President Joe Biden attacked former President Donald Trump for kowtowing to Russia, not caring about the COVID-19 pandemic and covering up the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol in his State of the Union address, in which he the arguments for his re-election in 2024.
Biden, speaking before a joint session of the House and Senate, began his speech with a direct criticism of Trump for comments in which he invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to invade other NATO countries if they did not spend more on defense.
"Now my predecessor, a former Republican president, is telling Putin, quote, 'Do what you want,'" Biden said. "I think that's outrageous, dangerous and unacceptable."
Biden, who is pushing for Congress to provide additional funding to Ukraine for its war with Russia, also had a message for Putin: "We're not going away," he said.
The president contrasted Trump, his Republican challenger in the Nov. 5 election, on democracy, abortion rights and the economy during the speech, which Democrats see as an important chance for Biden to push for a second term in front of a sparse television audience of millions. .
At the start of his speech, Biden opened with powerful attacks. He accused Trump and Republicans of trying to rewrite history about the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol by supporters of the former president who want to derail a Biden victory in 2020.
"My predecessor and some of you here are trying to bury the truth about January 6th. I'm not going to do that," Biden said, signaling that he will press the issue during his re-election campaign. "You can't love your country only when you win".
He also blasted Republicans for trying to roll back health care provisions under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, and for adding to the deficit, and chastised them for taking money from legislation they opposed .
Suffering from low approval ratings, Biden has faced resentment from progressives in his party over his support for Israel in its war against Hamas and from Republicans over his stance on immigration, but the mood among Democrats in the room was rapturous. They greeted Biden with cheers and cheers, prompting him to joke that he had to leave before he even started.
Trump, meanwhile, sent a steady stream of messages bashing Biden on his social media platform The Truth. "He seems so angry when he speaks, which is a trait of people who know they are 'losing,'" Trump wrote. "Anger and yelling are not good for uniting our country!"
Polls show that Biden (81) and Trump (77) are close in the race. Most American voters are not enthusiastic about the rematch after Biden defeated Trump four years ago.
Trump, who faces multiple criminal charges as he fights for re-election, has said he plans to punish his political enemies and deport millions of migrants if he wins a second term in the White House. Republican Representative Troy Nels wore a T-shirt with Trump's face and the words "Never Give Up."
The speech could prove to be the Democratic president's biggest stage yet to reach voters who are considering whether to vote for him, elect Trump or stay out of the election. Nikki Haley, Trump's last remaining challenger for his party's presidential nomination, has dropped out of the race.
Biden has emphasized his support for abortion rights and has promised to make it the law of the land if Americans vote in enough Democratic lawmakers to do so.
He also sought to improve his reputation on the strength of the US economy and renewed his push to make wealthy Americans and corporations pay more in taxes, introducing proposals that included higher minimum taxes for companies and Americans with wealth above $100 million .
Such tax reform is unlikely to pass unless Democrats win strong majorities in both houses of Congress on the November ballot, which is not expected.
Biden has proposed new measures to lower housing costs, including a $10,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers — an acknowledgment of consumer concern over high mortgage rates — while boasting about the U.S.'s economic progress during of his mandate.
The U.S. economy is doing better than most high-income countries, with jobs and consumer spending continuing to grow.
Still, Republican voters tell pollsters they are deeply dissatisfied with the economy, and Americans generally give Trump higher ratings in economic polls.
Biden was expected to try to cool the anger of many Democrats over his support for the Israeli offensive in Gaza after the October 7 attacks by Hamas. During his speech, he announced that the US military would build a port on Gaza's Mediterranean coast to receive humanitarian aid by sea, US officials told reporters. US President Joe Biden has warned Israel that it cannot use aid as a "bargaining coin", calling for an immediate temporary ceasefire with Hamas in the bloody war in Gaza.
"To the leadership of Israel, I say this - humanitarian aid cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip. Protecting and saving innocent lives must be a priority," the US president said.
Biden reiterated that Israel had the right to attack Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, over the massive October 7 attack and said the militants "could end this conflict today" by freeing the hostages. But he called the impact of the war on civilians in Gaza "heartbreaking". "I have been working non-stop to establish an immediate ceasefire that will last for six weeks," he said.
Biden used the speech to push again for a $95 billion arms package for Ukraine and aid to Israel that has been blocked by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Among the first lady's guests for the speech was Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristerson, who was in Washington as Sweden officially joined NATO on March 7, two years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine — indicating that Biden will speak of his support for the security alliance, which is another contrast with Trump.
Other White House guests included people affected by restrictions on in vitro fertilization or abortion, a veteran of the 1965 attack on black demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, United Auto Workers president Sean Fein, and others./BGNES
