On March 7, dozens of metro-Detroit community members flooded Wilson Hall to participate in a State of the Union address watch party, hosted by the national cable news network, NewsNation. The attendees, diverse in age and background, sat as the live studio audience for the program.
Before the speech, the group was treated to a complimentary dinner. Over dinner, community members discussed what they would like to hear in President Biden’s address to the nation.
Some attendees were eager to hear Biden discuss a variety of issues, ranging from foreign policy to education. Others focused on Biden’s public-speaking ability, in light of recent concerns about Biden’s age comprising his ability to perform his presidential duties.
At around 9:30 p.m., Biden entered the U.S. House Chamber and approached the podium.
Biden began the 2024 State of the Union address with strong words about the Russia-Ukraine War. He made it clear that the United States stands alongside Ukraine, and criticized his predecessor, Donald Trump, for maintaining rosy relations with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
Biden went on to discuss the importance of maintaining fair and free elections, leading him to call out his predecessor yet again for causing the Jan. 6 insurrection.
“You can’t love your country only when you win,” Biden said.
Biden then touched upon the issues of reproductive freedom, criticizing the Supreme Court of the United States for overturning Roe v. Wade.
“Women are not without electoral and political power,” Biden said. “You are about to realize that this [presidential] election.”
The economy was the next point of discussion. Biden pointed out that the economy has rebounded since the pandemic, as evidenced by job expansion, infrastructure projects and healthcare expansion.
Biden went on to highlight the importance of unions, proudly stating that he was the first U.S. President to stand at the UAW picket line this past fall.
“The middle class built this country and unions built the middle class,” Biden said.
The topics of healthcare and education were discussed. Biden showed support for the Affordable Care Act and expressed his commitment to raising the wages of public school teachers.
Biden moved onto the hot-button topic of immigration. Amidst the heckling of Marjorie Taylor Greene, Biden appeared to go off-script, holding up a button and saying the name Laken Riley. Riley, a University of Georgia nursing student, was murdered by a Venezuelan man who had entered the United States illegally. Biden called for the need for the Bipartisan Border Agreement.
“We can either fight about fixing the border, or we can fix it,” Biden said.
The topics of voting rights, educational diversity, the climate crisis and violent crime were discussed. Biden emphasized the importance of environmental protections and increased gun safety regulations.
One of the final topics Biden touched upon was the Israel-Hamas War. Despite protest signs held by numerous Democrat politicians calling for a lasting ceasefire, Biden declared his support for Israel and offered temporary relief aid to Gazans. Biden announced that the U.S. military would be creating a temporary dock to provide Gazans with humanitarian aid.
To close out his 2024 State of the Union address, Biden recounted his life story. Born during World War II, Biden grew up in a working-class family and decided to dedicate his life to public service.
Biden responded to critics of his old age with a bit of humor, pointing out that he used to be told he was too young to be a politician and, now, he was being told he was too old to continue the job.
“I believe in America. I believe in the American people,” Biden said. “Let’s build our future together.”
Following Biden’s speech, NewsNation host Blake Burman questioned the watch party about their thoughts on the address.
Jason Posey, a registered Democrat from Detroit, found Biden’s State of the Union address to be compelling.
“I did not expect the intensity Biden brought in the speech tonight,” Posey said. “I am more likely to vote for Biden [in the 2024 Presidential election] after hearing the address.”
Lucas Zielinski, a political science student at Oakland University, was less persuaded by Biden’s words.
“He [Biden] did a good job of covering the basics, of what’s going on in the world and what pressing issues the United States is facing. However, I feel like Biden did not talk about the wars in Ukraine and Israel enough,” Zielinski said. “He could have also touched on the economy more because people are still hurting financially, despite a decrease in inflation.”
Zielinski found Biden’s address to be coherent, but not especially persuasive. After hearing the State of the Union address, Zielinski did not feel that he was more likely to give Biden his vote.
Those interested in reviewing a recap of the live event can visit the NewsNation webpage.
