Biden makes case for re-election at State of the Union as Trump presidential rematch comes into focus

The message that Joe Biden most needed to deliver Thursday night wasn't so much that the American union is strong, but that the American president is fit.

WASHINGTON — The message that Joe Biden most needed to deliver Thursday night wasn't so much that the American union is strong but that the American president is fit.

It's not the highest bar, but it's one that he cleared.

Amid polls showing that most of the country believes he is too old to serve another four-year term, Biden stood for 68 minutes in the House chamber and gave a speech that was both energetic and crisp. He then set a modern presidential record for the time spent shaking hands and giving hugs in the chamber afterward.

Biden spoke with fluency about the stakes in the presidential race, never mentioning former President Donald Trump by name but making more than a dozen references to his "predecessor." The first came just three minutes into the speech, when Biden skewered Trump for inviting Russian President Vladimir Putin to attack NATO allies who don't contribute enough money to the alliance.

Drawing a distinction, Biden said: "My message to President Putin is simple. We will not walk away. We will not bow down. I will not bow down."

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/joe-biden/biden-age-fitness-state-union-speech-rcna140771

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