The president took a Covid victory lap, made a coded plea to Joe Manchin and enjoyed moments of bipartisan applause on Ukraine and a call to “fund” the police.
Biden aimed for unity — and got it, with a few exceptions
Biden sought to emphasize unity, and he received it at certain moments, most notably with an overwhelming standing ovation when he said: “The answer is not to defund the police. The answer is to fund the police.”
A Covid victory lap before a mostly maskless crowd
It was a remarkable sight designed to elicit the feel of a country that has returned to normalcy: a relatively packed House chamber, with virtually none of the attendees wearing masks. The Capitol has ditched its mask mandate, and those attending were required to get tested for Covid. And as Democrats shift their messaging about the virus, Biden claimed credit for economic growth over the past year as the U.S. recovered from the pandemic.
Blaming inflation on corporate greed
Biden warned that inflation is “robbing” families of the gains of higher wages and job growth and said his “top priority is getting prices under control.”
Biden pushes anew for ‘Build Back Better’ priorities — without using the name
Biden touted many features of his Build Back Better Act, which has passed the House and stalled in the Senate because of opposition from Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. But he didn’t use the name — he referred to it as “the plan” and pitched it as a way to cut prices for Americans.
Democracy versus autocracy
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine put a finer point on one of Biden’s enduring themes: promoting democracy and defeating autocracy. He inveighed against Putin and touted the importance of the NATO alliance and U.S. diplomacy.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/state-union-biden-takeaways-n1290535