Following their Super Tuesday wins, Biden’s crucial State of the Union address looms on Thursday as he seeks to convince voters that he is fit enough to beat Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential election.
US President Joe Biden faces one of the most critical moments of his political career with a State of the Union speech aimed at convincing skeptical voters that the 81-year-old is fit to beat Donald Trump in November’s election.
Millions of Americans will also be tuning in to see not just what the oldest president in US history says but how he says it, with Republican Trump, 77, continually mocking Biden’s health and mental acuity.
Set for 9:00 PM (3:00 AM Beirut time on Friday), the speech is expected to trumpet achievements on infrastructure, drug prices, and student debt, with Biden saying on Wednesday that he had done “more over three years than most presidents have in eight.”
Trump and Biden nailed down a repeat of the 2020 election with their sweeping wins in this week’s “Super Tuesday” primaries, but it is a rematch that polls show many US voters do not actually want.
Biden is set to paint the election as an existential clash, warning that US democracy and its global standing would be at risk if Trump makes a sensational comeback to the White House.
But while Biden trails Trump in recent polls, he hopes his State of the Union speech will remind Americans why they voted for him four years ago and why they should give him a second term.
Observers will also be on the lookout for signs of frailty after Biden suffered a series of trips and verbal slips in recent years.
The world will also be watching, with wars in Gaza and Ukraine meaning the stakes of the November 5 election could hardly be higher.
Biden is expected to urge Republicans to end the political paralysis in Washington that is blocking vital aid for Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s brutal invasion.
Trump has also pushed allies in Congress to block money to curb the migrant crisis on the Mexican border and military assistance for Israel’s war against Hamas, saying they should not give Biden a win in an election year.
With AFP
