'I believe in America': Fired-up Biden uses State of the Union to skewer GOP, his 'predecessor'
The president made the case for why he deserves a second term.
President Joe Biden delivered his State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday night.
The speech provided Biden one of his biggest audiences of the year as he made his case for a second term and contrasted his vision of the country's future with Republicans ahead of what's expected to be a lengthy general election fight with former President Donald Trump.
ABC News live-blogged every major moment and highlight from the speech, with 538 providing analysis and a closer look at the polling and data behind the politicians.
Key moments:
Gold Star parents of Marines killed in Afghanistan to attend address
House Speaker Mike Johnson invited two Gold Star parents, Alicia Lopez and Darin Hoover, who both lost children in the Kabul airport bombing during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, to attend Biden's State of the Union.
Cpl. Hunter Lopez and Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover were among the 13 service members killed and numerous others injured at Abbey Gate.
"President Biden's hasty, unconditional withdrawal from Afghanistan was a failure for America and its allies. It led to the tragic deaths," Johnson contended in a statement to ABC News, in part, ahead of the address. Biden has defended the decision to end the decadeslong war.
GOP's Johnson urges decorum after last year's headline-making interruptions
One of Biden's most notable moments in last year's speech was an off-script exchange with raucous Republicans on the issue of Social Security and Medicare.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has urged against history repeating itself, telling his conference behind closed doors earlier this week: "Decorum is the order of the day."
It's unclear if the lawmakers will heed his warning. Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who stood up last year to call Biden a "liar," didn't rule out reacting to the president again when pressed by CNN.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that the president is "ready for anything."
Guest list intended to tout White House record
The attendees at Biden's address Thursday were invited because each "personify issues or themes" that he will discuss in his speech, the White House said in a statement.
Biden's guests will shine a spotlight the Israel-Gaza conflict (which has fueled progressive criticism against him) and reproductive freedom battles, gun violence prevention, union protections and more.
Standing behind Biden will be Vice President Kamala Harris on his right and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson on his left. Members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives will be in attendance.
More than a dozen family members of Americans who are thought to still be held hostage in Gaza and Mia Schem, a freed Israeli hostage, will be present at the Capitol.
First lady Jill Biden invited three women working to protect reproductive rights in her box: Kate Cox, Latorya Beasley and Maria Shriver.
Jazmin Cazares, the older sister of a 9-year-old victim of the deadly shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, will be in attendance, too.
The United Auto Workers union president, Shawn Fain, who recently endorsed Biden, will also be present.
Economy, abortion access and more set to be key themes
Biden is set to address a wide range of issues, though some key themes have emerged ahead of the address.
The economy is expected to be a large focus, with the president -- who receives low polling marks on the issue -- expected to renew his calls for increased taxes on corporations and billionaires and eliminating federal student debt while also highlighting a rebounding economy.
"America’s comeback is building a future of American possibilities, building an economy from the middle out and the bottom up -- not the top down, investing in all of America -- in all Americans -- to make sure everyone has a fair shot and we leave no one behind," Biden plans to say, according to an excerpt of the address released by the White House.
Reproductive health care and gun violence prevention are also among the themes the president is set to address, as reflected through his invited guests, the White House said.
In the excerpt of his remarks, Biden said he promises to restore Roe v. Wade's nationwide guarantees to abortion access "[if] Americans send me a Congress that supports the right to choose."
George Santos says he'll attend State of the Union
Disgraced former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., told ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott that he plans on attending the State of the Union.
Former members have privileges to be on the House floor and Santos retained his privileges despite being expelled, though it's unclear -- based on Santos' past history of misstatements and exaggerations -- if he'll actually attend or if his comments amount to bluster.
The Republican, who was expelled in December in the wake of being charged with multiple criminal felonies, including fraud, first gained notoriety after it was revealed he fabricated parts of his background. (He has pleaded not guilty to his charges.)
Since leaving the House, he has found success on the video service Cameo and appeared on the show hosted by comedian Ziwe Fumudoh.