Historians Describe Biden’s SOTU Address as Highly Political and Unprecedented

President Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address on Thursday was perceived as unusually combative and highly partisan by many Republicans and conservatives.

This reaction was somewhat expected, but even American historians who are well-versed in the evolution of the State of the Union Address agreed that it was more of a campaign speech than a traditional address.

Donald Critchlow, a professor at Arizona State University, described it as a campaign speech “2020 on steroids,” attributing blame for various issues to Biden’s predecessor and the Republican party.

Mark Rozell, Dean of the Schar School of Government at George Mason University, also noted that Biden’s address seemed geared towards energizing the Democratic base with its partisan tone and numerous references to his predecessor.

Irwin Gellman, an author working on a series about Richard Nixon, found the address to be remarkably antagonistic and focused on proving Biden’s superiority over the Republicans.

Luke Nichter, a professor at Chapman University and author, characterized Biden’s address as a mix of partisanship and bipartisanship, with elements of historical references and surprising policy proposals.

Overall, the address was seen as a blend of political messaging and attempts at unity, with Biden referencing his predecessor and current political issues without directly naming them.

John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.