State of the Union 2022: President Joe Biden To Highlight Russia's Unprovoked Ukraine Invasion as West's Crisis

President Joe Biden wants to use his State of the Union speech on Tuesday to underscore the United States' and its allies' united response to Russia while also promoting the economy and selling an optimistic image of the country's future, according to administration sources.

In recent days, the president's staff has been rewriting his words to stress the reaction to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in a speech set to take place amid scenes of escalating violence in Kyiv. Per NBC News, Biden's domestic policy agenda, according to administration sources, will be a significant emphasis of his speech, which will include a call to Congress to adopt sections of his delayed Build Back Better legislation.

Biden's Address Will Emphasize Response Against Ukraine Invasion

The president's team has been reworking his comments in recent days to emphasize the president's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in a speech slated to take place amid scenes of rising unrest in Kyiv.

Although much of the world's attention is currently focused on Ukraine, government officials said they want to exploit the opportunity to address domestic concerns, notably the economy. While surveys show that the majority of Americans disagree with Biden's management of the economy and the country's direction, the president aims to highlight the economy's gains during his first year in office.

As trucker convoys approach the US Capitol to protest coronavirus regulations, steel barricades have been built around the facility and National Guard troops have been mobilized, according to METRO.

Fencing that surrounds the Capitol in the months following the January 6 insurgency has been restored in anticipation of possible demonstrations during President Barack Obama's yearly address to Congress on the state of the nation.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon has approved the deployment of hundreds of National Guard members to help Capitol police with traffic management. According to the National Guard, some 400 troops from Washington, DC, and up to 300 from outside the city would be sent. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis turned down Biden's request for National Guard troops from his state on Monday afternoon.

Several trucker "freedom convoys," including one from California, are going to Washington, DC, to protest Biden's stance on COVID-19 on the National Mall. The protests and blockade are comparable to those held by truckers in Canada.

Where To Watch State of the Union 2022?

After receiving the traditional official invitation from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, US President Joe Biden will deliver his first State of the Union speech to Congress on the evening of Tuesday, March 1st. After a lengthy career in the Senate and eight years as Vice President by Barack Obama's side, Biden has a mixed narrative to tell about his first year in office.

He can brag about the success of the US vaccine rollout and the gradual economic recovery after two years of pandemic hardship, but he also has to deal with inflation and unrest at home, as well as war in Eastern Europe, thanks to Vladimir Putin's aggressions against Ukraine, which his secretary of state Antony Blinken's diplomatic efforts failed to prevent.

Every tenant of the White House is required by the US Constitution to "present to the Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their consideration such actions as he shall deem necessary and expedient," according to Article Two.

The tradition was started by George Washington and John Adams, but it was abandoned by Thomas Jefferson, who offered his comments on the present condition of American prosperity through letter. The address was not given in person until Woodrow Wilson reintroduced it in 1913.

The annual State of the Union speech is delivered in the House of Representatives, with members of the Senate, Supreme Court justices, and Biden's cabinet in attendance, as well as a special audience of invited visitors. This year's edition will be televised on most major US news networks and will be streamed on C-SPAN and its companion website, as per The Independent.