against Russia, after the Senate passed a $95 billion aid package for Israel, Ukraine and other U.S. allies last month.

“My message to President Putin is simple,” Biden said. “We will not walk away. We will not bow down. I will not bow down.”

In the official Republican response to Biden’s address, Sen. Katie Boyd Britt (Ala.) assailed the president for his record on immigration, crime and the economy, arguing that he has failed to keep Americans safe while families are struggling to make ends meet.

“The country we know and love seems to be slipping away,” Britt said. “It feels like the next generation will have fewer opportunities - and less freedom - than we did. I worry my own children may not even get a shot at living their American dreams.”

In preparation for the address, the president spent the weekend at Camp David, where he huddled with top aides, revising portions of the speech and practising his delivery. Bruce Reed, Biden’s deputy chief of staff, oversaw the policy elements of the speech, marking the 17th State of the Union address he has worked on - spanning the Clinton, Obama and Biden administrations.

Other aides who worked closely with Biden on the speech included Mike Donilon, who recently departed the White House to join the president’s reelection campaign; Vinay Reddy, the White House director of speechwriting; Anita Dunn, a senior presidential adviser; Jeff Zients, Biden’s chief of staff; and Jon Meacham, a historian who advises Biden on speechwriting.

In the final stretch of his speech, Biden described the arc of his life in public service, which began as the nation’s youngest senator more than a half-century ago, as he sought to address concerns about his age head-on.

“I’ve been told I was too young,” he said, recalling his early days in the Senate. “And I’ve been told I’m too old. Whether young or old, I’ve always known what endures. I’ve known our North Star: The very idea of America is that we’re all created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives.”

© 2024, The Washington Post