Politicians are reacting to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech, delivered Tuesday night to an audience of lawmakers who sometimes roared back at him.
In the speech, Biden repeatedly called to “finish the job” of achieving various goals, including closing tax loopholes, creating affordable housing, and addressing climate change. He was loudly heckled at one point by Republicans after claiming some of them aimed to cut Social Security and Medicare.
Former President Donald Trump, who is currently the only Republican openly running for president, responded with a less-than-two-minute video making a wide-ranging critique of Biden’s tenure.
“He’s the most corrupt president in American history, and it’s not even close,” Trump said. “The good news is we are going to reverse every single crisis, calamity and disaster that Joe Biden has created.”
A nearly 15-minute Republican rebuttal came from Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who was also a press secretary under Trump. In the video, she said “Biden and the Democrats have failed you” and called for “a new generation of Republican leadership.”
In a video filmed outside after the speech, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) called it “another fail for Joe Biden. … The best thing I can say about the speech is it’s over.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who shouted “Liar!” at Biden at one point during the speech, filmed a response in her office afterward. She said Biden “didn’t know what he was talking about a lot of the time” and had lied about Republican aims to cut federal benefits.
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House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who sat behind Biden throughout the speech, said on Twitter that it was “one of the most partisan State of the Union speeches I’ve ever heard.”
He said the “contrast” between Sanders’ speech and Biden’s “couldn’t be more clear. Republicans offer a vision for a future built on freedom, not fear-mongering.”
In a statement, McCarthy’s predecessor, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), said the speech was “an inspiring message of progress, hope and unity for our nation.”
She echoed Biden’s catchphrase, saying Democrats are prepared to “finish the job” of “building a stronger and fairer future for all of America’s families.”
