Biden to tout wins, tease 2024 run in SOTU address

The President of the United States. Two years after vowing to bring normalcy and unity to the nation's capital, President Joe Biden will deliver his second State of the Union address Tuesday before Congress has divided as ever and a skeptical American public. Midway through his first term and before a Republican House of Representatives, Biden will look to address the nation with his signature tone of optimism. The State of the Union is strong because you, the American people, are strong. Touting a growing economy and hot labor market and celebrating a series of bipartisan wins from a sweeping infrastructure bill to the Chips and Science Act and the first gun safety legislation in decades. I know there's much more work to do and I'm never going to give up, but this is a monumental day. But he'll deliver his remarks under a cloud of uncertainty as a special counsel investigates his potential mishandling of classified documents.

Add to that a threat of recession still looming in Russia's war in Ukraine, still raging and convincing a weary nation might not be so easy. A new poll from the Associated Press' Nork Center for Public Affairs research finds that only a quarter of American adults believe the country is on the right track. There's all kinds of uncertainty right now. There are lots of things to worry about. But we are a lot better with regard to the economy, with regard to the COVID, the pandemic, with regard to our standing in the world. So expect the president to sympathize with the country's angst while shining a spotlight on both his successes and the challenges that remain, from addressing the nation's debt ceiling to supporting Ukraine and pushing back against an increasingly aggressive China and passing police reform. He'll do so in front of the parents of Tyree Nichols, who are invited to attend the address as guests of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Biden will use the speech to renew his call for political unity, while at the same time look to cement his appeal to wavering Democrats ahead of the expected announcement of his re-election bid. He's the oldest president we've had, and how does he do just in this setting? He's got to show command of this podium. It's the most important thing he can do in terms of his potential presidential run. And we will. It's about both establishing his big, de-democratic credentials while also presenting himself as a statesman. In the end, Howell says while a strong speech could be helpful to Biden, state of the union addresses don't have a long history of moving the political needle. There are going to be moments that might be poignant, but this isn't something that schoolchildren are going to be rereading in the decades to come.

Kelly Dashle, The Associated Press.

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