Pres. Biden's State of the Union speech, and a rowdy GOP: Analysis

By Tom Hall,

Teria Rogers, Rob Sivak, Malarie Pinkard-Pierre

Published February 8, 2023 at 12:00 PM EST

President Joe Biden makes an emphatic gesture toward the Republican side of the US House of Representatives Chamber, during his second State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol Tuesday night. Seated behind him are Vice President Kamala Harris (left) and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) — President Joe Biden makes an emphatic gesture toward the Republican side of the House Chamber during his second State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol Tuesday night. Seated behind him are Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

President Joe Biden gave his second State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress and the nation last night.

His 72-minute address, his first since Republicans gained control of the House of Representatives, was met with an abundance of partisan heckling, and even a couple of moments of bipartisan approval. Many consider the speech to be Biden’s opening gambit in a bid for re-election to a second term as president.

Farai Chideya is an author, speaker, journalist and the creator and host of "Our Body Politic," a podcast about how women of color are impacting major national and international issues. (courtesy photo)

Joining Tom today for an analysis of the speech is the author and journalist Farai Chideya. She’s the host of Our Body Politic, which you can hear on WYPR Tuesday nights at 9:00, although last night it was pre-empted by our coverage of the State of the Union Address. But fear not, you can catch the podcast anytime.

Farai Chideya joins us on Zoom from Brooklyn, New York.