President Biden drew a sharp contrast with former President Trump and Republican lawmakers in Thursday’s State of the Union address, using the bully pulpit to harp on issues that will shape the general election campaign and sell voters on his first three years in office.
Biden’s remarks, which lasted just over an hour, could at times be mistaken for a campaign address. The president did not refer to Trump by name at any point, but he said “my predecessor” 13 times throughout his speech, according to prepared remarks provided by the White House.
Just minutes into the speech, he referred to Trump’s suggestion that he would let Russian President Vladimir Putin “do whatever the hell he wants” if NATO allies had not spent enough on defense, calling those remarks “dangerous and unacceptable.”
In short order, Biden spoke about threats to democracy, the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, which drew eye rolls from Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and threats to abortion access and reproductive health care, all of which are key pillars of his reelection bid.