President Joe Biden will deliver his State of the Union address on Thursday, his last before the 2024 presidential election.
Biden is expected to talk about the major issues facing the nation, ranging from the economy to immigration policy, abortion and reproductive rights. He’s also expected to reveal his administration’s priorities over the next year and pitch solutions to bring Republicans and Democrats together.
Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., will deliver the Republican response to Biden’s remarks after he wraps up his speech, highlighting conservative priorities during a close election year.
Keep up with the USA TODAY Network’s coverage of the State of the Union and check back here for updates.
SCOTUS arrives to the House
The Supreme Court justices have arrived on the House floor ahead of Joe Biden’s speech, to bipartisan applause.
Sort of.
Noticeably not as many Democrats opted to cheer compared to Republicans as the justices walked down the aisle. The court’s 6-3 conservative majority has been a frequent point of criticism from Democratic lawmakers, especially after the court overturned Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed the constitutional right to an abortion, in 2022.
– Ken Tran
Joe Biden en route to Capitol
Joe Biden’s motorcade departed the White House at 8:49 p.m. for the short ride to the Capitol, where he will deliver his State of the Union address.
–Michael Collins
GOP lawmaker wears Donald Trump T-shirt
Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, one of former President Donald Trump’s most outspoken supporters on Capitol Hill, is wearing a T-shirt sporting Trump’s booking photo with the caption “NEVER SURRENDER” along with a bowtie with an American flag pattern.
Trump took the photo in association with the criminal charges he faces in Georgia. The former president is accused of trying to steal the 2020 election from Joe Biden in the Peach State.
– Ken Tran
Protestors host “People’s State of the Union”
A group of protesters calling for a cease-fire in the Middle East gathered outside the U.S. Capitol ahead of Biden’s speech for an event dubbed the “People’s State of the Union.”
Protestors attempting to block Biden’s motorcade in Washington chanted “free, free Palestine,” some wearing t-shirts that read “Biden’s legacy = genocide.”
IfNotNow, an organization made up of Jewish American activists, took credit for displaying banners calling for a cease-fire on nearby freeways earlier in the day on X, formerly known as Twitter.
– Rachel Barber
Kamala Harris, senators arrive ahead of Joe Biden’s State of the Union
Vice President Kamala Harris, joined by senators, have arrived to the House floor after House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., called the lower chamber into order to introduce them.
– Ken Tran
Now that Joe Biden and Donald Trump are expected to face off in November, where do the rivals stand in the polls?
In a hypothetical general election match-up, Trump leads Biden by 1.8 percentage points, according to a Real Clear Politics average of nationwide polls. But keep in mind that’s within the margin of error of many surveys.
– Marina Pitofsky
If you’re keeping up with Joe Biden’s State of the Union address tonight, you’re probably going to see four letter a lot: SOTU. If you need a primer, SOTU stands for State of the Union.
Another acronym you might see tonight: POTUS. That stands for president of the United States.
– Marina Pitofsky
Female House Democratic lawmakers continue tradition of wearing white for State of the Union
In the House chamber, where Biden is expected to speak in less than an hour, several female House Democratic lawmakers are dressed in all-white to commemorate the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote.
– Ken Tran
Joe Biden expected to slam Republicans for rejecting bipartisan border deal
Joe Biden is likely to criticize Republican lawmakers on Thursday for rejecting a bipartisan border security deal that Senate conservatives killed earlier this month.
Republicans initially demanded that border security policies be attached to additional foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan that Biden requested last year. After months of negotiations, a bipartisan group of senators released an agreement that would have significantly restricted asylum and created a new emergency mechanism to stop migrants from illegally entering the country.
But former President Donald Trump came out against the provisions, and many Republicans followed suit. House leaders declared it “dead on arrival” in their chamber, and Senate Republicans abandoned it when it became clear it wouldn’t get the support of a majority of their conference.
Democrats have since seized on the turnaround, arguing Republicans aren’t serious about their claims of urgency at the border. Republicans, however, are also expected to bite back: Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., is expected to say Biden “invited” the border crisis and describe it as “despicable” and “a disgrace” in prepared remarks of the formal GOP response.
– Riley Beggin
The State of the Union address is set to begin at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday.
Joe Biden will begin addressing lawmakers and Americans across the country after he enters the halls of Congress alongside officials from all three branches of America’s government.
– Marina Pitofsky
As Joe Biden addresses the nation Thursday in his State of the Union speech, hopeful parents and medical experts will be looking for signs that access to IVF, or in vitro fertilization is not in jeopardy.
The Alabama Supreme Court ruled last month that frozen embryos are children and that people can be held legally responsible if they are destroyed. The court’s ruling alarmed prospective parents and IVF clinics, and the real-world consequences were immediate. At least three Alabama medical facilities halted in vitro fertilization treatments.
The issue is sure to take center stage during Biden’s speech. Among the guests joining first lady Jill Biden is Latorya Beasley of Birmingham, Alabama, who was going through a round of IVF treatment when her embryo transfer was abruptly stopped after the court’s decision.
There is a good chance that Biden will emphasis her experience as yet another example of how the overturning of Roe v. Wade disrupted access to reproductive health care for women and families across the country.
– Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
George Santos is back on Capitol Hill for State of the Union
Former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., who was expelled from the House last year for fabricating his background and his sweeping criminal charges, is back on Capitol Hill today for the State of the Union address.
One House Republican told USA TODAY that Santos “should stay away.”
But, the Republican joked, his return is fitting since “he’s already delivered a State of the Union address,” referencing the embattled for lawmaker’s lies.
– Ken Tran
What notable guests are attending the State of the Union?
Every year, invited guests are an important part of the messaging strategy for the president’s State of the Union speech. This year, the First Lady Jill Biden’s guest list reflects key themes Joe Biden is expected to address, including the conflict in the Middle East, the student debt crisis, reproductive rights, and other top issues.
Among her 20 invitees are:
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. have also invited guests.
Johnson’s list includes the family members of an American IDF soldier held by Hamas, the parents of a Wall Street Journal reporter imprisoned in Russia, and conservative athletes.
Schumer’s list includes a wounded Ukrainian soldier, a person who has sought IVF, and union members.
— Rachel Barber
The State of the Union will be carried by ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX on network television.
CNN, FOX News, MSNBC and NewsNation will air the address on cable.
− Gabe Hauari
A March 7 Instagram post claims an adjustment was made to the schedule for President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address.
“White House announces there will be 2 ‘intermissions’ during tonight’s State of the Union,” reads the post, which is a screenshot of a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, from former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer.
But the White House has made no such announcement, and Spicer said the post was a joke. USA TODAY reached out to users who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Read more: A State of the Union intermission? False claim circulates ahead of address
– BrieAnna J. Frank
Republican response to focus on economy, border
Katie Britt will call Joe Biden “a dithering and diminished leader” during the Republican response to the State of the Union this evening, according to advance excerpts from her speech.
“America deserves leaders who recognize that secure borders, stable prices, safe streets, and a strong defense are the cornerstones of a great nation,” she says in prepared remarks.
The 42-year-old first-term senator also plans to touch on border security, the economy and crime, painting a picture of the country “at a crossroads,” choosing between a bright future or “an America in decline.”
Britt will speak shortly after Biden’s remarks conclude.
– Riley Beggin
President Joe Biden faces a pivotal State of the Union address Thursday as he looks to silence skeptics about his ability to keep serving, convince restless Americans of a strong economy and reestablish the stakes of a likely rematch against Donald Trump.
In what could be his final State of the Union address, the moment could not be much bigger for Biden, who is saddled with challenges at home and abroad.
Biden hears heckling regularly from pro-Palestinian protesters as he tries to navigate the U.S. role in the Israel-Hamas war without further alienating his liberal base.
He’s been unable to assuage concerns about his age and ability to effectively serve another four years. Despite a booming stock market and historically low unemployment, Biden isn’t getting credit for an economic rebound. His approval rating, already hovering in the low 40s for two years, dipped even lower in recent weeks.
– Joey Garrison
Times are tough for homebuyers and renters. Between high mortgage rates, lack of availability, skyrocketing home prices and dire rental prices, housing costs are devouring the American pocketbook.
With the dismal housing outlook weighing on family budgets, President Joe Biden will use his State of the Union speech Thursday to showcase plans to help Americans obtain mortgages and to push down monthly rents, according to the White House.
Biden will call on Congress to pass a mortgage relief credit that would provide first-time middle-class homebuyers an annual tax credit of $5,000 for two years.
This would effectively reduce the mortgage rate by more than 1.5 percentage points, the White House said, and will help more than 3.5 million middle-class families purchase their first home over the next two years.
– Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
According to excerpts released ahead of his speech, Biden will highlight election wins in states in favor of restoring abortion rights since the 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade and a constitutional right to an abortion. Biden plans to campaign aggressively on abortion rights against Trump.
According to excerpts, Biden will also highlight election wins in states in favor of restoring abortion rights since the 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade and a constitutional right to an abortion. Biden plans to campaign aggressively on abortion rights, vowing to codify abortion rights if given a Democratic-controlled Congress.
“Clearly those bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade have no clue about the power of women in America,” Biden will say. “But they found out when reproductive freedom was on the ballot and won in 2022, 2023, and they will find out again in 2024.”
Biden will also tout the “greatest story never told” as he talks about the nation’s economic rebound following the pandemic.
“Let’s tell that story here and now,” Biden will say. “America’s comeback is building a future of American possibilities, building an economy from the middle out and the bottom up – not the top down, investing in all of America – in all Americans – to make sure everyone has a fair shot and we leave no one behind.”
– Joey Garrison
Joe Biden to reject ‘an American story of resentment, revenge and retribution’ in State of the Union
Joe Biden will say he rejects “an American story of resentment, revenge, and retribution” during Thursday’s State of the Union address as he frames a general election rematch against Donald Trump.
Biden, according to excerpts released by the White House, will say his life has taught him to “embrace freedom and democracy” and values such as honesty, equality and giving everyone a fair shot.
“Now some other people my age see a different story: an American story of resentment, revenge, and retribution. That’s not me,” Biden is expected to say.
– Joey Garrison
What is a designated survivor?
Members of Joe Biden’s Cabinet are expected to attend tonight’s speech at the U.S. Capitol, but one of them – a “designated survivor” – will be watching from a secret location.
A designated survivor is a Cabinet official appointed to go to a secure, undisclosed location in case a catastrophic event kills the president, vice president and other Cabinet members. The practice ensures that someone in the line of presidential succession is always available to assume the presidency if the worst-case scenario happens.
The White House hasn’t said who this year’s designated survivor will be. During last year’s address, the designee was Labor Secretary Marty Walsh. In 2022, it was Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
– Michael Collins
Tonight’s State of the Union is happening later in the year than usual
Tonight’s State of the Union address is only the second to take place during March since 1964. The first was Biden’s speech in 2022. Last year, Biden delivered his address on Feb. 7.
Presidents have mostly delivered their State of the Union speeches in January, but some have taken place in February in recent years, according to the American Presidency Project.
This year’s scheduling allows Biden to address the American public two days after winning several state primary elections on Super Tuesday. In contrast, Trump delivered his State of the Union speech a month before Super Tuesday took place in 2020.
– Rachel Barber
Ahead of Biden’s State of the Union address, House Republicans are wearing pins and badges bearing Laken Riley’s name. Riley was found dead last month, and an undocumented migrant is accused of killing her.
Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., and Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., are handing out pins and badges to their fellow Republican colleagues as the GOP continues to focus on the crisis on the southern border as a messaging point against Biden.
– Ken Tran
State of the Union speeches typically range from about 45 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes. Biden’s previous addresses each lasted more than an hour. In 2022, he spoke for just over an hour and in 2023 he spoke for an hour and 13 minutes, according to the American Presidency Project.
Former President Richard Nixon delivered the shortest State of the Union address in 1972, speaking for under 29 minutes. Former President Bill Clinton holds the record for the longest State of the Union speech. During his 1995 and 2000 addresses, he spoke for close to an hour and a half.
Biden is the most talkative president in recent memory in terms of the actual number of words spoken in his speeches.
– Rachel Barber
The State of the Union address will be streamed on the USA TODAY YouTube channel and through the USA TODAY channel on your smart television.
– James Powel
It’s time to play State of the Union bingo! You know − the game where you play along as Joe Biden gives his annual address to the nation.
In his State of the Union address, Biden is expected to speak about domestic and international challenges. We’ve done our best guess to compile a list, or rather bingo cards, of talking points or phrases Biden probably will use.
Pick a card and cross off a square every time Biden brings up one of the statements or terms to claim political victory over your opponents.
Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., will deliver the Republican response to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address Thursday evening.
But who is the first-term lawmaker? Britt, 42, is the youngest Republican woman to ever be elected to the upper chamber and is considered a rising star among a party dominated by older men. On Thursday night, she’ll also offer a contrast to President Joe Biden, the oldest sitting president in American history.
She has two children still in middle and high school and said in a statement ahead of the speech that the Republican Party is the party of “hard-working parents and families.”
Britt’s speech will come just over two weeks after the Supreme Court in her home state issued a decision that rocked families across the country: The Alabama high court determined that frozen embryos used in IVF are children and have legal protections under state law.
– Riley Beggin
Joe Biden’s State of the Union address to focus on four themes
The White House briefed Democratic congressional aides on Thursday morning about Joe Biden’s address and outlined key themes of his speech, according to a person in the briefing. A slideshow, shared with USA TODAY, was presented to staffers read out four themes:
- Progress and possibility
- Defend democracy and freedom
- Economy from middle out, bottom up
- Move the country forwards, not backwards
The presentation also alluded to the presidential election and former President Donald Trump. Another slide in the presentation read that the “key message” after Biden’s address will be that “there’s a clear contrast” and “competing visions for the country.”
– Ken Tran
Donald Trump to prod Joe Biden during State of the Union
Rest assured: The 2024 Republican frontrunner will not stay silent during Biden’s speech tonight.
Donald Trump says he and his staff will provide running (critical) commentary on social media as Biden delivers the State of the Union.
“We did this once before to tremendous success,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform. The former president on Thursday also put out a “prebuttal” video statement, mostly hitting Biden over immigration and border security.
− David Jackson
How long is SOTU?
Last year, President Biden spoke for one hour and 13 minutes according to UC Santa Barbara’s “American Presidency Project.” The shortest State of the Union address (00:28:55) was given by President Richard Nixon in 1972. Bill Clinton gave the longest-ever State of the Union address (01:28:49) in 2000.
More than a speech: 5 things Biden really needs to do in the State of the Union
It’s not just what he’ll say to a joint session of Congress Thursday. It’s also how he looks and sounds to perhaps his biggest TV audience of the year.
− Carli Pierson
The State of the Union address isn’t just a tradition in the nation’s capital. It’s rooted in the Constitution.
Article II of the Constitution says the president shall “from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union.”
That doesn’t mean the president has to give a speech – as they often do today.
“From that very general mandate in the Constitution has evolved into what we recognize today as a yearly event, with lots of pomp and circumstance,” Claire Jerry, a curator of political history at the National Museum of American History, previously told USA TODAY.
Jerry said the State of the Union often provides a spotlight for the president to reference values such as unity or American innovation. She said it also provides a “unique opportunity for Americans and people around the world to see how this checks and balances system of our government works.”
– Marina Pitofsky
Elaine Hadley is a dedicated journalist covering the ever-evolving landscape of U.S. news. With a keen interest in politics and a commitment to uncovering the truth, she provides insightful commentary and in-depth analysis on domestic issues. When not reporting, Elaine enjoys exploring the diverse cultures and landscapes of the United States.
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