Trump, Gaza war, Putin, and more: Key takeaways from Joe Biden's State of the Union address 2024

Incumbent US President Joe Biden, in his third and final State of the Union address before the 2024 US Presidential Elections, repeatedly slammed his Republican rival Donald Trump throughout his speech.

Calling out Trump over his claims of a rigged election and the Jan 6 US Capitol insurrection by his followers, Biden remarked, "You can't love the country only when you win".

He also touched upon a variety of topics, including the Israel-Hamas war, immigration, student loan debt and more. Here are the key takeaways from Joe Biden's 2024 State of the Union address.

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Sweden joinsNATO

At the beginning of his speech, Biden welcomed Sweden to the NATO bloc and said: "Welcome, welcome, welcome!"

He acknowledged Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's attendance during the address and said, "Mr Prime Minister, welcome to NATO, the strongest military alliance the world has ever known."

"Today, we've made NATO stronger than ever," he said.

On Putin and Ukraine-Russia war

Reiterating his appeals for military aid to Ukraine, Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin will not stop at Ukraine, but that Kyiv can stop him "if we stand with Ukraine and provide the weapons it needs to defend itself. That is all Ukraine is asking. They are not asking for American soldiers."

"Overseas, Putin of Russia is on the march, invading Ukraine and sowing chaos throughout Europe and beyond.If anybody in this room thinks Putin will stop at Ukraine, I assure you, he will not," he warned.

He asserted that there were "no American soldiers at war in Ukraine. And I am determined to keep it that way," but said that the assistance Ukraine requires was "being blocked by those who want us to walk away from our leadership in the world."

"It wasn’t that long ago when a Republican President, Ronald Reagan, thundered, 'Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall'.Now, my predecessor, a former Republican President, tells Putin, 'Do whatever the hell you want.'A former American President actually said that,bowing downto a Russian leader."

Slamming Trump, he remarked, "It’soutrageous.It’sdangerous.It’sunacceptable."

On Israel-Hamas war

Talking about the crisis abroad, Biden said, "I know the last five months have been gut-wrenching for so many people, for the Israeli people, the Palestinian people, and so many here in America."

He pledged that he would not rest until all the Hamas hostages were back home.

Issuing a sharp directive to Israel's leaders, he told the warring nation to not hold up humanitarian aid to Palestinians for political purposes.

"Israel also has a fundamental responsibility to protect innocent civilians in Gaza."

"This war has taken a greater toll on innocent civilians than all previous wars in Gaza combined," he said.

He also revealed that he would be directing the US military "to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary pier in the Mediterranean on the Gaza coast that can receive large ships carrying food, water, medicine and temporary shelters."

However, he stressed that forces will not be deployed on the ground.

"No US boots will be on the ground," he said.

"This temporary pier would enable a massive increase in the amount of humanitarian assistance getting into Gaza every day. But Israel must also do its part," he added.

"Israel must allow more aid into Gaza and ensure that humanitarian workers aren’t caught in the crossfire."

He warned Israel's leadership that "humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip."

On Roe V. Wade

Biden made abortion rights a major focus of his State of the Union address, vowing to reinstate Roe versus Wade if given a Congress "that supports the right to choose."

Drawing a contrast with his "predecessor," he said, "My predecessor came to office determined to see Roe v. Wade overturned. He’s the reason it was overturned. In fact, he brags about it. Look at the chaos that has resulted." He did not mention Trump by name.

"My God, what freedoms will you take away next? In its decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court majority wrote the following, and with all due respect Justices, 'Women are not without—electoral or political power.' Excuse me, electoral or political power. You're about to realise how right we are about that.”

Biden emphasised his support of abortion rights and pledged to make them the law of the land if elected.

Republican response to Biden's State of the Union

USSenator Katie Britt of Alabama delivered the Republicans' formal response to President JoeBiden's State of the Union speech. ShecriticisedBidenon issues like immigration and the state of the US economy as she delivered the GOP’s rebuttal to the State of the Union address.

"There is no doubt we’re at a crossroads and it doesn't have to be this way," said Britt, adding, "We all feel it. But here’s the good news: we the People are still in the driver’s seat. We get to decide whether our future will grow brighter, or whether we settle for an America in decline. Well, I know which choice our children deserve – and the choice the Republican Party is fighting for."