Criticized directly by mentioning Trump 13 times
“Thoughts are more important than age” Addressing concerns about aging head-on
Attempts to rally support for abortion rights, Middle East war, etc.
“The issue facing America is not how old we are, but how old our thinking is.”
U.S. President Joe Biden took aim at former President Donald Trump in his State of the Union address to Congress on the 7th (local time). President Biden said, “Hate, anger, revenge and judgment are the most outdated ideas,” and “We cannot lead the United States with these outdated ideas that will cause the United States to retreat.” He took advantage of the ‘senior risk’ surrounding him to criticize former President Trump, who said, “I am your revenge and retribution” when he announced his presidential candidacy.
President Biden, who is competing against former President Trump in the presidential election this November, emphasized economic and diplomatic achievements in the last State of the Union address of his first four-year term and presented the direction of national affairs after re-election. In particular, he focused on establishing a sharp confrontation with former President Trump over presidential election issues such as criticism of Bidenomics (President Biden’s economic policy), controversy over support for Israel, and the issue of illegal immigration.
President Biden targeted former President Trump by mentioning ‘my predecessor’ 13 times in his State of the Union address, which lasted 1 hour and 8 minutes. In the United States, it is customary for an incumbent president running for re-election to not directly mention a rival candidate in his State of the Union address. However, President Biden went on the offensive by comparing himself to his rival, former President Trump, without directly mentioning former President Trump’s name.
At the beginning of his speech, President Biden said, “My predecessor told Vladimir Putin (Russian President), ‘Do whatever you want,’” and added, “This is an unacceptable act of bowing to the Russian leader.” The relationship between former President Trump and President Putin was highlighted by pointing out former President Trump’s remarks to the effect that Russian attacks could be tolerated if North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member countries did not share defense costs.
He also criticized former President Trump regarding US-China relations. President Biden said, “I have revitalized alliances with India, Australia, Japan, and South Korea in the Pacific,” and “I have ensured that America’s cutting-edge technology cannot be used as a weapon by China.” He continued, “Frankly, my predecessor, despite his tough comments on China, failed to do that at all.”
They also targeted former President Trump over the January 6 storming of the Capitol, abolition of abortion rights, illegal immigration, and gun violence. President Biden pointed out former President Trump as a threat to democracy, saying, “Democracy has never been attacked like it is today.”
In particular, regarding the issue of illegal immigrants, which former President Trump is focusing on as the biggest issue in the presidential election, he said, “I will not demonize immigrants as he said, ‘they pollute the blood of America.’” He continued, “We, who were free people, forced in chains, or starving, all came from other places to follow our dreams. But we are all Americans,” he added.
President Biden, who has switched to a full-fledged presidential campaign system, focused on criticizing former President Trump and dispelling concerns about his age in his State of the Union address.
“I may not look that old, but I’ve lived quite a long time,” President Biden joked, adding, “There are things you see more clearly at this age.” “Throughout my life, I have learned to embrace freedom and democracy,” he said. “But for others my age, America is all about hatred, revenge, and retribution.” He emphasized that former President Trump, who is 77 years old, is similar in age to himself, who is 81 years old.
In some quarters, there were many concerns that if President Biden, who has recently faced growing concerns about his advanced age due to frequent slips of the tongue, makes a mistake in his New Year’s State of the Union address, which is watched by tens of millions of people, it will be a major negative event that will ruin his bid for re-election.
However, President Biden continued his attempts to break away from the image of a ‘helpless old man’ by adding content that was not in the manuscript on the spot or arguing with Republican lawmakers who booed and yelled at him over the issue of illegal immigration. The New York Times commented, “The fierce and confrontational speech was part of an effort to dispel concerns about age.”
In his State of the Union address, President Biden also presented a blueprint for his second term in office, including increasing taxes on billionaires, codifying abortion rights, and strengthening humanitarian support for the Gaza Strip. President Biden announced that he would increase the minimum corporate tax rate from the current 15% to 21%, saying, “My goal is to reduce the federal deficit by $3 trillion (3,985 trillion won) by ensuring that large corporations and the very wealthy pay a fair level of taxes.” He said.
He also emphasized, “If the American people create a Congress that supports the ‘right to choose,’ I will restore the right to abortion as a law.” Regarding the damage to civilians in the Gaza Strip, he said, “It breaks my heart,” and added, “I ordered the U.S. military to build a temporary port on the coast of Gaza to expand humanitarian aid.” He also pressed, “Israel must also fulfill its role, including allowing humanitarian aid.”
He announced his intention to hold a presidential election this year by rallying key supporters who served as the foundation for his victory in the 2020 confrontation with former President Trump, including young people and people of color who are critical of support for Israel, women who are critical of the abolition of abortion rights, and labor unions that are at odds with large corporations. It was clearly done.
According to CNN, President Biden spent about 6 minutes on economic issues that day, followed by 5 minutes and 30 seconds on health and welfare, including abortion rights, and 3 minutes and 50 seconds on foreign affairs issues, including the war in Ukraine. However, President Biden did not mention North Korea again this year, following his first national speech in 2022 and last year.
Former President Trump refuted former President Biden by posting a real-time reaction on social media that day. Former President Trump said, “This is the worst State of the Union speech full of anger and hatred,” and claimed, “Biden is a threat to democracy.” He then refuted President Biden’s speech point by point, posting posts such as “Putin invaded Ukraine because he did not respect Biden” and “The Republican Party fully supports helping women, including guaranteeing in vitro fertilization.”
The Republican Party focused on the risks of President Biden’s advanced age. On this day, the Republican Party featured Senator Katie Britt (42, Alabama), the youngest Republican female senator elected in 2022, as a rebuttal speaker. Senator Britt said of her State of the Union address that she was “the performance of a ‘career politician’ who has been in politics longer than my age” and that “the free world deserves a better leader than a fidgety, shriveled leader.”
On this day, former President Trump’s team asked, “Will Biden be alive until 2029 (when his presidential term ends if re-elected)?” and aired an advertisement that edited out a scene of President Biden falling down the stairs while boarding a private plane.
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.