President Joe Biden delivered his State of the Union (SOTU) speech tonight in which he attempted to sell the merits of his administration to the American people

State of the Union 2024: Biden’s Sales Pitch to the American Electorate

10 months ago
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Shane Devine
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President Joe Biden delivered his State of the Union (SOTU) speech tonight in which he attempted to sell the merits of his administration to the American people ahead of the all-important November election.

The speech was broadcasted on all major television networks and was streamed by the Associated Press and the White House. This was Biden’s third SOTU as president: he skipped his first in lieu of a “National Special Security Event” declared because of the COVID pandemic. A limited number of people were permitted into the House chamber in a Capitol building surrounded by razor wire and Nation Guard troops after the January 6th Capitol riot. Tonight’s address was also surrounded by metal security fencing, which has been set up and taken down multiple times since January 6th.

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Biden made it clear that his goals are different from those of the Republicans, gearing up Democrats for a contentious election season on the horizon. But he also attempted to make inroads with independents and moderate Republicans who may have voted for a primary candidate other than Trump. Before the address, Biden administration staffers pointed to the more than 400 bipartisan pieces of legislation signed by the president as proof of his unifying efforts, a point Biden also brought up in his speech.

Policy-wise, Biden mentioned plans to raise corporate tax rates, cut middle-class taxes, and trim the national debt. Support for immigration and abortion access also took priority. A call to fund Ukraine launched the speech, which was followed by roughly half an hour of boasts about his economy and especially job creation under his administration. Biden promoted his caps on prescription drugs, claiming it helped him cut the deficit by $160 billion. He also spent some time on education, saying it is the number one way to repair “the family” in a strange conservative twist. He called for increasing funding for Pell Grants and funding programs for minority student loans, and said he wants public school teachers to get “a raise.”

Related: Biden Cancels Another $1.2 Billion in Student Loan Debt

Biden went on a lengthy tirade against billionaires, saying he is not against capitalism but wants them to pay their “fair share” in taxes. He called for a 25 percent tax on billionaires across the board to shore up funds for his other programs. Valuetainment founder and CEO Patrick Bet-David weighed in on this particular line:

He also mentioned his administration’s plan to build a pier off the coast of Gaza for the purpose of delivering aid to Palestinians. Currently, the majority of the roadways into Gaza are blockaded. Only two remain open, and they are still subject to Israeli bombings and border closures by the Egyptian government. The pier will be constructed over the next several weeks by the US military, potentially assigning thousands of service members to the task. Biden promised there would be a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas by Monday this week, a promise which he failed to deliver.

On China, Biden called for “competition, not conflict,” saying this is an improvement over Trump’s doctrine of battling China and arguing that the United States is in a great position to beat China in an economic contest this century.

The address was delayed by 11 minutes, and Biden spent another ten making his way over to the podium. This was highlighted by his critics, who believe he is too old to run for reelection. A recent poll from The New York Times found that a majority of 2020 Biden voters believe the same.

Here are some of the stand-out moments of his address:

The Biden White House also rolled out several programs alongside Biden’s speech. The Department of Veterans Affairs is now offering direct enrollment in healthcare services for a great amount of the veteran population. They also announced a new program to research late-stage cancers whose treatments are currently unclear. Biden said his administration can “end cancer as we know it—and will.”

Pro-Palestine protestors gathered on the National Mall ahead of the address to chant in favor of a ceasefire. The Biden administration is increasingly worried about losing the far-left vote over its support for Israel, as a national movement begins to emerge to vote “uncommitted” in the Democratic primary elections. Notably, in his speech Biden said the only long-term solution to the war in Israel is a two-state solution.

The origin of the State of the Union address can be found in the US Constitution, which simply necessitates that the president to “give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”

Shane Devine is a writer covering politics, economics, and culture for Valuetainment. Follow Shane on X (Twitter).

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