President Biden to Deliver Final State of the Union Address Ahead of Potential Rematch with Trump
President Joe Biden is preparing to deliver his final State of the Union address of his first term on Thursday evening, setting the stage for a potential rematch with his predecessor, former President Donald Trump. This year’s speech will be the third State of the Union address that President Biden has given since assuming office in 2021, and his fourth to a joint session of Congress. The annual address allows the president to outline his policy achievements and priorities for the coming months, while also providing him with a massive television audience ahead of the next election.
As the 2024 presidential contest looms just eight months away, it is almost certain that President Biden and Donald Trump will face off once again in the general election. Given this context, it is likely that President Biden will use his final State of the Union address to highlight the differences between his party and the GOP, as well as address concerns about his age.
The State of the Union address is a unique event that brings together all three branches of government. In addition to the president, the vice president, Supreme Court justices, and members of President Biden’s Cabinet will be in attendance, alongside members of the House and Senate. The speech is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. ET.
Historically, the length of the State of the Union address has varied. President Biden’s previous two addresses were held in 2022 and 2023. His first speech as president, delivered several months after his inauguration, was technically a State of the Union address but was referred to as an “Address to a Joint Session of Congress.” The 2023 State of the Union address lasted for approximately 1 hour and 13 minutes, with President Biden speaking for 1 hour, 1 minute, and 50 seconds during his March 1, 2022 address. His April 28, 2021 address ran for 1 hour, 5 minutes, and 8 seconds.
Comparatively, former President Trump’s State of the Union addresses tended to be slightly longer than President Biden’s. The 2020 State of the Union address, which took place on February 4, lasted for 1 hour, 18 minutes, and 4 seconds. Notably, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi made headlines when she tore up a copy of Trump’s remarks at the conclusion of his speech. Trump’s 2019 address lasted for 1 hour, 22 minutes, and 25 seconds, while his 2018 State of the Union address was 1 hour, 20 minutes, and 32 seconds long.
Following President Biden’s address, Senator Katie Britt of Alabama, the first woman elected to represent the state in the Senate, will deliver the Republican response. The response is expected to begin after the president concludes his remarks, likely around 10 p.m. ET. Typically, the responses to the State of the Union address are significantly shorter than the president’s speech. For example, in 2023, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders delivered the GOP response, speaking for about 14 minutes and 37 seconds. In 2022, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds gave the remarks on behalf of Republicans, with her speech lasting approximately 14 minutes and 20 seconds. In 2021, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott provided the Republican response, speaking for about 14 minutes and 31 seconds.
President Biden’s final State of the Union address promises to be a pivotal moment as he reflects on his accomplishments and charts a course for the future. With the potential for a rematch between Biden and Trump in the upcoming election, all eyes will be on this address as the nation prepares for another chapter in its political history.
