Staff Reports
In anticipation of President Joe Biden’s third State of the Union address, all eyes are set to be glued on him as he dives into key topics like the economy and foreign relations. But let’s face it, folks, given Biden’s recent slip-ups, all ears will be perked up for any signs of cognitive decline.
The shortest State of the Union address was 27 minutes. How will Biden measure up? https://t.co/zxueJD6fEZ https://t.co/zxueJD6fEZ
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) March 7, 2024
Biden’s past State of the Union speeches have been on par with those of his predecessors in terms of length, but let’s not forget the elephant in the room: his reelection campaign has been dealing with numerous blunders that have folks questioning his mental sharpness.
Now, let’s talk numbers. During his first three years in office, Biden sat down for fewer interviews with news outlets compared to former President Donald Trump. However, the American Presidency Project highlighted that Biden has held 14 solo press conferences, where he took questions from the media, while Trump only had nine during the same time frame. But remember, it’s not just about quantity, it’s about quality, folks.
While his previous speeches have clocked in at over an hour, let’s face the music: his recent blunders have been stealing the spotlight. From mixing up the names of world leaders to fumbling over the wars in Ukraine and Iraq, Thursday’s address is shaping up to be a make-it-or-break-it moment for him to move past his recent stumbles.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane. The shortest State of the Union was delivered by President Richard Nixon in 1972, lasting less than 29 minutes, while the longest was by President Bill Clinton, going on for nearly an hour and a half in 1995 and 2000. Now, isn’t that quite the spread, folks?
In 2021, Biden’s speech to Congress lasted an hour and five minutes, and his first official State of the Union address in March 2022 went on for about an hour. He touched on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the country’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the economy. But not without a hiccup, mind you. Who could forget when he pledged support for Ukraine but mistakenly referred to its people as “Iranians”? Oh, Joe.
Fast forward to 2023, Biden took a whopping hour and 13 minutes for his State of the Union address, which is his longest yet. And let’s not forget the spicy political climate in the room, reminiscent of last year. The House Speaker reportedly asked for “decorum” this time around, after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene made her voice heard loud and clear during the address last year. It’s going to be quite the show, folks.
