The president is set to deliver remarks tonight in the Capitol at 9 p.m. ET. State of the Union addresses are a standard part of the president’s job, but the tall task in front of Biden this time is convincing voters that they’re better off than they were before he took office, and that he’s still fit for the job.
The State of the Union also comes one day after Donald Trump’s rival, Nikki Haley, dropped out of the race, essentially setting voters up for a 2020 rematch between Biden and Trump.
As The Hill’s Alex Gangitano and Brett Samuels detailed yesterday, Biden is juggling multiple challenges besides just his age and fitness – he’s grappled with recent polling in battleground states that’s shown him trailing Trump, at crossroads with Republicans over Ukraine aid and immigration and as he faces backlash from some within his party over his administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war.
“He has two tasks. One is to get voters to feel better about his presidency and the accomplishments he’s had, and the other is to remind voters of the chaos of Donald Trump and to make that a searing memory that they don’t want to go back to,” Jim Kessler, vice president for policy at left-leaning think tank Third Way, told Gangitano and Samuels.
Alex and Brett also outline five things to watch ahead of Biden’s address tonight that will be on the minds of both parties, including whether Biden will mention Trump, if he’ll be able to reassure voters amid dismal polling and he’s able to survive the night without gaffes.
Wondering what the president is likely to point to tonight? Alex Gangitano and Nathaniel Weixel have you covered on some the tax policy Biden is expected to delve into in addition his call to Congress over Medicare price negotiation.
Julia Shapero and Sylvan Lane also have you covered on what to know about the state of the economy ahead of Biden’s address.
Who’s offering the GOP response to SOTU tonight?: Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), whom Al Weaver and Caroline Vakil report has become a rising star within her party.
What’s Trump doing tonight?: The former president said on his Truth Social platform that’s going to do a “play by play” of Biden’s address tonight.
