State of the Union 2024 highlights: Biden talks Trump, democracy and abortion in energetic speech

Speaker Johnson told reporters that Republicans were “disappointed” in the speech, calling it “completely hyperpartisan” and “a campaign speech, and a pretty vitriolic one at that.”

He also acknowledged that some people online were commenting on his facial expressions and said it was difficult to keep a poker face because he disagreed with so much of what Biden said.  

On two notable departures from normal State of the Union procedure: Johnson said on Fox News that he was prepared to introduce the president ahead of the speech but that Biden "jumped the gun.” And he told NBC News that he adjourned the chamber before Biden left because the House was following its procedure to adjourn when the well is empty; Biden stayed long after the speech to chat with members on the floor. “It was no slight to the president at all. He had plenty of time to shake hands,” Johnson said.

Frank Mahoney, 33, who is the deputy political director for the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, which endorsed Biden, said it was "awesome ... to hear him talk about unions.”

Mahoney also said Biden had “a little pep in his step.”

“The old-school joke around Biden was there, and it was good to see that he is ready for this election,” Mahoney told NBC News.

Brian Kisielewski, 40, also thought it was a “strong speech.”

Biden said he wanted to use his State of the Union to “wake up” Congress, but he was the one who seemed suddenly energized as he sparred with Republican hecklers and repeatedly criticized Trump.

Shaking off lackluster approval ratings and his own party’s anxiety about his political and physical health, Biden, 81, delivered one of the feistiest and most political presidential addresses to Congress in recent memory.

He referred to “my predecessor” 13 times, not saying Trump’s name once but making him a clear focus of his speech; shouted back at firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.; and sarcastically mocked Republican lawmakers.

Read the full story here.

The president arrived back at the White House shortly after 11:45 p.m., according to a pool report.

There was a huge crowd on the South Portico to greet Biden when he returned, they cheered as he got out of his vehicle, the report said. It appeared as though he stopped to speak to everyone before heading inside the residence.

 Biden was fully inside the White House as of 11:54 p.m. ET.

U.S. Capitol Police confirmed to NBC News that Steven Nikoui, a guest at tonight's State of the Union address, was arrested for disrupting the speech.

"Our officers warned him to stop and when he did not, the man was removed from the House Galleries and was arrested," Capitol Police said. "Disrupting the Congress and demonstrating in the Congressional Buildings is illegal."

Nikoui is still being processed, but will be released "per normal procedure," according to the USCP.

Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., invited Nikoui, who is the father of one of the 13 U.S. service members killed in the attack on Abbey Gate during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The president's motorcade left the Capitol at 11:39 p.m. ET en route to the White House.

Like last year, Trump chose to live Truth a play-by-play commentary on the State of the Union address. Even though the platform had technical issues throughout the evening, it did not inhibit Trump and his team from responding to his 2024 rival’s speech in real time.

Some of his posts were timely, starting with a note that Biden was running late (“THEY ARE REALLY LATE, VERY DISRESPECTFUL TO OUR COUNTRY!”) and comments about members of Congress as they appeared on screen, like Sens. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. (“Interesting that Romney and Manchin are sitting together, and nobody wants to talk to them. I think they’d make a great No Labels Team!”). When Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., appeared, he posted: "Maxine Waters, very nice woman, even though she’s constantly saying she wants to beat up or kill people on the opposite side of the aisle. lf I ever said that, they would call me an Insurrectionist, and all hell would break out!"

He also reacted to the issues as Biden raised them, including:

Ukraine: "Putin only invaded Ukraine, because he has no respect for Biden. Would have never happened under the Trump Administration, and for four years it didn’t happen!”

The Biden campaign offered a one-word statement on Trump’s Truth Social “rapid response” to the State of the Union after the site briefly went down: “Sad.”

The statement was accompanied by a screenshot apparently showing Trump's Truth Social page buffering.

Trump congratulated Britt on her response, arguing she was a "great contrast" to an "angry" president.

"She was compassionate and caring, especially concerning Women and Women’s Issues," Trump said on Truth Social. "Her conversation on Migrant Crime was powerful and insightful. Great job Katie!”

NBC News asked Speaker Johnson what he thought of Biden’s speech as he was leaving his office tonight. “It was overly partisan," he said.

Biden offered a faster, feistier delivery of the speech at times tonight, often punctuated by exclamation marks. In fact, there were 80 exclamation points in the draft of his remarks that the White House released tonight.

Last year, there were zero.

While Biden did not set a record for speech length, he did for walking out of the chamber — taking 33 minutes, far surpassing the 20 minutes he took last year.

Border state Democrats seem satisfied with Biden’s handling of immigration tonight.

“It was amazing to see Biden turn the border issue on Republicans," a border state Democrat said. "We’re never going to win this issue, but it’s about neutralizing it, and he’s finally found his voice because of Republicans' blocking that bill. Watching Democrats stand and Republicans squirm on the border section is just crazy.”

Britt's response ended shortly after 11:10 p.m. ET.

She concluded by saying Americans' future "starts around kitchen tables, just like this," referring to where she was delivering the speech.

Britt reiterated that she "strongly" supports IVF.

Her remarks come after her home state made national headlines when the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos are children, leading IVF providers to suspend services.

Earlier this week, state lawmakers passed a bill to protect IVF providers that discard embryos. The Republican governor, Kay Ivey, signed the measure into law.

Trump's end-of-the-night takeaway: Biden lies.

"Whether the Fake News Media likes admitting it or not, there was tremendous misrepresentation and lies in that Speech," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "But the People of our Country get it, and they know that November 5th will be the Most Important Day in our Nation’s History!"

Republicans circulated talking points that Britt's speech was going to be the "Shining City on a Hill" speech, invoking Ronald Reagan's speech about America's being on the rise.

But instead, the speech has been somber, and her tone is mournful. It's not out of sync with the overall Republican message — that Biden is to blame for the woeful state of America. But it is inconsistent with the optimistic tone that Republicans said to expect from Britt tonight.

Britt said the country that Americans "know and love" appears to be slipping away.

She appeared to be delivering the speech from a kitchen in Montgomery, Alabama.

She said the "true, unvarnished" state of the nation is that families are "hurting," pointing to the southern border. She argued that Biden inherited the "most secure border" but undid Trump's policies.

Rep. Nikema Williams, D-Ga., told Biden she’ll see him Saturday when he goes to Georgia. “I need you to bring that energy that you brought tonight,” she told him.

“I have too much energy, that’s the problem,” he joked back.

Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., wearing a “ceasefire” pin, says he was glad the president was critical of Israel but wishes Biden had been more direct about the humanitarian conditions in Gaza.

“Yeah, I mean, he was critical of Israel, you know, which is further than I’ve heard other presidents go before. But I wanted to hear personally about the starvation. Because, to me, that’s the most horrific thing to watch happen. Children starving to death; children have starved to death,” Bowman said. "So yes, we’re going to have the port that we’re bringing there, which will bring a lot of humanitarian aid, but, you know, we need an immediate cease-fire now and trucks to come in right now, to stop the starvation right now. Like today.”

Radio personality Sid Rosenberg was escorted from the House chamber during the State of the Union after shouting "Who says?" at Biden after the president cited the death toll of Palestinians in Gaza.

Rosenberg told NBC News after the speech that he does not believe the Palestinian health ministry, which has been reporting the death toll there. Rosenberg shook hands with Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., after he was escorted out.

Rosenberg said he was a guest of Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., tonight and was released from being held by the sergeant-at-arms once D’Esposito claimed him outside the gallery.

Speaker Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, D-La., just adjourned the House while Biden was still in the room.

They also dimmed the lights.

Speaker Johnson is still in the House chamber and appears to want to leave to see Britt's GOP response.

Biden just looked up at Johnson, who tapped his watch as if to say: "OK, time to leave."

Biden's speech was scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. ET, but he started at 9:26 p.m.

In an early reference to Biden’s age, Britt calls the president “a permanent politician” who has spent more years in office “than I’ve even been alive.”

The president's speech clocked in at 67 minutes, compared to last year's 73-minute speech.

Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama has begun her response to Biden's address.

Biden said tonight that the border security bill that was killed by Republicans included money for “100 more high-tech drug detection machines” to increase efforts to screen and stop cars from smuggling fentanyl into the U.S.

NBC News reported this week that scanners bought by the federal government are sitting unused because Customs and Border Protection says it does not have the money it needs to install them at the ports of entry.

Steve Nikoui, the father of Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, was escorted out of the address after interrupting Biden's speech to criticize the administration's withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Nikoui yelled, "Abbey Gate!" referring to the 2021 suicide bombing at Kabul Airport's Abbey Gate, where Nikoui and 12 other U.S. service members and 170 Afghan civilians were killed as the Taliban provided security outside. The Islamic State terrorist group took responsibility for the attack, which took place during the widely criticized withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan by the Biden administration.

Nikoui was attending as a guest of Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., who served in the Army in Afghanistan. Mast said on X that Biden "refused to say the names of the 13" service members who were killed and that he "couldn't support" Nikoui's actions more.

Rep. Delia Ramirez, a Latina congresswoman in Illinois, said on X that “no human being is illegal.”

The tweet came almost immediately after Biden, in an off-the-cuff remark, referred to an undocumented immigrant as “illegal.”

The word "illegal" was not in Biden's prepared remarks. Neither was "undocumented."

Rep. Chuy Garcia, also of Illinois, echoed Ramirez's criticism. “As a proud immigrant, I’m extremely disappointed to hear President Biden use the word 'illegal.'”

Republicans leaving the chamber say that this was a “political and campaign speech” and that it was about “as expected."

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said Biden was “yelling and mumbling simultaneously."

Cassidy also said one House member next to him told him “he had not been yelled at so much since his wife was so mad at him.”

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., called the speech “a home run."

“Mr. President, you brought the Irish fire tonight,” said Rep. Pat Ryan, D-N.Y.

Emily Capilouto, who lives in Alabama and had been hoping to schedule an embryo transfer this month before her clinic paused IVF treatments because of the recent state Supreme Court ruling, welcomed the president’s speech.

“I was encouraged by the President’s call to protect IVF and reproductive rights as one of his first topics tonight, specifically his promise to restore Roe if Congress provides the opportunity,” she wrote. “I hope these protections continue to be a main focus for his campaign and administration.”

She added, “The President’s note on the power of women to mobilize and enact change resonated deeply. We had 300 advocates at the AL State House and sent over 32,000 emails to our legislators to demand the restart of IVF in our state, and we were heard. I hope women and our allies keep up this momentum for the general election and the President can deliver on his pledge to protect and reinstate reproductive freedoms.”

Layla Elabed, campaign manager for Listen to Michigan, which encouraged the state's voters to vote uncommitted in protest of Biden's policy on Gaza, said the president “continues not to hear the voices of the anti-war movement across our country calling for a permanent ceasefire.”

Elabed said uncommitted voters “would have liked to see Biden call for a timetable from Israel’s government to end its war and occupation against the Palestinian people.”

Biden began speaking about the Israel-Hamas war by saying the crisis started on Oct. 7, when Hamas killed 1,200 people in Israel and took 250 hostages.

"Here in the chamber tonight are families whose loved ones are still being held by Hamas," said Biden, who pledged to them that his administration won't rest until it brings their loved ones home.

"Israel has a right to go after Hamas," he said, but he added that Hamas could end the conflict today "by releasing the hostages" and laying down arms.

Republicans started quickly clearing out of the chamber the moment the speech ended. About a half-dozen left during the speech.

Good point here from a longtime GOP pollster: Republicans lowered the bar for Biden so far that they made it simple to clear.

Biden's address concluded shortly after 10:30 p.m. ET.

He closed with a message looking toward a future for "all Americans." He also reiterated a phrase he frequently concludes his speeches with, saying "nothing" is beyond the U.S.' capacity when Americans work together.

When the president said, “Let me close with this," he ad-libbed to Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., “I know you don’t want to hear any more, Lindsey, but I got a few more things,” and Biden critic Graham was briefly seen cracking up laughing. 

The two used to pal around together every year along with the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., at the Munich Security Forum.

Biden stumbled at times tonight, but he also ad-libbed some, and those remarks have come across as some of the most authentic moments.

Trump posted a graphic on Truth Social saying Biden is “endorsed by Putin” — strange since Trump usually boasts about his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and compliments him, while here his campaign appears to think that tying Biden to Putin will hurt him.

Several lawmakers cheered when Biden said, "Let me close with this," indicating his speech was almost over.

The president jokingly said "yay!" in response.

The “unity agenda” isn’t going to get the same applause it might have gotten when you talk about it after an hour of highly charged partisan rhetoric.

Biden repeats his position that the only lasting solution in Gaza is a two-state solution. He says that as a long-standing supporter of Israel, there is no other path for peace in Israel and for Palestinians to live in dignity than the two-state solution. (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says no to it — unlike most of his predecessors.)

One hour in, Biden then turns to China and the alliance he has built in the Pacific. The Gaza war disaster took up less than 5 minutes.

Biden's first mention of the Middle East came 54 minutes into his speech.

He described the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas and recognized the family members of hostages in the chamber tonight, including some as guests of Speaker Johnson, who stood to applaud them.

Biden then talked about Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, who are both being held in Russia.

The chamber is unusually silent and still during this section. More Republicans are paying attention and are off their phones than they have been most of the speech.

Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Cori Bush, D-Mo., and Summer Lee, D-Pa., are holding “lasting ceasfire now” signs but being discreet with them.

The other sides of their signs say, "Stop sending bombs.” Reps. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., are holding signs, too.

All five members have been highly critical of Israel's policy in the region and Biden's approach to the war. Lee, Tlaib and Bush are all wearing keffiyehs tonight.

Trump's platform Truth Social is experiencing disruptions.

Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said the platform was “working just fine for us.”

The former president has been responding to parts of Biden's speech on the platform tonight.

In another jab at Trump without naming him, Biden said, "I will not demonize immigrants, saying they are poison in the blood of our country."

The comment appeared to be a reference to Trump's suggestion at a campaign rally in New Hampshire in December that immigrants coming into the U.S. are "poisoning the blood of our country."

Biden's re-election campaign quickly seized on the comment at the time, likening it to Adolf Hitler’s use of the term “blood poisoning” in his manifesto “Mein Kampf” to denigrate immigration and the mixing of races.

Trump denied the connection to Hitler, saying he never read the text, and yet he doubled down days later, saying people crossing the border illegally are "destroying the blood of our country."

Biden's references to the late Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., and his role in the march on Selma, Alabama, had Speaker Johnson and fellow Republicans standing and cheering for the first time.

As Biden began to speak about the bipartisan border security package that was negotiated in the Senate and rejected by Republicans, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., began yelling at him about the Georgia college student who was recently killed, allegedly by an undocumented migrant.

Biden responded by picking up a button portraying the woman, Laken Riley, that Greene had handed him as he entered the chamber for tonight's address.

Biden said Riley was an "innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal." He then addressed Riley's parents and said his heart goes out to them as someone who lost has children himself.

A protester in the gallery, where guests sit, was escorted out of the speech as he was yelling about the Marines. “Second Battalion U.S. Marines," the man yelled. Biden did not even acknowledge the man.

Biden drew a sharp contrast with Trump and reminded voters of Trump’s most controversial immigration policies.

“I will not demonize immigrants saying they 'poison the blood of our country,' as he said in his own words," he said. "I will not separate families. I will not ban people from America because of their faith.”

When I interview undecided voters or voters who don’t like Trump or Biden, these Trump policies often come up as the reasons voters who don’t like Trump say they’d take Biden if the election were tomorrow.

Biden was talking about "shrinkflation" — when companies shrink the size of a product but sell it for the same price — and in an unscripted aside he talked about the candy bar Snickers, saying it's the same price but you get less.

Some will dismiss the comment as too light-hearted for the State of the Union, but it's the kind of complaint that the average person understands, a perpetual goal of the president.

Biden is continuing Democrats’ recent push to flip the script on Republicans over immigration.

Like he did last week in Brownsville, Texas, he invited Trump — “my predecessor” — to join him in urging Congress to pass the border security fund bill. This time, he took on Republicans more directly for killing the bill. “I’ll be darned,” he ad-libbed. “Look at the facts. I know you know how to read.”

Despite a record-breaking migrant influx during his presidency, Biden is trying to strike a contrast with the GOP front-runner on moral terms.

“I will not demonize immigrants saying they are ‘poisoning the blood of our country,’” Biden said. “I will not separate families.”

Prior to this year, Democrats had often seemed flat-footed on the border. Now, they’re going on offense as polls show it’s an increasingly important issue for voters.

The pro-Palestinian protest outside the Capitol that blocked streets for several hours ended tonight without incident.

No arrests were made. 

After Biden said, “Unions built the middle class,” a room full of members of the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters started cheering. The labor union, which is based in Philadelphia, endorsed Biden.

Dasha Burns notes: This is the tone on immigration Dems were hoping to hear during his border visit, delivered better here in front of a jeering GOP.

Adds Garrett Haake: The Biden campaign should consider having the president travel with a bunch of booing House Republicans when he goes out on the campaign trail. He seems energized by playing the heel, WWE-style.

Biden criticized Republicans for blocking the Senate bipartisan border bill and took on naysayers in the chamber directly.

Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., mouths, “That’s true,” as Biden details what’s in his bipartisan border bill.

Biden has still not mentioned the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Meanwhile, there are protests outside demanding an immediate cease-fire.

Some top-of-the-ticket endorsements for a key down-ballot candidate. Biden asks Congress to pass “Bobby Casey’s” bill on “shrinkflation.” The Pennsylvania senator, a fellow Scranton native, is on the ballot in November in a race that could be key to the Senate majority.

Thirty-eight minutes into a speech that opened with Ukraine, Putin’s invasion and the importance of democracy — but not a word yet about Gaza and the failure so far to get a cease-fire or a hostage release deal. Not the best-selling point for the Biden foreign policy ...

The object in front of Johnson on the rostrum is a 200-year-old inkstand.

From the House's website: “The inkstand is considered the oldest surviving artifact of the House and was made between 1810 and 1820. Although its origins are mysterious, it most likely came into the House around 1819. The inkstand is stamped with the mark of J. Leonard, a Washington silversmith and watchmaker. It contains three replacement crystal inkwells and is adorned on both sides by swags and eagles. The feet of the tray take the form of fasces with snakes winding around them, classical symbols of unity and wisdom, respectively.”

The Trump tax cuts expire during the next term (either Biden’s or Trump’s), so this is Biden wanting to make the Trump tax cuts a negative in the fall.  

Kristen Welker says: Biden's ad-lib about getting on Air Force One didn’t pay off — a reminder that ad-libbing can be very dicey.

Hallie Jackson responds: To Kristen's point, his story about DuPont and a well-educated workforce, not in prepared remarks, showed that sometimes that risk can pay off — with murmurs of assent from Democrats in the room.

Trump mocked centrist Sens. Mitt Romney and Joe Manchin for sitting together at the address tonight.

“Interesting that Romney and Manchin are sitting together, and nobody wants to talk to them. I think they’d make a great No Labels Team!” he said in a Truth Social post.

Both members are leaving the Senate at the end of their current terms. Manchin declined to run for president on the No Labels ticket.

Several times in the speech, Johnson has nodded in agreement with Biden.

The president said that an experience for "both sides" is meeting with business leaders and being told what they need most is an educated workforce.

Harris and Johnson nodded in unison.

The last 30-45 seconds on education were a total ad-lib, not in the prepared remarks.

Now Biden is back on script.

Talking about the high cost of prescription drugs in the U.S., Biden joked that anyone who wants to fly on Air Force One with him could go to other countries and get them for much less.

He talked about flying to Toronto, Berlin or Moscow — but then realized he had misspoken and said, “I mean, excuse me — well, even Moscow, probably.”

The comments were not part of his prepared remarks that were sent out by the White House.

Biden is now discussing an early childhood agenda. That used to be part of his Build Back Better plan, which ultimately was trimmed significantly to become the Inflation Reduction Act. Biden advisers, asked about a potential second-term agenda, have pointed to proposals like universal pre-K as top of the list.

There has been very little heckling so far, but aides have encouraged Biden to remember if it happens the audience that matters is watching at home, not in the room: “Barrel through it,” an adviser told NBC News.

Biden has been adding in many off-the-cuff remarks that weren't in his prepared speech.

Presidents typically stick very closely to their speeches on the teleprompter to avoid any missteps.

For those focused on the style and presentation of this speech, this performance (so far) will again raise the question: Why doesn’t he put himself out there more?

Biden seemed to allude to a famous hot mic moment from when he was vice president.

"Obamacare is still a very big deal," Biden said — alluding to the time he was caught on a hot mic, after President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act, telling Obama, "This is a big f------ deal."

McConnell appeared to crack a grin at the line.

Interesting to see Biden ad-lib after this line: “Instead of paying $400 a month for insulin, seniors with diabetes only have to pay $35 a month!” He added the drug companies still make healthy profits, which was not in prepared remarks.

Before the word “populism” got redefined on the right, this is a speech that would have been described as Democratic Party populism of the 20th century. Not sure either Clinton or Obama would have ever thought to shout out a labor union head at any of their addresses. Of course, unions are more popular today than they were in the ’90s or even the early ’00s.

Biden, as expected, is touting economic success and job opportunities. But voters we’ve interviewed want to see an acknowledgment that things are also still hard in people’s lived experiences, especially as it relates to wages and housing costs.

Democratic and Republican voters across the country have told NBC News in recent months that they don't feel good about the economy. Families say they want to hear that the president is aware that they're still struggling.

Biden seemingly referenced the way people feel about the economy saying, “There’s more to do to make sure you feel the benefits of all we’re doing.”

Biden has had a different House speaker sitting behind him for each of his State of the Union speeches: Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.; Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.; and Mike Johnson, R-La.

With at least three mentions of “January 6” so far, it appears Biden has already mentioned that Capitol riot more this year than in his past addresses. In 2021, in an address to a joint session of Congress more than four months after the riot, Biden did not use the exact phrase “January 6.” He also did not do so in his 2022 State of the Union address, according to transcripts of those speeches. Last year he mentioned “January 6” twice.

Instead of naming Trump directly, Biden will refer to his “predecessor” throughout the speech. He is set to use the term roughly a dozen times.

Biden calls out Republicans who voted against the infrastructure bill but are showing up at the groundbreakings.

He jokes: If any of you don’t want that money, just let me know.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has often referred to these lawmakers as the “vote no but take the dough” Republicans

Biden has picked up the pace for this address — faster than his delivery in day-to-day remarks.

Ukraine, Jan. 6 and abortion are the first three topics in Biden's address.

This certainly is a speech that’s focused on the campaign. There was a time when an overt campaign-themed State of the Union speech would be seen as risky for a sitting president. But these days, the audiences for such speeches are quite partisan, and you’d likely be passing up an opportunity to talk to your voters directly.

Tonight, it’s clear Biden wants his speech to be seen as the initial frame for his re-election bid.

In the video we all knew was coming from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on X, you see and hear Biden’s response to her on the rope line that other cameras didn’t pick up. After she says “Laken Riley” several times and hands him the button, he takes it and looks at it before saying in response: “I know how to say the name.”

The first “hero” guest invited to sit in the gallery was Lenny Skutnik during the 1982 State of the Union. Reagan invited Skutnik, a passerby who dived into the frozen Potomac River to rescue a female passenger from Air Florida Flight 90 after it crashed into the 14th Street Bridge that winter.

Biden brings Democrats to their feet with a call to prevent bans on IVF and a shout-out to Vice President Kamala Harris for defending reproductive freedom.

It was his second reference to his predecessor — the unnamed Donald J. Trump — as he segues into Kate Cox's having to travel out of Texas for her medically needed late-term abortion. Cox is a guest in the first lady’s box tonight.

A Republican member yelled "lies" as Biden was discussing reproductive rights and "duty of care." It wasn't immediately clear who it was.

Biden pointed to Trump — "my predecessor" — as the reason Roe was overturned. Trump appointed three justices to the Supreme Court during his time in office. All three voted to strike down Roe.

The president pointed to Kate Cox, a guest of the first lady, as an example of what can happen following the overruling of Roe. Cox had to travel out of her home state, Texas, for an abortion.

Biden addressed the justices directly, warning them that women are not without electoral or political power.

Last year, Biden began his remarks by paying respects to the new Republican speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. “I don’t want to ruin your reputation, but I look forward to working with you,” Biden said then.

Tonight, Biden not only has not welcomed Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to the new role — he stepped on the speaker's traditional introduction of the president after he arrived at the rostrum.

Biden said that his "predecessor" and "some of you here seek to bury the truth about Jan. 6."

"My predecessor and some of you here seek to bury the truth about Jan. 6. I will not do that," said Biden, who asked lawmakers to join together, regardless of party, and defend democracy. "Remember your oath of office and defend us against all threats — foreign and domestic."

"Political violence has absolutely no place, no place, in America," he said.

Biden, without naming Trump, said a “former Republican president” told Russia, “Do whatever the hell you want.”

What Trump actually said was that he would encourage Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” to NATO countries that don’t pay enough for defense.

The words “Donald Trump” do not appear in the speech draft, but it will be “abundantly clear” when Biden is referring to his predecessor and general election opponent, a White House official told NBC News.

Biden just did it again, referring to Trump's appointment of conservative Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, but not by name.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., walked out of the chamber as Biden's speaking. But she returned not long after.

Biden reiterated his long-standing support for Ukraine amid the Russian invasion, directing his "simple" message at Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“We will not walk away,” he vowed to Ukrainians.

Quite the fiery start by Biden to basically take Trump head-on right at the start.

That certainly sets a tone, and it’s certainly an interesting choice — one that should make the Democratic base happy.

After having invoked FDR’s and Reagan’s roles standing up for freedom and fighting authoritarians abroad, Biden goes straight after Trump over his comments questioning the NATO alliance.

It's hugely notable that Biden starts with foreign policy here, comparing the threat from Trump to the threat from Putin — taking direct aim at Trump only a few minutes in, blasting him for saying he’d tell Putin to do whatever Russia wanted.

The president began his speech drawing parallels between present day and major wars in history.

He pointed to Franklin Roosevelt's speech when Adolf Hitler was pushing through Europe, as well as the bloody American Civil War. Biden said that not since the Civil War has the concepts of freedom and democracy been under assault to the same extent.

The president also tied World War II to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

House Speaker Mike Johnson nodded his head when Biden voiced support for Ukraine, though he did not stand. He did end up applauding.

Several Republican members did rise as Biden described the state of the war in Ukraine in stark terms.

Indeed, as NBC News reported earlier, Biden opens this address by invoking Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1941 State of the Union address. That speech, which became known as the “Four Freedoms” speech, came months before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, would force the U.S. to join World War II. Freedom is an overarching theme of Biden’s re-election campaign.

“If anyone thinks Putin will stop at Ukraine, I assure you he will not,” Biden says.

How much time will the president devote to inflation tonight? To junk fees? What will he spend the most time talking about?

NBC News is tracking the topics Biden talks about during Thursday’s address, minute by minute.

Biden's lengthy entrance is also a show for the country — a reminder to viewers that he has long been known for charm and empathy. It’s something that gets lost in his more formal moments. This is an opportunity to showcase that side of him.

The president began his speech at 9:26 p.m. ET.

Biden delivered the 1983 State of the Union response to President Ronald Reagan's speech when he was a 40-year-old senator.

Tonight's GOP response will be delivered by Britt, 42, who was a year old when Biden gave that speech.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., tried to hand Biden a button related to Laken Riley, the Georgia student who was allegedly killed by an undocumented migrant.

She appeared to put on her red MAGA hat and urge Biden to "say her name."

A poignant image: Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., on the aisle taking pictures of the president at her last State of the Union address after she lost her California primary fight on Super Tuesday in her bid to become senator. Lee couldn’t run for re-election to the House because of her Senate run.

At this pace, the Republican response could be after midnight; this is easily the latest-starting State of the Union speech in the TV era.

The late start time could also minimize the number of viewers for Britt's response.

Democratic members chanted "Four more years! Four more years!" as Biden approached the podium. The president is seeking re-election in November and is expected to be in a close race against Trump.

The newest elected House member, Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., who took former Rep. George Santos' seat, is in the receiving line. He took a selfie with Biden.

Suozzi previously served in Congress. This is his return to the House.

Biden stopped to talk to Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., a far-right member who voted to remove former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. Burchett is viewed by many as one of the most amiable and quotable members of Congress. It is unclear what the two discussed.

The president has entered the House chambers for tonight's speech.

Asked by reporters on his way into the Capitol how he was feeling, he responded, "Great."

He said he was "feeling good" while he was leaving the White House.

Several of the Cabinet members now entering have been the subjects of contentious House hearings and investigations. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testified about his absence due to illness and his failure to inform the White House. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was recently impeached by the House. And Secretary of State Antony Blinken was nearly held in contempt of Congress, though Republicans backed off that effort.

Trump blasted Biden for being "substantially late" for his State of the Union address in a Truth Social post shared minutes before the president was scheduled to begin speaking.

"The President is very substantially late. Not a good start, but let’s give him the benefit of the doubt," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "I’m sure he had very important things to do, but he is just now getting into the car."

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona is tonight's designated survivor, according to a White House official.

A member of the president's Cabinet typically is at an undisclosed location during the State of the Union address. The rationale is that if an attack were to take out most of the presidential line of succession, the designated survivor would become commander in chief.

Last year, then-Labor Secretary Marty Walsh was the designated survivor. He has since left the administration. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo was the designated survivor in 2022.

Biden is now 10 minutes late for his address. His motorcade took an unusual route — going the long way from the White House to the Capitol and avoiding protesters who were camped out in between.

In the past six years, five of the State of the Union responses have been delivered by women.

On the Republican side, women have given six of the last eight GOP responses, including South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in 2016 and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders last year.

Biden body man Jacob Spreyer placed the president's remarks on the lectern as we wait for the president to walk in.

Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Cori Bush, D-Mo., are wearing kaffiyehs, traditional Palestinian scarves, to tonight's speech.

Tlaib, the only Palestinian American member of Congress, has signaled she might heckle the president to protest his support for Israel in Gaza.

Both Tlaib and Bush support a cease-fire in Gaza.

Traveling with the president, the first lady and the second gentleman via motorcade en route to the Capitol:

• Jeff Zients, Assistant to the President & Chief of Staff
• Steve Ricchetti, Assistant to the President & Counselor to the President
• Bruce Reed, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff

The president's motorcade arrived at the Capitol at 8:58 p.m. ET.

He is scheduled to begin his address at 9 p.m.

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California is among roughly three dozen House Democrats wearing white to signal support for abortion rights and women’s rights as they’ve done before, fueled not only by the Dobbs decision but now also by the recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling on IVF.

The Alabama state GOP tried to Band-Aid that ruling with legislation that removes the penalties for IVF but doesn’t fix the court’s finding that an embryo is a child.

While many House Democratic women members are wearing white as a symbol of women’s rights — especially reproductive rights — other Democrats are wearing royal blue and yellow to signify support for Ukraine and its supplemental aid bill blocked by the House speaker.

Six of the nine Supreme Court justices are in attendance for tonight's speech, which means procedurally speaking there is a quorum. They are divided equally between conservatives and liberals.

The conservative bloc is led by Chief Justice John Roberts, who is accompanied by Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.

All three liberal justices are present: Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Biden’s own appointee, Ketanji Brown Jackson. Retired Justice Anthony Kennedy is also attending.

There were loud cheers from women members of Congress when Jackson entered.

Biden's motorcade has departed the White House on his way to the Capitol.

His departure comes shortly after protesters calling for a cease-fire in Gaza blocked Pennsylvania Avenue near the Capitol. There were also separate protesters by the White House.

The most interesting conversation of the night has to be whatever Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., longtime adversaries but with deep respect for each other, were discussing with hands clasped moments ago.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is in the chamber tonight as his GOP Conference met this morning and failed to agree on a consensus successor as leader. Senate Republicans postponed that vote until after the November election.

The only leadership slot locked up is Wyoming’s John Barrasso’s; he has a majority to move up from No. 3 to No. 2 as the next Senate Republican whip.

Rep. Nikema Williams, D-Ga., posted a picture to X of herself and her colleagues wearing blue to "stand in solidarity with the Israeli hostages."

Pictured alongside her were Reps. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., and others.

"All hostages must be released!" she wrote.

Asked about the possibility that a progressive member of his party will interrupt Biden tonight, Assistant Democratic Leader Jim Clyburn of South Carolina said that Democrats "will not be in the heckling" and that "we are not going to go down that route, no matter how much we may disagree."

Families of American hostages still being held captive in Gaza plan to wear yellow scarves to the speech tonight.

"The families have requested that every member of Congress show their support for the hostages by wearing yellow ribbons and dog tags," the group said in a release.

"For every American hostage, at least one family member will attend the State of the Union Address. All are guests of a bipartisan group of Members of Congress," it added.

According to the group, 134 hostages are still being held in Gaza, including eight Americans.

Several helicopters are circling in the vicinity of the U.S. Capitol — not something we see very often here in Washington, but all part of the multiagency security plan for tonight’s speech — one of the many precautions being taken that are both seen and unseen.

Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, is wearing a tee with Trump’s mug shot on it and an American flag bow tie tonight.

Trump's campaign sold shirts and other merch with his mug shot on them after the photo was taken in his Georgia election interference case.