Washington, DC – US President Joe Biden has touted his administration’s financial report and sought to differentiate himself from his predecessor Donald Trump, as he delivered his third State of the Union tackle simply months earlier than a United States presidential election.
Addressing a joint session of Congress on Thursday night, the Democratic president repeatedly hit out at Trump, however didn’t point out his Republican rival by identify.
“My function tonight is to get up the Congress and alert the American people who that is no atypical second,” Biden stated, warning that “freedom and democracy are beneath assault each at residence and abroad”.
Latest polls present Biden and Trump neck-and-neck of their push for the White Home, and their looming rematch in November’s presidential election solid a big shadow over Thursday’s State of the Union.
The speech supplied an vital platform for Biden, who continues to face questions over whether or not he’s match sufficient to hunt a second time period, in addition to protests over his staunch backing of Israel regardless of its lethal navy offensive within the Gaza Strip.
Listed below are 5 key takeaways from his 2024 State of the Union tackle.
US to construct ‘momentary pier’ to spice up Gaza support
Biden, who has confronted months of fierce criticism for his unwavering assist for Israel amid the Gaza battle, introduced that his administration would construct a “momentary pier” off the coast of the Palestinian territory to facilitate support deliveries.
The pier will be capable of “obtain massive shipments carrying meals, water, medication and momentary shelter”, Biden stated throughout his speech, with out specifying how lengthy it could take to arrange.
The transfer comes every week after the US air-dropped 36,000 meals to a whole bunch of hundreds of ravenous folks in northern Gaza.
However the Biden administration has dominated out conditioning support or stopping weapon transfers to Israel to stress it to permit extra help into Gaza, stressing that its assist for the US ally stays “ironclad”.
Critics of Biden’s stance stated the Gaza pier will probably fail to alleviate a rising starvation disaster within the territory. Israel has blocked support deliveries because it continues its navy offensive.
“It appears to be simply one other effort to divert consideration from the actual difficulty right here, which is that 700,000 persons are ravenous from north Gaza down, and Israel will not be permitting humanitarian support wanted to them,” Palestinian politician Mustafa Barghouti informed Al Jazeera forward of Biden’s tackle.
Greater than 100 protesters demanding a Gaza ceasefire blocked a street resulting in the US Capitol forward of the speech on Thursday night time. “What do we would like? Everlasting ceasefire. When do we would like it? Now,” they chanted.
Pledges Ukraine assist, touts pro-Israel bona fides
Whereas Biden urged Israel to permit extra support into the Gaza Strip, he harassed that has been a “lifelong supporter” of the US ally.
“Nobody has a stronger requisition than I do. I problem any of you right here,” he stated.
He additionally urged Congress to unblock support to Ukraine to assist the nation fend off Russia’s invasion. A rising variety of Republican legislators have raised opposition to the excessive price ticket of continued US funding for Kyiv.
“My message to President Putin, who I’ve identified for a very long time, is straightforward: We is not going to stroll away. We is not going to bow down. I cannot bow down,” Biden stated.
He additionally hit out at Trump for saying that he would inform Russia “to do regardless of the hell they need” to a NATO nation that doesn’t spend sufficient on defence. “A former president really stated that, bowing right down to a Russian chief,” Biden stated throughout his tackle.
“I feel it’s outrageous. It’s harmful and it’s unacceptable.”
Distinction with Republican rival Trump
Biden has lengthy tried to current himself as a bulwark defending American democracy towards Trump and the previous Republican president’s Make America Nice Once more (MAGA) base — and that was a serious theme once more on Thursday night time.
A mob of the Trump’s supporters stormed the US Capitol in January 2021, in an try and cease Congress from certifying Biden’s 2020 election victory. Trump additionally faces two felony instances linked to his efforts to overturn the election outcomes.
Throughout his State of the Union tackle, Biden took a number of jabs at his Republican rival.
“My predecessor and a few of you right here search to bury the reality about January 6 – I cannot try this,” Biden stated. “Right here is the easy fact: You possibly can’t love your nation solely once you win.”
Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett, reporting from the US Capitol, stated Biden talked about Trump no less than 10 instances all through his speech, referring to him as “my predecessor”.
“It actually was extra of a marketing campaign speech than it was a State of the Union speech,” Halkett stated. “It was uncommon for the truth that not solely did [Biden] point out him as soon as, however he continued to say him all through the speech with every subject that was talked about.”
Abortion, reproductive rights
Biden additionally has tried to differentiate himself and his Democratic Social gathering from American conservatives who celebrated a 2022 Supreme Court docket determination overturning of Roe v Wade. That landmark ruling had enshrined the constitutional proper to abortion within the US for many years.
Republican-led states handed a slew of abortion restrictions and bans after Roe was overturned, spurring outrage. The difficulty resonates with many Democratic voters who’ve continued to name for entry to abortion and reproductive well being care.
On Thursday night time, Biden promised to defend entry to abortion nationwide.
“Should you, the American folks, ship me a Congress that helps the correct to decide on, I’ll restore Roe v Wade because the regulation of the land once more,” he stated.
Citing latest election victories for Democrats because the proper to abortion was revoked, the US president additionally stated the “electoral energy” of girls will assist his social gathering win votes once more in November.
He additionally blamed Trump for the autumn of Roe; the Republican president appointed three conservative justices to the Supreme Court docket who helped overturn the authorized precedent.
Financial system, financial system, financial system
A lot of Biden’s speech centered on home points, an important of which was his administration’s dealing with of the financial system.
The US president stated he inherited an financial system “on the brink” through the COVID-19 pandemic, however his insurance policies helped revive it. “Now our financial system is actually the envy of the world – 15 million new jobs in simply three years,” he stated.
Biden additionally paid a nod to US labour unions and the American center class, whereas stressing that he plans to make sure that firms pay their fair proportion.
“I’m a capitalist. You need to make one million or hundreds of thousands of dollars? That’s nice. Simply pay your fair proportion in taxes,” he stated. “A good tax code is how we make investments to make this nation nice.”
