Democracy Dies in Darkness
President Biden delivered his first State of the Union address on March 1. (Video: The Washington Post, Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Biden says Putin is isolated, issues plea for his domestic agenda in first State of the Union address

President Biden opened his first State of the Union address Tuesday night with a message touting unity and the power of democracy, setting up a sharp response to the major global crisis stemming from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

“Freedom will always triumph over tyranny,” Biden said. “President Putin thought he could roll into Ukraine — and the world would roll over. Instead, he met a wall of strength he never imagined.”  
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Biden announced in his speech that the United States would close its airspace to Russian airlines, joining several other countries in seeking to further isolate Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.
The audience inside the House chamber was significantly larger than the 200 people allowed last year when Biden delivered a speech to Congress that was not considered an official State of the Union address.
The address came as Biden is lobbying the Senate to confirm federal judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. She would be the first Black woman to serve on the court in its 233-year history.
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Biden announced in his speech that the United States would close its airspace to Russian airlines, joining several other countries in seeking to further isolate Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.
The audience inside the House chamber was significantly larger than the 200 people allowed last year when Biden delivered a speech to Congress that was not considered an official State of the Union address.
The address came as Biden is lobbying the Senate to confirm federal judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. She would be the first Black woman to serve on the court in its 233-year history.
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