President Biden deviated from his own script several times to talk about economic issues in his State of the Union address Thursday night.
He criticized major banks over credit card fees. He added a real-life example of “shrinkflation.” He teased his GOP colleagues about the infrastructure money flowing into their districts.
Perhaps most importantly from the White House's perspective, the president's repeated additions to his prepared remarks gave him the opportunity to provoke the Republicans sitting before him.
Many of the early reviews of Biden's intense performance were positive, but Biden being Biden, it didn't always go entirely smoothly.
“I’m going to get in trouble if I say that,” he once said, while making an aside about prescription drug prices. He then accidentally suggested a powerful image of the president flying seniors on Air Force One to Toronto and Berlin — as well as Moscow — for cheaper medicine.
“Well, probably even Moscow,” he added, unperturbed, “and bring your prescription with you and I promise I’ll get it for you for 40% of the cost you’re paying now.”
It remains to be seen whether the combative tone will help his declining poll numbers.
But the asides underscored how important the economy is to Biden's message as he prepares to face former President Trump in the November election, and his willingness to do so in an unscripted manner after weeks of debate about his age and vitality and fro to confuse.
He's used this tactic before. A year ago, a similar ad-lib on Social Security during last year's speech drew loud ridicule from Republicans and was seen as a successful move by Biden's advisers and many political observers.
President Joe Biden's prepared remarks are visible in front of him when he delivers his State of the Union address on March 7. He often deviated from these comments. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images) (The Washington Post via Getty Images)
A series of asides
During this year's speech, part of a section dedicated to the bipartisan 2021 infrastructure bill, Biden looked away from the teleprompter to tease Republicans who voted no but still bragged about the incoming funds.
“It has come to my attention that some of you who strongly voted against it are loudly cheering for this money,” he told the audience, drawing a mix of cheers and boos.
The story goes on
“I like it, I agree with you,” he added with a grin and joked, “If any of you don’t want the money in your districts, let me know,” before returning to his prepared remarks.
At other times, Biden appeared to use the asides to burnish his moderate credentials and ties to the business community.
He went out of his way – as he often does – to mention that his home state of Delaware is home to many large corporations, to argue that he is not the enemy of the business community. Left unmentioned were Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk's recent problems with its founding in Delaware and his recent relocation of SpaceX's paperwork to Texas.
During a discussion about education, Biden paused to recount a meeting with the Business Roundtable, an association of chief executives based in Washington. “I asked them what they need most as CEOs… they say a better educated workforce,” he said.
He also made off-the-cuff comments on other financial topics, from the national debt to executive pay to so-called junk fees.
“That's why the banks are so angry, it's $20 billion in profits,” he said, underscoring one of his proposals to reduce credit card costs.
Perhaps the most striking side effect came on the non-economic issue of immigration when Biden — amid loud heckles from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia — held up a pin depicting a murdered nursing student named Laken Riley, who was allegedly killed by an undocumented immigrant .
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia shows off a Sheet Riley button while wearing her “Make America Great Again” hat as President Joe Biden arrives to deliver his speech. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) (Bill Clark via Getty Images)
The pin was one that Republicans themselves had brought to the event, with Biden saying, “I say to your parents, my condolences go out to you, as you have lost children of your own, I understand that.” Biden used in these comments also the term “an illegal”. It's a term most Democrats avoid and one that drew immediate criticism from immigration advocates.
Republicans, for their part, criticized Biden's freewheeling speech as too political, especially after Biden began the speech with a focus on democracy both in Ukraine and closer to home.
“Not since President Lincoln and the Civil War have freedom and democracy here at home been under such attack as they are today,” Biden once said.
Biden was also fully focused on Trump, whom he will face this fall. Biden mentioned him as “my predecessor” at least 13 times. He also tried to assuage concerns about his age by contrasting himself with Trump's “old ideas.”
Trump himself offered a range of reactions online, including some of these ad-libs.
“Biden talked about the SNICKERS bars before he talked about the border!” Trump posted during the speech. It was a reference to a remark Biden made about “shrinkflation” and the declining size but continued cost of the popular candy bar.
And before the night was over, Biden had one final comment to make about — what else — Social Security.
GOP leaders have said that most Republicans do not support ideas to cut the Social Security program for seniors, but Biden charged again Thursday night – in almost identical terms to last year – that Republicans as a party want to cut the program by something to give tax breaks to the rich.
When the boos predictably followed, Biden feigned surprise. “I kind of thought that was your plan,” he said. “Well, that's good to hear.”
Ben Werschkul is a Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance.
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