Joe Biden’s State of Disunion
Biden has not looked at the facts of his administration’s failure.
By Hunter Oswald
Joe Biden has officially entered his angry grandpa era.
On Thursday, President Biden gave his third State of the Union address to the nation, lasting 67 minutes and 46 seconds. Appealing to the days of President Franklin Roosevelt’s State of the Union in 1941, Biden framed his address as serving the same purpose. “President Roosevelt’s purpose was to wake up the Congress and alert the American people that this was no ordinary moment…my purpose tonight is to both wake up this Congress and alert the American people that this is no ordinary moment either.”
The Breakdown
Biden declared that the threat to democracy and America’s freedom is greater today. “What makes our moment rare is that freedom and democracy are under attack, both at home and overseas, at the very same time.” Seeking to channel the same energy as Reagan, Biden sought to make a strong focus on American support for Ukraine and gave probably the strongest line of his address, “We will not walk away. We will not bow down. I will not bow down.”
Throughout the night, Biden spoke extensively on a wide range of issues while taking aim at Republicans and former president Donald Trump. Biden sought to highlight what he claims to be his administration’s major successes including Sweden’s entry into NATO, the Inflation Reduction Act, and creating new infrastructure. Biden’s attention to new proposals included a 25% tax on billionaires, creating a $10,000 tax credit to homebuyers, and codifying Roe into law. Biden lashed out at Republicans and Trump for seeking to undermine American healthcare, thwart American freedom, and a weak stance on Russia. Biden didn’t even spare the Supreme Court Justices when criticizing their stance on the Dobbs decision, stating, “You’re about to realize just how much you were right about that.”
A Legacy of Failure
Although Biden’s rancorous and partisan outburst may not come as a surprise to many, it certainly showed Americans his ineptness as president. Since taking office in 2021, Biden and his administration have persistently failed to achieve any meaningful progress. Despite passing the Inflation Reduction Act, inflation has continued to grow—even Biden himself regrets the title of the Act. Biden’s immigration policy has resulted in more than 7.5 million illegal aliens crossing the border, causing students to be forced out of schools to make way for housing and allowing cartels to exploit innocent lives. Biden’s foreign policy performance has emboldened America’s adversaries, whether it was America’s withdrawal from Ukraine days prior to the Russian invasion, giving billions to Iran’s genocidal regime amid their proxy war in Gaza, or Biden advancing his energy policies that give China the upper hand.
While advocating for expanding the Obamacare subsidies and seeking to regulate prices to lower healthcare costs, Biden’s plans would cost American taxpayers $248 billion over the next ten years, contributing to higher insurance prices. While Biden claims to be leading a fiscally responsible regime by cutting the deficit, the national debt has now reached 34 trillion, stemming from out-of-control spending under Bidenomics. For someone who constantly ridicules his opponents by telling them to “look at the facts,” Biden has not looked at the facts of his administration’s failure.
The Bully Pulpit
For Biden, this wasn’t an address that focused on the condition of America’s present situation. It was a final gambit to use the bully pulpit to seek a second term. Biden’s persistent attacks throughout his speech show this was not a call for consensus, but rather appealing to his base in the hopes of appeasing his party in the wake of rising opposition. Biden’s triumphalist facade throughout the night merely reflects his administration’s unwillingness to recognize its historic failures and the desperation to ensure a second term for Biden.
When listening to Biden’s divisive message that focuses on securing party support rather than responding to the universal problems that Americans face each day, it shouldn’t come as a surprise why Biden has low approval ratings. When looking at the partisan message of Biden’s address along with the evidence of his administration’s failure, America is clearly in a state of disunity. As Senator Katie Britt justly states, “The true, unvarnished State of our Union begins and ends with this: Our families are hurting. Our country can do better.”
Moving Forward
For a man who claims that “I will always be a president for all Americans,” Biden’s address was nothing more than a campaign rally held within the confines of a city disconnected from the tribulations that average Americans face every day.
America truly stands at a crossroads in terms of the future we seek to pursue. America can either choose to follow Biden and further descend down a path of squalor, or we can stand up and finally say enough is enough. American unity is achievable, but it can only be done through a nation whose people believe in the very principles that have made America the nation it is today.
About the Author
Hunter Oswald is a senior student studying political science and minoring in economics as well as national security. Hunter is a staff writer for Cogitare Magazine and contributor for the Grove City College Collegian newspaper. He has previously been a member of the Grove City Debate Team.
This past summer, Hunter Oswald interned at the American Spectator. Previously, he completed the Heritage Foundation’s Academy Program, where he studied numerous public policy issues and America’s foundational principles. He aspires to further use his research and analytical skills in helping to inform the public on policy issues that promote and advance America’s principles.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are those of the writer alone. They do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grove City College, the Institute for Faith and Freedom, or its affiliates. They do not constitute an endorsement of any presidential candidate.
Cover photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore (Flickr). License here, cropped.