In their annual State of the Nation Address, US presidents come together to prove that the nation is doing the best it can.
That’s what he said too Joe Biden on Thursday evening in the packed congress hall.
This time, however, the greatest interest was not focused on the state of affairs in the kingdom – but rather on Biden’s own physical and mental state.
He has messed up his words a lot lately. The countries are placed incorrectly on the map and the names of the heads of state are crossed out.
The physical being is also fragile and walking seems to get stiffer month by month.
The special prosecutor appointed by the Ministry of Justice even called Biden “a well-meaning old man with a bad memory.”
More than 70 percent of Americans like it 81-year-old Biden too old for the new season. There are also a large number of Democrats among them.
Because of this, Biden’s most important task in front of millions of pairs of eyes was not to convince them of the strong state of the economy, but of the fact that he can still find gunpowder for another term.
How he managed it remains to be seen, but he came across as edgy and energetic.
In his speech, which lasted about an hour, Biden was often on the offensive. The target of the attacks was so Donald TrumpRepublicans than Vladimir Putin too.
– We will never turn our backs on Ukraine, Biden said and directed his message to the Russian president.
It was unusual for Biden to start his speech on the state of the nation with foreign policy. Usually this section comes towards the end of the speech.
But these are not normal timesBiden said, comparing the situation to war-torn Europe in the 1930s, where Hitler was on the rise.
– The world is watching us, Biden said – and demanded that Congress approve a package of military support for Ukraine.
– Europe is under threat, he continued.
Sweden’s moment in the spotlight also coincided with the same opening rush of the speech.
Biden first scolded Trump for his recent statement in which Trump threatened not to defend NATO member countries if they do not spend enough funds on national defense. As the icing on the cake, Trump gave Putin free rein to do whatever he wanted.
– The former president of the United States really said that. He bows to Putin. It is shocking, dangerous and wrong, Biden said.
After that, however, Biden stated that NATO was strengthened again on Thursday with Sweden’s membership.
Prime minister Ulf Kristerssonwho earlier in the day handed over the accession documents to the US State Department, had been invited as a guest of honor to the galleries of the session hall of the House of Representatives.
Already in the first minutes of the speech, Biden introduced Kristersson to the entire hall and millions of Americans watching at home. Kristersson received thunderous applause from the legislators.
The annual State of the Nation Address is months in the making. Nothing comes to that by accident. Sweden’s – like Finland’s – readiness to give up its non-alignment reflects the perceived Russian threat in Europe. It is a useful tool for Biden in the election campaign.
Speeches about the state of the nation are often watched by 20–30 million viewers. The event has color and electricity different from the usual grayness of politics.
For Biden, it was the perfect opportunity to properly kick off his election campaign. Nikki Haley threw in the towel on Wednesday, sealing a rematch between Biden and Trump.
The timing for the starting shot was favorable.
Biden enters the race from behind. His popularity is at rock bottom and Trump has a lead in presidential polls.
In his speech, Biden therefore did his best to remind us what a new presidency under Trump might mean, and what it could be if he is re-elected to the White House.
– I see a future where we don’t destroy democracy but defend it, he said.
Biden has a tough jobif he wants to turn his own popularity up.
A speech about the state of the nation is an opportunity to get a little wind in the sails and a few days worth of good publicity, if it is deserved.
But an investigation by the ABC news channel has shown that the benefit of the speech has been limited over the years.
The presidential election is not decided by a one-hour televised speech. It will be resolved somewhere else in the next eight months.