By — Hannah Grabenstein Hannah Grabenstein By — Jenna Cohen Jenna Cohen Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/in-bidens-final-state-of-the-union-before-the-election-a-look-back-at-his-inauguration-pledges Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter In Biden’s final State of the Union before the election, a look back at his inauguration pledges Politics Mar 7, 2024 1:54 PM EDT When President Joe Biden delivers his third State of the Union address on Thursday, he will be giving a kind of campaign pitch, highlighting his administration’s successes and what he wants to accomplish in a second term. What has happened under his leadership? Much has changed in the three years since Biden shared his vision for the country in his 2021 inaugural address, which came days after a violent mob contesting his victory rioted inside the U.S. Capitol. In his speech – and throughout his campaign – Biden declared he would be a unifying president for a United States grappling with the raw wounds of widening division and grief from the deadly COVID pandemic. READ MORE: How to watch the 2024 State of the Union Looking back at Biden’s inaugural remarks about the nation’s most pressing issues, there were a few topics to which he devoted more of his first words as president. Here are four themes he emphasized in his inaugural address, and what we may hear about them in this year’s State of the Union. Unity What Biden said “Today, on this January day, my whole soul is in this: Bringing America together. Uniting our people. And uniting our nation.” What’s happened since Biden used the words “unity” or “uniting” 11 times in his inaugural speech, elevating the overarching theme of his campaign, and offering a direct contrast to former President Donald Trump’s divisive rhetoric. Biden also spoke of ending “this uncivil war” between political parties, geographic areas and ideologies. Despite the odds, some political watchers thought back then that Biden, with his history of reaching across the aisle, might make headway toward this lofty goal. At the time, Democrats held a slim majority in the House of Representatives and a potential Senate majority with Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie-breaking vote. Bill Galston, senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, wrote that to accomplish major legislative priorities, Biden needed to cross party lines. “Bipartisanship is more than a slogan; it will be a necessity,” Galston wrote. WATCH: How young voters feel about the presidential candidates and nation’s political divide But if you’ve been paying attention, you know how this turned out: Biden was not able to unify the country so quickly. “There was reason to hope that some of the edge of partisanship that had been sharpened during the previous four years might be blunted to some extent, but obviously it didn’t work out that way,” Galston told the PBS NewsHour. Biden’s first major legislative victory, the massive stimulus package called the American Rescue Plan, was passed entirely along party lines, with no Republican votes. That “disappointed a fair number of people who were hoping for a real reset from the very beginnings of his administration,” Galston said. “From the standpoint of bipartisanship and return to unity, I think that was probably an unfortunate way to begin.” Stubborn American divisions shouldn’t fall entirely at Biden’s feet, said Darrick Hamilton, a professor of economics and urban policy at the New School. Hamilton believes Biden’s agenda was hampered by Republicans unwilling to come to the table and negotiate. “It seems to me that the Democratic Party has bent over backwards in ways that are detrimental and even problematic in trying to yield this quest of bipartisanship and unity,” Hamilton said. Many voters still want to see a lowering of the political temperature, Galston believes, so he doesn’t expect Biden to completely abandon his argument for unity. At the same time, the president needs to fire up his base of supporters for his reelection campaign, a political necessity that might be at odds with his bigger aim, Galston said. “It’s not clear to me that a message of unity and bipartisanship is going to fit very well, if at all, with the need to mobilize the base.” COVID-19, and its economic effects What Biden said “We are entering what may well be the toughest and deadliest period of the virus. We must set aside the politics and finally face this pandemic as one nation. I promise you this: as the Bible says weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning. We will get through this together.” What’s happened since During the January when Biden delivered his inaugural address, more than 105,000 Americans died of COVID-19, making it the deadliest month of the pandemic. Pfizer and BioNTech’s lifesaving mRNA COVID-19 vaccine had received FDA emergency use authorization just six weeks earlier. The nation was also still grappling with the pandemic’s shock to the economy. Though the unemployment rate was dropping from its April 2020 peak, the following January it was still at 6.4 percent. Inflation started to climb later in the spring, remaining high throughout 2022. WATCH: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Biden’s State of the Union address Biden had earned a reputation as “consoler-in-chief,” which he leaned on in his address. “We will need all our strength to persevere through this dark winter,” Biden said at his inauguration, which looked very different from others due to virus precautions. Today, while the virus that causes COVID-19 is still circulating, hospitalizations and deaths are much lower than they were at the height of the pandemic, and continue to trend downward, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Mandy Cohen told the NewsHour. Hamilton said many of Biden’s economic policies that sprang from the pandemic crisis were unprecedented, and noted that the resulting recession was short. The American Rescue Plan included “paradigm shifts” toward economic justice, Hamilton said, including the expanded child tax credit. While the economy remains a top concern across many demographic groups, the outlook is also brighter. READ MORE: As COVID cases rise, doctors worry about the consequences of misinformation Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told the NewsHour last month that the economy “is doing so well with low unemployment, inflation coming down, [and strong growth].” But she also noted that prices are higher than they were before the pandemic, and that can make Americans pessimistic about the economy. “Wages are rising more rapidly than prices so Americans are getting ahead. But, nevertheless, people remember that prices were lower. And we’re trying to do everything we can to bring down health care costs and other costs that are definite strains on Americans’ budgets,” Yellen said. READ MORE: 7 things to know about the history of the State of the Union A recent AP-NORC poll showed voter confidence in the economy is improving, but that hasn’t translated to better approval numbers for the president. Biden is likely to note how inflation has dropped, as well as his administration’s efforts to combat shrinkflation and extra or exorbitant fees – financial drains on American wallets that may seem inconsequential but add up. White supremacy and extremism What Biden said “…a rise in political extremism, white supremacy, domestic terrorism that we must confront and we will defeat.” President Joe Biden during his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2021. Photo by Jonathan Ernst/Reuters/ Pool What’s happened since Biden’s inauguration came just two weeks after thousands of supporters of Trump violently stormed the Capitol. A tradition of peaceful transfer of power from one president to another required enhanced security on high alert for more than a week prior to the inauguration. More than 1,200 people have been arrested and more than 850 have pleaded or been found guilty of crimes connected to Jan. 6, ranging from entering a restricted federal building to seditious conspiracy. Trump himself has been indicted by the federal government for his alleged role in obstructing official proceedings, as well as for violating the rights of voters and conspiracy to defraud the government. Among others convicted include Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, former national chairman of the far-right Proud Boys, and Stewart Rhodes, the founder and leader of the Oath Keepers. Though it’s impossible to generalize the motivations of all the rioters, many were part of groups that are anti-government and/or have white supremacist ideologies. “Combating white supremacy has been a core tenet of the Biden administration since he was even just a candidate,” said Jacob Ware, a research fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations who studies domestic and international terrorism as well as counterterrorism. Biden’s video announcing his 2020 campaign used clips from the white nationalist “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville in Aug. 2017 to warn about the stakes, Ware noted. WATCH: New report looks at the changing face of extremist groups in America As president, Biden’s administration unveiled a National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism in June 2021, which aimed to increase communication and support with state and local partners to prevent domestic extremism. The Department of Homeland Security has also directed funds to organizations working to combat domestic terrorism. But without updates or progress reports from the administration, it’s not clear how well the national strategy has been implemented, Ware said. It’s uncertain whether Biden will address domestic terrorism in his latest address, but he is likely to reinforce the importance of preserving democracy against significant threats – another major theme of his current campaign. Ware doesn’t believe the far right terrorist threat has diminished during Biden’s term, noting racist attacks in Buffalo, New York and Jacksonville, Florida. Nor does he think the anti-government movement has abated, as in the attack of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, which was committed by someone who had posted about conspiracy theories online. “A lot of the major headwinds that we face in this space, including social media companies that do not want to engage on counterterrorism, on preventing online harms — those headwinds still remain,” Ware said. Looking ahead to the election year, when Ware said far-right extremist violence could be more likely, he hopes Biden “delivers a call across the aisle to also be united, and [is] aggressive in speaking out against violence in all its forms.” Restoring relationships with allies and world leadership What Biden said “We will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again, not to meet yesterday’s challenges, but today’s and tomorrow’s.” What’s happened since When Biden entered the White House, he inherited some tense foreign relationships – some among traditional allies. Trump had pulled the country out of a handful of key international accords and agreements, and had frayed some relationships with inflammatory rhetoric. In his inaugural speech, Biden pledged to reverse that. He said the U.S. would be a “strong and trusted partner for peace, progress, and security” in the world. Unbeknownst to him then, much of Biden’s first term has been taken up with overseas conflict, including the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war that started Oct. 7 last year. His administration has been steadfast in pledging its commitment to NATO, which gained its newest member Thursday when Sweden officially joined the alliance. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will be Biden’s guest at tonight’s State of the Union, where the president is likely to hail the growing cadre of allies. Biden has also pushed for funding support for Ukraine and Israel, and more recently advocated for humanitarian aid for the suffering in Gaza, which he is expected to address Thursday as well. Public approval, however, has dwindled when it comes to funding these conflicts, not to mention his personal handling of them. WATCH: ‘Statements from United States are making us worried’: Estonian leader reacts to Trump comments Over a third of Americans in a PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll last month said the government was spending too much on aid to Ukraine in the war against Russia, including 56 percent of registered Republicans. Congress’ tentative agreement to avoid a government shutdown punted the question of whether $95 billion in emergency national security funds would be approved for Ukraine, Israel and other allies, as Republican lawmakers push for greater concessions on border security. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vice President Kamala Harris shake hands at the at the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 17, 2024. Photo by WOLFGANG RATTAY/ AFP via Getty Images Some Democrats and left-leaning voters have also signaled their dissatisfaction. While Biden has dominated the Democratic presidential contests overall, more than 100,000 voters in Michigan and 45,000 voters in Minnesota selected “uncommitted” on their primary ballots, protesting his approach to the conflict in the Middle East. “We have lost family members, we have lost friends, we have lost loved ones. … This community is made up of immigrants, first, second, third and so on, generations from that region. So this largely affects our community. Biden’s core constituency — Democrats,” Layla Elabed, campaign manager of Listen To Michigan, told the NewsHour. Though the world will be listening to what Biden has to say on these topics and more, only 3 percent of Americans listed foreign policy as the most important problem facing the country today, according to a February Gallup poll. It’s ultimately not clear that the U.S.’ international standing is a major issue for voters, said Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter. “This is not a decisive issue in terms of its ability to impact the election. So whoever wins the question of, ‘Who is seen as better at protecting our relationship with our allies?’ is not going to give us the answer for who is going to be the president,” Walter said. We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now By — Hannah Grabenstein Hannah Grabenstein @hgrabenstein By — Jenna Cohen Jenna Cohen Jenna Cohen is the Associate Product Manager at PBS NewsHour. Working on the digital team, she specializes in data, design and product management. @jennarcohen
When President Joe Biden delivers his third State of the Union address on Thursday, he will be giving a kind of campaign pitch, highlighting his administration’s successes and what he wants to accomplish in a second term. What has happened under his leadership? Much has changed in the three years since Biden shared his vision for the country in his 2021 inaugural address, which came days after a violent mob contesting his victory rioted inside the U.S. Capitol. In his speech – and throughout his campaign – Biden declared he would be a unifying president for a United States grappling with the raw wounds of widening division and grief from the deadly COVID pandemic. READ MORE: How to watch the 2024 State of the Union Looking back at Biden’s inaugural remarks about the nation’s most pressing issues, there were a few topics to which he devoted more of his first words as president. Here are four themes he emphasized in his inaugural address, and what we may hear about them in this year’s State of the Union. Unity What Biden said “Today, on this January day, my whole soul is in this: Bringing America together. Uniting our people. And uniting our nation.” What’s happened since Biden used the words “unity” or “uniting” 11 times in his inaugural speech, elevating the overarching theme of his campaign, and offering a direct contrast to former President Donald Trump’s divisive rhetoric. Biden also spoke of ending “this uncivil war” between political parties, geographic areas and ideologies. Despite the odds, some political watchers thought back then that Biden, with his history of reaching across the aisle, might make headway toward this lofty goal. At the time, Democrats held a slim majority in the House of Representatives and a potential Senate majority with Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie-breaking vote. Bill Galston, senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, wrote that to accomplish major legislative priorities, Biden needed to cross party lines. “Bipartisanship is more than a slogan; it will be a necessity,” Galston wrote. WATCH: How young voters feel about the presidential candidates and nation’s political divide But if you’ve been paying attention, you know how this turned out: Biden was not able to unify the country so quickly. “There was reason to hope that some of the edge of partisanship that had been sharpened during the previous four years might be blunted to some extent, but obviously it didn’t work out that way,” Galston told the PBS NewsHour. Biden’s first major legislative victory, the massive stimulus package called the American Rescue Plan, was passed entirely along party lines, with no Republican votes. That “disappointed a fair number of people who were hoping for a real reset from the very beginnings of his administration,” Galston said. “From the standpoint of bipartisanship and return to unity, I think that was probably an unfortunate way to begin.” Stubborn American divisions shouldn’t fall entirely at Biden’s feet, said Darrick Hamilton, a professor of economics and urban policy at the New School. Hamilton believes Biden’s agenda was hampered by Republicans unwilling to come to the table and negotiate. “It seems to me that the Democratic Party has bent over backwards in ways that are detrimental and even problematic in trying to yield this quest of bipartisanship and unity,” Hamilton said. Many voters still want to see a lowering of the political temperature, Galston believes, so he doesn’t expect Biden to completely abandon his argument for unity. At the same time, the president needs to fire up his base of supporters for his reelection campaign, a political necessity that might be at odds with his bigger aim, Galston said. “It’s not clear to me that a message of unity and bipartisanship is going to fit very well, if at all, with the need to mobilize the base.” COVID-19, and its economic effects What Biden said “We are entering what may well be the toughest and deadliest period of the virus. We must set aside the politics and finally face this pandemic as one nation. I promise you this: as the Bible says weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning. We will get through this together.” What’s happened since During the January when Biden delivered his inaugural address, more than 105,000 Americans died of COVID-19, making it the deadliest month of the pandemic. Pfizer and BioNTech’s lifesaving mRNA COVID-19 vaccine had received FDA emergency use authorization just six weeks earlier. The nation was also still grappling with the pandemic’s shock to the economy. Though the unemployment rate was dropping from its April 2020 peak, the following January it was still at 6.4 percent. Inflation started to climb later in the spring, remaining high throughout 2022. WATCH: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Biden’s State of the Union address Biden had earned a reputation as “consoler-in-chief,” which he leaned on in his address. “We will need all our strength to persevere through this dark winter,” Biden said at his inauguration, which looked very different from others due to virus precautions. Today, while the virus that causes COVID-19 is still circulating, hospitalizations and deaths are much lower than they were at the height of the pandemic, and continue to trend downward, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Mandy Cohen told the NewsHour. Hamilton said many of Biden’s economic policies that sprang from the pandemic crisis were unprecedented, and noted that the resulting recession was short. The American Rescue Plan included “paradigm shifts” toward economic justice, Hamilton said, including the expanded child tax credit. While the economy remains a top concern across many demographic groups, the outlook is also brighter. READ MORE: As COVID cases rise, doctors worry about the consequences of misinformation Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told the NewsHour last month that the economy “is doing so well with low unemployment, inflation coming down, [and strong growth].” But she also noted that prices are higher than they were before the pandemic, and that can make Americans pessimistic about the economy. “Wages are rising more rapidly than prices so Americans are getting ahead. But, nevertheless, people remember that prices were lower. And we’re trying to do everything we can to bring down health care costs and other costs that are definite strains on Americans’ budgets,” Yellen said. READ MORE: 7 things to know about the history of the State of the Union A recent AP-NORC poll showed voter confidence in the economy is improving, but that hasn’t translated to better approval numbers for the president. Biden is likely to note how inflation has dropped, as well as his administration’s efforts to combat shrinkflation and extra or exorbitant fees – financial drains on American wallets that may seem inconsequential but add up. White supremacy and extremism What Biden said “…a rise in political extremism, white supremacy, domestic terrorism that we must confront and we will defeat.” President Joe Biden during his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2021. Photo by Jonathan Ernst/Reuters/ Pool What’s happened since Biden’s inauguration came just two weeks after thousands of supporters of Trump violently stormed the Capitol. A tradition of peaceful transfer of power from one president to another required enhanced security on high alert for more than a week prior to the inauguration. More than 1,200 people have been arrested and more than 850 have pleaded or been found guilty of crimes connected to Jan. 6, ranging from entering a restricted federal building to seditious conspiracy. Trump himself has been indicted by the federal government for his alleged role in obstructing official proceedings, as well as for violating the rights of voters and conspiracy to defraud the government. Among others convicted include Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, former national chairman of the far-right Proud Boys, and Stewart Rhodes, the founder and leader of the Oath Keepers. Though it’s impossible to generalize the motivations of all the rioters, many were part of groups that are anti-government and/or have white supremacist ideologies. “Combating white supremacy has been a core tenet of the Biden administration since he was even just a candidate,” said Jacob Ware, a research fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations who studies domestic and international terrorism as well as counterterrorism. Biden’s video announcing his 2020 campaign used clips from the white nationalist “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville in Aug. 2017 to warn about the stakes, Ware noted. WATCH: New report looks at the changing face of extremist groups in America As president, Biden’s administration unveiled a National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism in June 2021, which aimed to increase communication and support with state and local partners to prevent domestic extremism. The Department of Homeland Security has also directed funds to organizations working to combat domestic terrorism. But without updates or progress reports from the administration, it’s not clear how well the national strategy has been implemented, Ware said. It’s uncertain whether Biden will address domestic terrorism in his latest address, but he is likely to reinforce the importance of preserving democracy against significant threats – another major theme of his current campaign. Ware doesn’t believe the far right terrorist threat has diminished during Biden’s term, noting racist attacks in Buffalo, New York and Jacksonville, Florida. Nor does he think the anti-government movement has abated, as in the attack of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, which was committed by someone who had posted about conspiracy theories online. “A lot of the major headwinds that we face in this space, including social media companies that do not want to engage on counterterrorism, on preventing online harms — those headwinds still remain,” Ware said. Looking ahead to the election year, when Ware said far-right extremist violence could be more likely, he hopes Biden “delivers a call across the aisle to also be united, and [is] aggressive in speaking out against violence in all its forms.” Restoring relationships with allies and world leadership What Biden said “We will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again, not to meet yesterday’s challenges, but today’s and tomorrow’s.” What’s happened since When Biden entered the White House, he inherited some tense foreign relationships – some among traditional allies. Trump had pulled the country out of a handful of key international accords and agreements, and had frayed some relationships with inflammatory rhetoric. In his inaugural speech, Biden pledged to reverse that. He said the U.S. would be a “strong and trusted partner for peace, progress, and security” in the world. Unbeknownst to him then, much of Biden’s first term has been taken up with overseas conflict, including the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war that started Oct. 7 last year. His administration has been steadfast in pledging its commitment to NATO, which gained its newest member Thursday when Sweden officially joined the alliance. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will be Biden’s guest at tonight’s State of the Union, where the president is likely to hail the growing cadre of allies. Biden has also pushed for funding support for Ukraine and Israel, and more recently advocated for humanitarian aid for the suffering in Gaza, which he is expected to address Thursday as well. Public approval, however, has dwindled when it comes to funding these conflicts, not to mention his personal handling of them. WATCH: ‘Statements from United States are making us worried’: Estonian leader reacts to Trump comments Over a third of Americans in a PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll last month said the government was spending too much on aid to Ukraine in the war against Russia, including 56 percent of registered Republicans. Congress’ tentative agreement to avoid a government shutdown punted the question of whether $95 billion in emergency national security funds would be approved for Ukraine, Israel and other allies, as Republican lawmakers push for greater concessions on border security. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vice President Kamala Harris shake hands at the at the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 17, 2024. Photo by WOLFGANG RATTAY/ AFP via Getty Images Some Democrats and left-leaning voters have also signaled their dissatisfaction. While Biden has dominated the Democratic presidential contests overall, more than 100,000 voters in Michigan and 45,000 voters in Minnesota selected “uncommitted” on their primary ballots, protesting his approach to the conflict in the Middle East. “We have lost family members, we have lost friends, we have lost loved ones. … This community is made up of immigrants, first, second, third and so on, generations from that region. So this largely affects our community. Biden’s core constituency — Democrats,” Layla Elabed, campaign manager of Listen To Michigan, told the NewsHour. Though the world will be listening to what Biden has to say on these topics and more, only 3 percent of Americans listed foreign policy as the most important problem facing the country today, according to a February Gallup poll. It’s ultimately not clear that the U.S.’ international standing is a major issue for voters, said Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter. “This is not a decisive issue in terms of its ability to impact the election. So whoever wins the question of, ‘Who is seen as better at protecting our relationship with our allies?’ is not going to give us the answer for who is going to be the president,” Walter said. We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now