President Joe Biden on Thursday will address Congress and the American people in what could be the most consequential speech of his presidency, seeking to boast about his first term while also warning the country about what he views as a ruinous threat to its very existence.
While State of the Union addresses have typically been opportunities for presidents to present themselves at their most bridge-building and presidential, the primary results on Super Tuesday, which effectively consolidated the 2024 campaign into a two-man race, gives this year’s speech a political hue.
While it remains to be seen how often Biden will invoke former President Donald Trump’s name – or whether he will choose to at all – the 2024 general election campaign, for all intents and purposes, will be kicked off with Biden’s speech.
As he delivers the address, Biden will command the attention of what might well be his largest crowd before November, giving voters concerned about his age and stamina a crucial barometer to determine whether the 81-year-old president is up for another four years in the job one month after a special counsel’s report faulted his memory and cognition.
It also gives Biden the opportunity to present his administration’s biggest wins directly to the American people, bypassing the traditional media, which Biden has frequently complained obfuscates his accomplishments and base of support.
The United States economy has outperformed experts’ expectations since a year ago, when many economists thought it would be undergoing a recession right now.
That hasn’t happened for a variety of reasons. It’s not looking like it will anytime soon either with an unemployment rate that’s stayed below 4% for the past 24 months.
But Americans aren’t…
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