President Joe Biden appeared to break with generations of convention o Thursday night as he made a series of highly political attacks in his State of the Union address.
The President was accused of turning the constitutionally required address to Congress into a "divisive" campaign rally as he took as series of swipes at Donald Trump.
Referring to "my predecessor" 13 times in his speech, which lasted more than an hour, the incumbent in the White House used his speech to make a series of highly political points on abortion, immigration, Covid and Russia.
Speaking before a joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate, Biden opened his remarks with direct criticism of Trump for his comments inviting Russian Putin to invade other Nato nations if they did not spend more on defence.
"Now my predecessor, a former Republican president, tells Putin, quote, 'Do whatever you want,'" Biden said.
"I think it's outrageous, it's dangerous and it's unacceptable."
Biden, who has been pushing Congress to provide additional funding to Ukraine for its war with Russia, also had a message for Putin, stating: "We will not walk away."
The President also drew a contrast with Trump over abortion rights and the economy, and he directed several barbs at Republican lawmakers in the chamber with off-the-cuff banter that appeared designed to assuage concerns about his age and mental acuity.
Joe Biden spoke for over an hour as he delivered his State of the Union addressREUTERSHe also took aim at Republicans for the overturning of Roe v Wade in the Supreme Court as he accused the party of undermining women's rights.
And in a direct pitch for re-election, he vowed to reimpose the right guaranteed to women in Roe v Wade if he was returned to the White House later this year.
"With all due respect, Justices, women are not without electoral ... or political power. You are about to realise how much you're wrong about that," he said.
"Clearly those bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade have no clue about the power of women in America ... If Americans send me a Congress that supports the right to choose I promise you: I will restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land again."
Biden also sought to burnish his reputation about the strength of the US economy and renew his quest to make wealthy Americans and corporations pay more in taxes, unveiling proposals including higher minimum taxes for companies and Americans with wealth over $100million.
Any such tax reform is unlikely to pass unless Democrats win strong majorities in both houses of Congress in the November vote, which is not forecast.
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Joe Biden mentioned Donald Trump - though not by name - 13 times in his speech
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Joe Biden vowed to reinstate Roe v Wade if he was re-elected in November
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Joe Biden was accused of 'an angry, divisive, partisan speech' that focused more on re-election
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Biden proposed new measures to lower housing costs, including a $10,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers - an acknowledgement of consumers' distress over high mortgage interest rates - while boasting of US economic progress under his tenure.
Reacting to the 81-year-old's speech, May Davis, a former legal advisor to President Trump, told GB News: "The President just delivered an angry, divisive, partisan speech seemingly designed to turn off independent voters.
"At year three, Presidential addresses should cover accomplishments, not economically fanciful wishlists. But there weren’t any accomplishments of substance."
Kari Lake, a candidate for US Senate who has been endorsed by Trump added: "Despite what Joe Biden says, the State of the Union is weak - and the American Dream is on life support.
"We must protect America’s women, and that starts by ending Joe Biden’s border crisis, kicking him out of office, and removing the Biden ‘yes men’ like my opponent Ruben Gallego who have allowed these tragedies to transpire.
"Biden came into office and used 96 executive orders to rip that border wide open in his first 100 days.
Democrats claimed the speech was a triumph for Joe Biden
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"Since then, Joe Biden has allowed over eight million illegal immigrants to enter our country, has spent millions on government handouts to illegal aliens, and has organised covert, secret flights to import them into the interior of our country – all while the American People struggle."
However, Democrats praised the President for his speech and - despite stumbling over his words on multiple occasions and even making a few blunders.
Johanna Maska, former Director of Press Advance under Obama, told GB News: "President Biden was excellent tonight. He drew on history, compared it to the lead up to World War II, talked about our alliances that have been strengthened with a larger Nato and the challenge that we confront between democracies and autocracies.
"He rightfully called out the Republicans for attacking women’s freedoms and playing politics for the border. He challenged us all to believe in American exceptionalism and continue working towards it.
"As a Democrat and as an American, it was the optimistic tone I want to see and I believe in."
