President Joe Biden shouts out labor, defends immigration policy during spirited State of the Union

President Joe Biden delivered his third State of the Union address on Thursday, speaking on wide range of themes, from the economy, threats to democracy and the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, to immigration, gun control and the 2024 presidential election.

With a defiant tone, Biden criticized his “predecessor,” former President Donald Trump, several times throughout the speech without referring to Trump by name.

“My predecessor — and some of you here — seek to bury the truth about Jan. 6 — I will not do that,” Biden said. “This is a moment to speak the truth and to bury the lies. Here’s a simple truth. You can’t love your country only when you win.”

Several Republicans booed and heckled President Biden during the speech – despite assurances from House Speaker Mike Johnson that that would not happen.

The president also addressed massive increases in immigration at the southern border and the political battle in Congress over how to manage it.

“We can fight about the border, or we can fix it. I’m ready to fix it,” Biden said.

The Biden Administration has sought to minimize the separation of immigrant families, but it happened during his time in office – until a federal judge put a stop to the practice late last year. Biden stressed during his address that he wants to overcome political division and take action on the issue, adding that he would not “demonize immigrants” the way Trump has.

Biden also gave a shout out to the United Auto Workers union and UAW President Shawn Fain, highlighting a Stellantis plant in Belvidere, Ill. that the union negotiated to be kept open.

“UAW worked like hell to keep the plant open and get these jobs back and together we succeeded. Instead of an auto factory shutting down an auto factory is re-opening and a new state-of-the art battery factory is being built to power those cars.”

Fain was a guest of the president at the State of the Union address, along with Dawn Sims, a third generation UAW worker at that Stellantis plant.

“Shawn, I was proud to be the first President in American history to walk a picket line,” Biden said. “And today Dawn has a job in her hometown providing stability for her family and pride and dignity. Showing once again, Wall Street didn’t build this country. The middle class built this country, and unions built the middle class.”

Biden also announced the establishment of a temporary pier in the Mediterranean Sea on the Gaza coast that can receive large ships carrying food, water, medicine and temporary shelters for those displaced during Israel’s ongoing military operation in the region.

The president has received increased criticism from many Democrats for his support of Israel’s military operation, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 30,000 Palestinians and a continued humanitarian disaster due to lack of food, clean water and supplies.

“To Leadership in Israel I say this. Humanitarian Assistance cannot be a secondary consideration, or a bargaining chip. Protecting and saving innocent lives has to be a priority. As we look to the future, the only real solution to the situation is a two-state solution over time,” he said.

Biden – and other American Presidents – have long touted a two-state solution, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently made comments that have make that outcome unlikely.

Gun control in the United States also got a brief mention during the speech.

“I’m demanding a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazine. Pass universal background checks. None of this. None of this… I taught the second amendment for 12 years. None of this violates the Second Amendment, or vilifies responsible gun owners.”

A ban on assault weapons was allowed to expire 20 years ago. Gun safety experts point to this as one of the reasons for a rise in mass shootings.

The scrappy tone from Biden throughout his speech was a sharp break from his often humdrum daily appearances and was intended to banish doubts about whether the 81-year-old president — the country’s oldest ever — is still up to the job. He worked to quell voter concerns about his age and job performance toward the end of his address, while sharpening the contrast with his all-but-certain November rival.

“I know it may not look like it, but I’ve been around a while. When you get to be my age, certain things become clearer than ever,” he said. “I know the American story. Again and again, I’ve seen the contest between competing forces in the battle for the soul of our nation, between those who want to pull America back to the past. Those want to move America into the future.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.