WASHINGTON — President Biden on Tuesday evening used his first State of the Union address to praise the West’s response to Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s “premeditated and unprovoked†war with Ukraine while seeking to convince Americans that he has a plan to combat inflation at home.
The speech comes amid geopolitical and domestic crises : a stalled legislative agenda, rising inflation, declining public support and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
President Biden is applauded during his State of the Union address. Behind him are Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
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Oksana Markarova, left, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, acknowledges President Biden. Markarova was the guest of First Lady Jill Biden, right.
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President Biden in the House chamber for his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress.
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President Biden delivers his address.
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President Biden hands a copy of his address to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris.
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Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., left, and Justice Elena Kagan, right, applaud retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer.
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House Republicans, including Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, center, applaud President Biden.
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Patrick Gelsinger, chief executive of Intel Corp., attends the State of the Union.
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Republican Reps. Lauren Boebert, left, Byron Donalds and Marjorie Taylor Greene.
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President Biden greets lawmakers in the U.S. Capitol.
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Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
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Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), from left, Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) walk to the House chamber in the U.S. Capitol for the State of the Union address.
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Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), center, attends the State of the Union.
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Vice President Kamala Harris leads a procession of lawmakers in the U.S. Capitol.
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Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) holds a phone to take a picture with Reps. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.) in the House chamber.
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Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wait for President Biden to arrive.
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House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield), center, with other lawmakers.
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Before the address.
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Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) arrives for the State of the Union.
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Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) greets Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) before the address.
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Troops block a street near the U.S. Capitol.
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A motorcade with President Biden drives toward the U.S. Capitol building.
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