The State of the Union Address in the United States, or the great theater of the (political) world | USA Elections

The State of the Union address, in which the president outlines his priorities, is, as always, the big event of the United States legislative year. And a great representation of political spectacle. A representation with its tragic moments – the tears of the congresswoman of Palestinian origin Rashida Tlaib in the passages regarding Gaza -, almost comical characters – the former congressman George Santos appeared there, expelled for lying a few months ago -, and more or less memorable phrases . A performance in which it is certain that always, no matter what happens, half of the audience will applaud with dedication in each paragraph. And the other half, at best, will maintain a cold silence. That is, if he doesn’t let out some boos. Or several.

The tragedy in this year’s performance was, without a doubt, the offensive on Gaza. A war in which more than 30,000 people have died and to which Joe Biden dedicated the bulk of the foreign policy segment of his speech, to demand more humanitarian aid for the Strip from Israel. On the benches, a group of congresswomen from the progressive Democratic wing, including Tlaib, had dressed in black and wore the kufiya, the Palestinian scarf, to demand a permanent ceasefire. Outside the Capitol, a group of protesters had tried to approach the caravan in which the president arrived.

Each part played its role. Behind Biden, like the masks of Greek tragedies, the vice president, Kamala Harris, smiled and made approval gestures at each phrase; The speaker of the House of Representatives, Republican Mike Johnson, shook his head for her part at every turn. The Democratic caucus applauded enthusiastically, sometimes with cries of joy – “four more years, four more years!”, in reference to the president’s re-election race. In this half of the chamber, the right of the president of the House in which Democrats traditionally sit, the majority of the deputies had chosen to dress in white, the color they have worn in each of these speeches since 2019 as a gesture of support for women’s rights – white was the color of the suffragettes who demanded women’s right to vote at the beginning of the 20th century – and reproductive rights.

On the Republican bench, Johnson had asked for “decorum” from his people, following the last editions of the State of the Union, in which insults and boos flew. Some deputies from the most radical wing had already announced that they did not plan to pay attention to him. They kept their word. Representative Marjorie Taylor-Greene, an ardent Trump supporter, wearing the red cap that identifies the former president’s supporters, interrupted on several occasions.

But the main character, of course, was Biden. To his last State of the Union speech of this term – or of his life if he is not re-elected in the November elections – the president arrived like veteran actors, enveloped in the ovations of his party and stopping to savor each applause. , to greet each friendly face, on a slow path to the stage.

Once there, he played a very different role than last year. In her 2023 speech, she had tried to reiterate the message with which he arrived at the White House. He presents himself as a conciliatory politician, willing to build bridges and collaborate with the opposition to heal the divisions opened, or aggravated, during the mandate of his predecessor, Donald Trump.

This time, the tone was very different. In an election year, and in which polls place him behind his opponent on almost every issue, from immigration to the economy, Biden gave up addressing Republicans. His was a combative campaign speech, his first major rally following Super Tuesday, the electoral event in 15 states two days ago, made it clear that in November his confrontation once morest Trump from four years ago will be repeated.

After having declined other previous opportunities to address a large audience of voters – he did not accept the traditional televised interview with the president that is broadcast during the Super Bowl, the final of the American football championship, the most watched sporting event in the world – this was a golden opportunity to present its electoral program directly to tens of thousands of voters. What he said, and how he said it, might depend on the impression left on many independent voters, that fundamental bloc to tip the electoral balance in eight months.

And he made an effort to target the younger audience with proposals on the cost of housing, student loans or climate change. He evoked the events of January 6, 2021, when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol to try to prevent Congress from certifying Biden’s victory in the 2020 elections, to present the November elections as a dilemma between the defense of democracy and dictatorial chaos.

If his main problem among voters is his advanced age, he wanted to joke regarding his years. “The question is not how old we are, but how old our ideas are,” she pointed out. He also sought to project an image of vigor, of a leader with full powers of command. He made some lapses, coughed several times, but maintained a firm tone of voice and responded firmly to the cries of criticism that came from the Republican side.

And at that moment he made a slip that has unleashed the fury of progressive groups and organizations and that may haunt him in his campaign. He was talking regarding immigration, and recalled that the Republican Party last month overturned the reform law agreed upon with the Democrats following four months of delicate negotiations. Taylor-Greene, an ardent Trumpist, rebuked him from her seat: “It’s regarding Laken Riley!”, the young student allegedly murdered by an irregular immigrant. Biden, in an off-script comment, referred to the suspect as an “illegal” immigrant.

There was little speech left ahead. Biden concluded with a message for the future: “I believe in you, the American people. They are the reason I am more optimistic than ever regarding the future. Let’s build that future together!

And the president left as he had come. Surrounded by applause, lingering along the way, greeting each other as the lights went out in the plenary hall. Savoring his moment of glory. Like the old actors.

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