He plowed through applause lines to keep up his pace. He jousted with Republicans in the House chamber over tampering with Social Security and Medicare, drawing heckling and catcalls from some — and a shout of “liar” from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) — as he drew contrasts between his agenda and what he said was theirs. Rarely has such give-and-take featured so prominently in a State of the Union address.
The president presented himself as a populist with ideas to help blue-collar workers and restore America’s manufacturing might. He went after big drug companies and big energy companies. More than once he threatened vetoes of possible Republican initiatives and declared that he would not allow the economy to be held hostage over raising the debt ceiling.
“Let’s finish the job,” he said in a refrain repeated over and over as he ticked through accomplishments of his first two years in office and offered new proposals. If not the start of a reelection campaign, it was as close as a State of the Union could be to that kickoff.
