Did not mention the word - heckled during the speech

 

Of:  

 

Emelie Svensson 

 

Published: Today 07.25  

 

Updated: Less than 3 hours ago  

 

NEWS  

 

NEW YORK. The word spy balloon was not mentioned once. 

 

But Joe Biden got really angry and went hard on China in his "State of the Union" speech to the nation last night.  

 

- As we made clear last week: If China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country.  

 

Just before 03:00 last night, Joe Biden stepped into the Capitol to deliver the president's traditional address to the nation, "State of the Union", in front of members of Congress and television viewers. 

 

In the past week, he has come under massive criticism from political opponents for allowing the Chinese spy balloon discovered last week to hover over the United States for days before being shot down into the sea by the military.  

 

 

Joe Biden's speech last night. Photo: Susan Walsh/AP 

 

Didn't mention the balloon 

 

Many therefore waited anxiously for what he would say about the threat from the east. 

 

- Before I took office, everything was about how China increased its power and how America was losing its place in the world - not anymore!, said Biden.  

 

- Today we have reached the strongest position in decades. 

 

But the word balloon was conspicuous by its absence. 

 

- As we made clear last week: if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country. And we did,” Biden said succinctly of the shooting.  

 

The speech was delivered by a president who is under great pressure: 

For secret documents found in his residence, continued with shaky trust figures - and at the same time, the 80-year-old is expected to soon announce that he is standing as a presidential candidate again in 2024.  

Biden therefore spent a large part of the speech bragging about the economy, about the low unemployment and his investment in infrastructure, as an argument for renewed confidence. 

 

He emphasized that he wants healthy competition, but does not seek conflict with China's leader Xi Jinping. 

   

The spy balloon. Photo: Larry Mayer/AP 

  

Marjorie Taylor Greene showed her displeasure during the speech. Photo: Patrick Semansky/AP  

 

"Made in America" 

 

In addition, Biden drummed up a Trump-scented message of "Made in America" - that more products and infrastructure projects should be entirely produced in the United States, rather than in Asia. 

 

Biden also claimed that democracies around the world have grown stronger while autocracies have weakened under his leadership. 

 

Then his anger seemed to boil over, and the president made a spontaneous departure from the script: 

 

- Name a single world leader who wants to switch places with Xi Jinping, name a single one! Name one!, Biden yelled repeatedly.  

 

During the speech, Biden was heckled by several Republicans, including Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who booed and loudly shouted "liar" when Biden said that Republicans want to cut welfare and health insurance.  

 

Marjorie Taylor Greene also took the opportunity to bring a helium-filled white balloon into the congressional building, to mock Biden for what she believes was a late handling of the Chinese surveillance. 

 

"It's just an innocent balloon," she tweeted about her political trolling.  

 

Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, former White House press secretary under Donald Trump, was the official Republican response to the president's speech. She said that Biden's weakness internationally poses a risk to the Americans.  

- The president's refusal to stand up to China, our biggest adversary, is dangerous and unacceptable.