Republican lawmakers have dismissed Joe Biden’s State of the Union address as divisive and more like a campaign speech than a unifying moment.
President Biden spoke for just over an hour about his administration’s achievements, including reducing medical prescription costs and stabilizing a turbulent economy.
He also took shots at Republicans for obstructing his agenda, slamming them for restricting reproductive rights and not supporting his recent efforts to implement border security measures.
He took many shots at former President Donald Trump, who referred to Biden as “my predecessor” several times but never by name.
Members of the Republican Party, meanwhile, said after the State of the Union that Biden did more to divide Americans than bring them together.
“It was out of touch and perhaps the most divisive State of the Union I have ever seen,” Sen. Schmitt, R-Mo., told DailyMail.com.
President Joe Biden started his State of the Union address with an attack on Donald Trump
Democratic members of Congress cheer on President Joe Biden during State of the Union address – many Democratic female lawmakers wore white to show their support for reproductive rights
“There was no attempt to bring people together,” he said, adding that Biden’s comments were “like an angry great-grandfather yelling at people to get off his lawn.”
Many of his Republican colleagues felt the same way.
House Speaker Mike Johnson called the speech “overly partisan.”
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., similarly said, “Joe Biden’s angry, hyper-partisan speech was full of falsehoods and completely out of touch with the American people.”
‘He failed to take any responsibility for the many crises he has caused. The American people deserve better.”
Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, also weighed in on X: “Tonight was a missed opportunity for (Joe Biden) to unite the country on pressing national security issues.”
“Within minutes, his speech became one of the most partisan and divisive SOTU speeches I have ever heard in the Senate.”
“Tonight, Joe Biden threatened the Supreme Court justices, promised to send billions of taxpayer dollars abroad and mocked concerns about the border crisis he created,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, wrote on X.
“The State of the Union will be stronger if Joe Biden has nothing to do with it.”
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., called Biden’s comments “a proof of life speech.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., shouted several times during Biden’s speech
“This SOTU speech is hyper-partisan, angry and completely out of touch,” Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, wrote on X.
“That was a campaign speech,” said Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla. “That was just complete partisanship.”
The State of the Union address was also full of partisanship among the crowd.
Biden faced several exchanges with Republican lawmakers during his remarks, in which he repeatedly attacked his Republican presidential rival, Donald Trump.
Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., began yelling at the president during his remarks.
She demanded that Biden say the name of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old student who police say was killed by an illegal immigrant.
Greene’s outburst came as Biden was talking about border security.
Across the aisle, many Democrats wore white in solidarity for women’s rights.
However, the trend started as a rebuke to Trump during his first speech to Congress in 2017.