Biden’s address comes after the largest military crisis in Europe since the Cold War. The United States is also facing record inflation as the COVID-19 pandemic extends into its third year. The President also announced his first Supreme Court nominee, judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who, if confirmed by the Senate, will make history as the first Black woman to be on the highest court. This will be Biden’s first State of the Union address, following his first joint address to Congress in 2021. The State of the Union will begin at 9 p.m. ET. Audiences can watch the speech live on the official White House website and YouTube channel. Networks will also be airing the speech live during primetime coverage, as well as cable channels including MSNBC, CNBC, CNN, LX, Bloomberg Television, Cheddar News, and Univision. The video is also embedded below.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds will deliver the Republicans’ response to Biden’s speech, with Reynolds giving her address from Des Moines following the State of the Union. All members of Congress have been invited to attend the State of the Union in person, marking a shift in pandemic restrictions when, in 2021, only a limited number of lawmakers were allowed in the House chamber. Masks will be optional for lawmakers, and the U.S. Capitol’s attending physician announced February 27 that masks will be optional on Capitol Hill. Biden previously gave a speech February 24 acknowledging the Ukraine-Russia war, calling President Putin’s military advances a “premeditated attack.” “He rejected every good-faith effort the United States and our Allies and partners made to address our mutual security concerns through dialogue to avoid needless conflict and avert human suffering,” Biden said. “We saw a flagrant violation of international law in attempting to unilaterally create two new so-called republics on sovereign Ukrainian territory. And at the very moment that the United Nations Security Council was meeting to stand up for Ukraine’s sovereignty to stave off invasion, Putin declared his war.” Biden concluded in that speech, “Putin’s actions betray his sinister vision for the future of our world — one where nations take what they want by force. But it is a vision that the United States and freedom-loving nations everywhere will oppose with every tool of our considerable power. The United States and our Allies and partners will emerge from this stronger, more united, more determined, and more purposeful…God bless the people of a free and democratic Ukraine. And may God protect our troops.” Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
