Biden criticizes Republicans, promises new policies in State of the Union address

Chants of “Four more years!” escorted President Joe Biden on Thursday to the podium of the House chamber. Once there, he told those present his administration’s plans for the upcoming months. He addressed the nation’s financial state, abortion, the international conflicts posing challenges to U.S. policymakers, and the upcoming presidential election. More chants of “Four more years!” and shouted comments from Republicans episodically interrupted Biden throughout his speech.

What did he say about Ukraine? “If anybody in this room thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin will stop at Ukraine, I assure you he will not,” Biden said. “My message to President Putin, who I’ve known for a long time, is simple: we will not walk away.” He contrasted Ronald Reagan’s famous line, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” with former President Donald Trump’s recent statement that he would let Russia do what it wanted to countries that didn’t pay their NATO dues.

What did he say about Gaza? He credited the start of the war in Gaza to Hamas’ decision to attack Israel on Oct. 7 and kill 1,200 people. He promised the families of Israeli hostages—some of whom he said were in the room—that U.S. officials would not rest until they brought their family members home. He added that Israel had a responsibility to protect innocent civilians in Gaza. He used the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry’s death toll of 30,000 people when discussing the war, treating it as the definitive number of casualties in Gaza.

He said he was directing the U.S. military to erect a pier in the Mediterranean Sea to increase the amount of humanitarian aid entering Gaza. He added that the only real solution to the conflict in Gaza was a “two-state solution,” calling it the “only way” to keep Israel safe long-term.

Did he say anything about protecting unborn babies? Biden said “chaos” had resulted from the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and accused the Supreme Court’s justices of not understanding the power of women. Almost half of those justices, who were sitting only feet away, were women.

He said that Democrats won federal elections in 2022 on the issue of abortion and that they would win again in 2024. He promised voters that if they gave him a Congress that supports “the right to choose” he would restore Roe v. Wade “as the law of the land.” He also included calls to protect in vitro fertilization procedures.

What did he say about Trump? He said freedom was under attack both abroad, and at home. He criticized Trump’s behavior regarding the events of Jan. 6, 2021, during the Capitol riots: “Here’s the simple truth. You can’t love your country only when you win.” Biden credited Trump with overturning Roe v. Wade—a credit Trump has previously claimed for himself. But during his speech, he never once used Trump’s name. He referred to Trump either by the title, “former president,” or simply as “my predecessor.”