House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) visibly expressed his disagreement with President Joe Biden's heavily political State of the Union address on Thursday, grimacing and shaking his head at multiple points throughout the speech. As the first address to pair Johnson with Vice President Kamala Harris behind the president, the Louisiana congressman's facial reactions were highly visible to television viewers, highlighting the difficult position often faced by the member of the party opposite the president's.
Johnson's disapproval was particularly noticeable when Biden mentioned the state of inflation and claimed it had been declining, with the Speaker shaking his head in response. Republicans have made the economy a pivotal point in the anticipated Trump-Biden battle in the upcoming presidential race. Johnson also rolled his eyes and shook his head when Biden discussed his administration's policy on the federal deficit and criticized the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed into law by then-President Trump in 2017.
The Speaker's disagreement extended to Biden's accusations that Republicans wanted to put Social Security "on the chopping block" and grant tax cuts for wealthy individuals, with Johnson sneering and shaking his head "no" in response. When Biden blamed "politics" for stopping the bipartisan immigration deal reached last month to address the situation at the southern border, Johnson appeared to almost chuckle to himself and shake his head in objection.
Despite the visible disagreements, Johnson did applaud for some of Biden's statements, standing and clapping for the first time when the president mentioned the civil rights march at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., 59 years ago. He also gave a standing ovation when Biden vowed that the United States "would not rest" until family members of U.S. citizens held hostage by the militant group Hamas are returned home.
Johnson nodded his head when Biden mentioned the addition of new manufacturing jobs and the importance of improving the country's education system, stating, "To remain the strongest economy in the world we need the best education system in the world." The Speaker also chuckled when Biden talked about how he had been told he was too young at some points in his career and nodded when the president said he has been told he's too old.
Throughout the address, a number of Republicans heckled Biden, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who wore a "Make American Great Again" hat to the speech. However, Biden did receive an agreeing nod from at least one notable Republican, Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), who was the lead Republican negotiator of the border bill.
After the event, Johnson told reporters, "People are saying that I made funny facial expressions. I tried to keep a poker face, but it was very difficult. I disagreed so vehemently with so much of what he said." Despite the disagreements, Biden and Johnson shook hands and smiled at each other upon the end of the address.
Johnson's reactions were more subdued than those of former Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who, at the end of then-President Donald Trump's 2020 address, ostentatiously ripped her copy of the text in two. Through most of the speech, the 81-year-old president's delivery was energetic and forceful enough to exceed even some Democrats' expectations, speaking for over an hour.
As the nation gears up for the 2024 presidential election, the State of the Union address served as a stark reminder of the deep political divisions and the challenges that lie ahead for both parties. While Biden sought to highlight his administration's achievements and vision for the future, Johnson's facial reactions and the Republican heckling underscored the ongoing disagreements and the uphill battle the president faces in garnering bipartisan support for his agenda.
