Tonight, President Joe Biden and many of Washington, D.C.’s elite will make their way to the House Chamber for the annual State of the Union address. Per usual, there is a lot for the President to discuss and cover. Domestically, many Americans are concerned about the economy or as Trevor Noah said during the 2023 Grammy Awards, the price of eggs has gone up. Internationally, the U.S. has been intimately involved with Ukraine’s defense against a Russian invasion. Not to be forgotten, the Biden administration recently made the decision to shoot down a balloon suspected to be sent by Chinese foreign intelligence. Oh yeah, there’s a presidential election coming up. With all of that in mind, here’s what political journalists expect the President to discuss on Tuesday evening.
Journalists
“A divided Congress. An expected upcoming reelection announcement. Those are the twin forces that will shape President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address Tuesday. Delivering the second State of the Union of his presidency, Biden will amplify his message that Democrats and Republicans can work together. But facing dim prospects for more major legislative wins, a looming showdown over the federal budget and a GOP House investigating his administration and family, Biden will tout his successes and lay out what more he wants to do if given the chance.”
-Maureen Groppe and Michael Collins, USA Today | Read Full Preview Here
“President Biden is heading to the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday evening to deliver his State of the Union address for 2023. But his message — and his performance — will be closely watched for what they say about 2024, and what’s expected to be his second presidential race. Biden has not yet officially announced whether he has decided to make good on what he has said is his intention to run for a second term in office. But he’s expected to do so in the near future. The State of the Union speech, and its large broadcast audience, is an opportunity to show what he plans to run on — and that he has what it takes for a grueling reelect race as the oldest presidential candidate in history.”
-Asma Khalid, NPR | Read Full Preview Here
“President Joe Biden will use his second State of the Union address on Tuesday to remind Americans of how their lives have been improved over his first two years in office, as he tries to confront pessimism in the country and navigate the tricky politics of a newly divided Washington. Rather than laying out major new policy proposals, Biden was expected to devote much of his speech to highlighting his efforts over the past two years to create jobs, fight inflation and improve the nation’s infrastructure.”
-Zeke Miller, AP News | Read Full Preview Here
Political Insiders
“This speech is undoubtedly being seen in the White House as part of the reelect effort…And what that means is this is a kind of speech that begins to lay out the broad contours of a reelection campaign.”
-Former Presidential Speechwriter Peter Wehner | NPR
“To me, it sort of sets the stage for I think what’s going to be just a consequential battle this year between Joe Biden and House Republicans.”
-Former Presidential Press Secretary Robert Gibbs | USA Today
“This is the year and the message where the president needs to establish his governing and campaign narrative: What his presidency has meant to the public’s well-being and why they should give him their support.”
-White House Communications Specialist Martha Kumar | NBC News
Federal Lawmakers
Hard to say the State of the Union is “strong” when our commander-in-chief lets a Chinese spy balloon fly across our entire country before doing anything about it.
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) February 6, 2023
Thursday marked one year since Amir Locke was killed by Minneapolis Police Dept officers while executing a no-knock warrant.
Tomorrow, I will have Amir Locke’s father join me at the State of the Union as my guest and introduce the Amir Locke End Deadly No-Knock Warrants Act.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 6, 2023
