With sagging approval numbers and evident public concern over his age, President Joe Biden has a dwindling number of opportunities before election day to address a large primetime audience, raising the stakes for his State of the Union speech Thursday as he makes the case for a second term.
The State of the Union may be Biden’s only chance for the next several months to make that case in a high-profile setting before millions of voters, since the Democratic National Convention is still nearly half a year away and uncertainty hangs over the fall general election debates.
Biden faces “an incredible amount of pressure” to deliver a strong performance in the State of the Union, said Kait Sweeney, a progressive political consultant. “There’s a limited number of moments between now and the election that he can really shape to be his own.”
Heading into the State of the Union speech, Biden is behind in most national and battleground state polls to former President Donald Trump, the 2024 Republican frontrunner.
The event is a challenging balancing act even in non-election years. But presidents face added scrutiny when they’re up for reelection, and Biden will be under an even greater microscope due to the questions around his age.
Read more at Newsweek.com
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