US President Joe Biden is set to deliver his third State of the Union address since taking office, giving him an opportunity to highlight his successes and chart a path forward.
However, this will be his first State of the Union address since he announced his re-election bid last year. It's a pivotal moment for Biden, as Democrats face intense criticism from both within their own party and the Republican opposition.
The president is expected to face his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, in the November general election. Recent polls show the two men in a close race for the White House.
Against this backdrop, in his State of the Union address, Mr. Biden will appeal to the American people why he should win a second term.
Biden is expected to speak Thursday night at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., and focus on the future of American democracy. Biden has repeatedly warned that Trump and his supporters are a threat to the country, citing their efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Aid to foreign allies like Ukraine and Israel, immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border and efforts to bridge political partisanship in Washington, D.C., are also likely to be on Biden's agenda.
Here's what you need to know about the 2024 State of the Union.
What is the State of the Union?
The State of the Union, as its name suggests, is an annual address in which the President of the United States outlines the current state of the country and its future priorities.
This satisfies the U.S. Constitution's requirement that the president “shall provide Congress with information regarding the State of the Union from time to time.”
Donna Hoffman, a political science professor at the University of Northern Iowa, said the State of the Union ultimately provides the U.S. president with a “big stage” to address both Congress and the American people.
Hoffman told Al Jazeera that Biden would want to praise his accomplishments and also say, “This is what I want to accomplish.”
I look forward to it, Mr. Chairman. https://t.co/YChdO92WQK
— President Biden (@POTUS) January 6, 2024
When is the State of the Union address?
This year's State of the Union address is scheduled for Thursday at 9pm local time (Friday at 2pm).
Who will attend the State of the Union?
The State of the Union is submitted to a joint session of Congress. This means that members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives will be present.
As is customary, Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson will sit behind Mr. Biden.
In addition to members of the presidential cabinet, Supreme Court justices who have chosen to attend are also scheduled to attend.
The White House usually invites special guests. Last year, Biden invited the parents of Tire Nichols, a Black man who was bludgeoned to death by police in Tennessee, and Brandon Tsei, who disarmed a mass shooter in California.
Already, two key figures have reportedly declined invitations to attend the White House this year. Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, and Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska have both declined their engagement.
Have U.S. presidents always issued a State of the Union?
Yes, but the format has changed over the years.
George Washington, the first president of the United States, gave his inaugural address in 1790. “The ritual derives from the British custom of giving a 'Speech from the Throne' at the beginning of each new session of Congress,” the Congressional Bureau report said.
Washington and the country's second president, John Adams, also issued direct messages.
But things changed when Thomas Jefferson sent his opinion in writing in 1801. “This precedent remained in place until 1913, when Woodrow Wilson decided to use direct messaging, and the tradition continues today,” the Senate fact sheet explains.
Was it always called the State of the Union?
No, for many years this document was called the “Annual Message of the President to Congress” or simply the “Annual Message.”
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States, was the first to call this the State of the Union address. However, the title only became official during the term of President Harry Truman, who took office in 1945 after Roosevelt's death.
The format of the State of the Union has also changed over the years. “The message was first broadcast on national radio in 1923,” the Senate fact sheet states.
“President Truman's 1947 speech was first televised, and President Lyndon Johnson began the tradition of giving a prime-time speech in 1965.”
Now, let's get back to this year's greetings. What can we expect from Biden?
The speech will be a key platform for Biden, who will address a deeply divided Congress months before the presidential election.
The 81-year-old is strong enough to seek a second term, as well as protests in key battleground states for his staunch support for Israel despite deadly military attacks in the Gaza Strip. We continue to face the question of whether there is.
Axios reported in mid-February that Biden's team hoped the State of the Union would be a “major public reset moment” for his re-election bid.
An anonymous source close to the president told a US news outlet that “everyone around the president is very aware – well aware – of the need to step up this campaign.” Told.
What will be the focus of Biden's speech?
Mr. Biden has sought to present himself as a bulwark of American democracy against Mr. Trump and his Make America Great Again (MAGA) base.
In January 2021, a mob of former president's supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to prevent Congress from certifying Biden's 2020 election victory. Trump also faces two criminal charges related to his own efforts to overturn the election results.
“Their extreme policies, if carried out, will fundamentally change the institution of American democracy as we know it,” Biden said in September, a message he also delivered in his State of the Union address. He stated that it was highly likely.
Hoffman said Biden is likely to “claim a lot of credit for the economic situation.” She said “the economy is in much better shape than when he began his term.”
He also said reproductive rights, an issue that resonates with Democratic voters, will be addressed as well.
U.S. presidents have typically expressed their wishes to Congress in their State of the Union addresses. In this regard, Mr. Biden is likely to urge Republican lawmakers to pass a bipartisan immigration bill.
The proposal was previously blocked by President Trump's allies on the grounds that it did not go far enough to deter immigration. Critics say the protests were aimed at making the border issue an election issue.
Mr. Biden is also expected to urge Congress to pass additional funding for Ukraine and Israel, two key U.S. allies.
“I expect there will be some emphasis on international issues this year, especially with the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, and the nature of what's happening in Congress as it relates to funding for those two regions,” Hoffman said. Stated.
What else will happen at the State of the Union?
Every year, opposing political parties challenge the president's State of the Union.
The Republican rebuttal, delivered by Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, will come after Biden's speech.
“We are going to have a frank conversation about the future of our country, and I will outline a Republican vision to secure the American Dream for generations to come,” she said. I have written on social media last week.
How can I watch the State of the Union?
The State of the Union address will be livestreamed here by the White House.
