What time is the State of the Union?
President Joe Biden is expected to tout achievements in office and address a range of domestic and international concerns in Thursday’s speech to joint-session of Congress
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Your support makes all the difference.President Joe Biden will deliver his latest State of the Union address to a joint-session of Congress on Thursday 7 March.
The Democrat is seeking a second term in the White House this year and looks certain to face his Republican predecessor Donald Trump once again in a rematch of 2020’s bad-tempered presidential election that the vast majority of Americans had hoped to avoid.
The president is expected to use his speech to tout his achievements in office and to address a range of domestic issues, from the economic recovery and infrastructure wins he has overseen to the need for greater cooperation in the House of Representatives on spending deals to avert another looming government shutdown and to resolve the illegal immigration crisis at the southern border, which Mr Trump is determined to make a central pillar of his campaign.
He will also address the conflicts raging in Ukraine and Gaza and the need for international unity.
President Biden has faced growing criticism in recent months over his unstinting support for Israel in the wake of Hamas’s deadly terror attack on 7 October 2023, which has seen primary voters in states like Michigan and Minnesota mark their ballot papers “uncommitted” to indicate their disapproval of his failure to demand an immediate ceasefire – a tension he will no doubt seek to soothe.
He is also likely to try to allay fears about his advanced age – 81 – and outline the threat to democracy posed not only by the perennially scandal-plagued Mr Trump – twice impeached, four times indicted and no spring chicken himself at 77 – but also by state Republicans intent on rolling back reproductive rights across the country.
As is customary, the opposition is entitled to deliver a rebuttal and this year that will be come from Katie Britt, GOP senator for Alabama, who has, incidentally, attracted attention in recent weeks for speaking out against the Alabama Supreme Court’s February ruling that frozen embryos should be recognised as children under state law.
Asked about the upcoming State of the Union by reporters on Tuesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: “It’s going to be a moment that’s incredibly important to him.
“He’s looking forward to talking about the accomplishments that he’s made in the last three years and also the vision that he has for this country.”
President Biden’s address will commence at 9pm EST (2am GMT) on Thursday night and The Independent will bring you all the very latest coverage in our dedicated liveblog, as well as all the breakout news lines via our website and social media channels.
The State of the Union will also be covered by all the major US television news networks and broadcast live on C-SPAN and on the White House’s official website and YouTube channel.
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