Washington: US President Joe Biden had three things he had to achieve in his final State of the Union address before this year’s presidential election.
First, he had to assuage concerns that he is too old and unfit for another term.
US President Joe Biden delivered a fiery State of the Union address.Credit: Bloomberg
Second, he had to convince a sceptical nation of what he’s achieved over the past three years and lay out a vision for another four.
And third, he had to draw a contrast with Donald Trump and make their looming rematch a referendum on the former president, when elections are often referendums on the incumbent.
To that end, the 81-year-old president did a convincing enough job, delivering a loud and fiery address warning that basic freedoms are under attack, both domestically and overseas.
“I know I may not look like it, but I’ve been around a while,” he joked at one point, drawing laughs from the audience in the joint sitting of Congress.
“My lifetime has taught me to embrace freedom and democracy … Now some other people my age see a different story: an American story of resentment, revenge, and retribution. That’s not me.”
Fresh from the Super Tuesday primary races, Biden did not name Trump once, referring to him only as “my predecessor”, but warned what was at stake if he was re-elected: democracy, reproductive rights, Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Fiery Biden stands out against Republican hecklers and Trump
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08.03.2024
Washington: US President Joe Biden had three things he had to achieve in his final State of the Union address before this year’s presidential election.
First, he had to assuage concerns that he is too old and unfit for another term.
US President Joe Biden delivered a fiery State of the Union address.Credit: Bloomberg
Second, he had to........
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