Joe Biden has had a tough run despite major accomplishments, such as the Inflation Reduction Act and the American Rescue Plan. Or, more accurately, you would be hard pressed to find someone who does not feel like he’s had a tough run.
Despite a legislative profile most democrats would dream of, his approval rating, according to FiveThirtyEight, sits at a measly 39.1%. He is 81 years old—the oldest an individual has ever been as president—and has been dogged by questions about his mental and physical health.
I, like many democrats, quite literally feel a sense of anxiety when he delivers a speech. Thus, when Biden announced that he’d be delivering his annual State of the Union Address on March 7, many people, including myself, held our collective breath.
In the back of my mind were the events of one month prior, when Biden gave brief remarks about a statement from Special Counsel Robert Hurr. Hurr had recently claimed that Biden’s memory was so bad that he couldn’t recall the day his son Beau died. Although Biden appeared to be hurt by the accusation and delivered an initially strong-willed rebuttal, his response soon became littered with mistakes and mix-ups. Most embarrassingly, he left the podium only to return and mistake Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for the president of Mexico. Quite frankly, it was hard to watch.
As Biden walked into Congress for the State of the Union Address and began greeting people, many viewers held low expectations. However, flanked by Vice President Kamala Harris and an increasingly somber-looking Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Biden took hold of the microphone, looked into the camera, and did the unthinkable: He delivered the ultimate comeback speech.
This was no typical “I support expanding healthcare, while Republicans don’t,” type of speech. This was an intense, charismatic, and often comedic rebuttal to everyone who had ever doubted his ability to win. From dysfunctional congressional republicans to Donald Trump, who he referred to not by name but by the moniker “my predecessor,” Biden tore into his detractors, particularly the Supreme Court.
Biden ripped into the Supreme Court for overturning Roe V. Wade, saying, “Clearly, those bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade have no clue about the power of women in America.”
While staring down at the Justices, Biden continued, “They found out though, when reproductive freedom was on the ballot and won in 2022, 2023, and they will find out again, in 2024.”
Biden repeatedly weaved on and off script, deftly taunting congressional republicans with quips and comebacks.
“If any of you don’t want that money in your districts, just let me know!” he said of the numerous republicans who voted against his infrastructure bill, only to take credit for the funding it provided to their districts.
Biden succinctly ended his speech with a reminder that he may be old, but that doesn’t mean he’s out of touch: “My fellow Americans, the issue facing our nation isn’t how old we are, it’s how old our ideas are.”
Much of Gen Z, including myself, have grown up in an era defined by the chaos of “the previous administration.” Outside of the oldest members, who lived through part of the Obama Administration, most of us have never seen what it’s like for a democrat to truly lead.
Watching President Biden stand at the podium felt like the first time we’ve seen such a leader, especially one who was willing to go on full offense. It’s the first taste many Gen Zer’s have had of a president who is in control—and on our side.
Joe Biden beat the odds that night and, for what feels like the first time since the midterms, left many of his supporters feeling confident. If the same Joe Biden we saw during the State of the Union can show up this November, then perhaps voters won’t mind showing up for him.
