'Wake up': Biden delivers fiery State of the Union — sparring with critics and swiping at Trump

Biden to give State of the Union tonight as he grapples with Gaza, Ukraine, inflation and immigration concerns.

President Joe Biden said he wanted to use his State of the Union to “wake up" Congress, but he was the one who seemed suddenly energized as he sparred with Republican hecklers and repeatedly criticized former President Donald Trump.

Shaking off lackluster approval ratings and his own party's anxiety about his political and physical health, the 81-year-old delivered on Thursday one of the feistiest and most political presidential addresses to Congress in recent memory.

He referenced "my predecessor" 13 times, not saying Trump's name once but making him a clear focus of his speech, shouted back at firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and sarcastically mocked Republican lawmakers.

"I know you know how to read," he said as he criticized the GOP over their refusal to pass the bipartisan border bill, responding to some of whom heckled him from the House chamber.

While Biden was unlikely to ever sway Republicans with a speech, it may help coalesce Democrats — for a moment at least — who are alternatingly panicky and dismissive of polls showing Trump leading Biden in key swing states.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/biden-state-union-address-2024-rcna142240

---