Reactions: “Most Out-of-Touch SOTU Ever,” “Totally Out of Step” as Biden Gets Lower Marks Even From Democrats

On 3/2/2022, reactions to Biden’s 2022 State of the Union address were harshly critical across the political spectrum. Senator Ted Cruz called it “the most out-of-touch State of the Union speech that I have ever heard” in 10 years on the House floor. CNN analysts said it was “totally out of step with reality” for a president at 37% approval. Instant polls showed lower marks even from Democratic-leaning viewers. Commentators noted Biden acknowledged problems — inflation, gas prices, the border — without taking responsibility for any of them.

Cruz: “Most Out-of-Touch SOTU I’ve Ever Heard”

Cruz delivered the sharpest critique. “Tonight was the 10th State of the Union that I’ve been on the floor of the House of Representatives. This was the most out-of-touch State of the Union speech that I have ever heard,” Cruz said.

“Biden went through a litany of acknowledging some of the problems we face in this country, but utterly denying any responsibility, any culpability for it,” Cruz continued. “He acknowledged galloping inflation but didn’t say a word about the trillions in spending and trillions of debt he rammed through that caused that inflation. He acknowledged gas prices are skyrocketing but didn’t say a word about the war on domestic energy production that his administration led.”

“He acknowledged the need to secure our southern border but didn’t say a word about the failure of his administration to enforce the laws leading to the highest rate of illegal immigration in 61 years,” Cruz added.

”Totally Out of Step With Reality”

A CNN analyst delivered a surprisingly candid assessment. “This would have been a really normal, run-of-the-mill State of the Union speech for a president who’s at 52% approval, 60% approval, where a majority of Americans feel like the country’s on the right track,” the analyst said.

“But it was totally out of step with reality for where most Americans are. The President is at a 37% approval rating according to the latest ABC poll. Three-quarters of Americans feel like the country’s on the wrong track,” the analyst continued. “I thought it was odd — a missed opportunity for a White House looking for a reset after a tough six months.”

Even Democrats Give Lower Marks

CNN’s instant poll showed a decline in enthusiasm even among the disproportionately Democratic audience that typically watches a State of the Union. “Generally speaking, these are lower marks than you would expect from such a disproportionately Democratic audience,” an analyst noted.

“He’s not just taking a slide with the overall public. He’s also taking a slide with people who are even supportive of him or in his party,” the analyst said. “He obviously has been on the decline. There’s nothing in this speech that suggests he turned that around.”

70% Disapprove on Inflation

A new CBS poll found 70% of Americans disapproved of the administration’s handling of inflation. Psaki was pressed directly. “What do you say to those people? They say gas prices are just too high, I can’t get peanut butter, everything costs more.”

“People are struggling, especially working people, in terms of the price of gas and food,” Psaki acknowledged. “They need to deal with one of the biggest issues, which is the cost of living.”

Still Buying Russian Oil

Senator Joe Manchin and others raised the ongoing purchase of approximately 600,000 barrels of Russian crude per day. “We have the ability in this country to produce enough oil for this country that we can depend a hell of a lot less on Russia,” one commentator argued. “Why not if we have the ability to not be dependent on Russian oil, why wouldn’t we take that step right now?”

When asked whether cutting off Russian oil was on the table, Psaki pivoted to Germany’s Nord Stream 2 action and the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. “Why not ramp up domestic production in the short term?” a reporter asked. “We’ve put a solution on the table, and that is to pass legislation that will lower Americans’ everyday costs,” Psaki replied — pointing to the stalled Build Back Better rather than domestic energy.

Real Wages Negative Every Month

An analyst provided damning context. “The American Rescue Plan was passed on March 11th, 2021. That was the last month that Americans saw real wage gains. Every single month since then has been negative numbers — negative, negative, negative, negative, negative,” the analyst said.

“Seven out of ten people in one poll say they are living paycheck to paycheck. 56% of Americans say if they had a $1,000 emergency bill, they couldn’t cover it with savings,” the analyst continued. “Only 19% say we’re in recovery. 24% say stagflation. 30% think we’re in a recession. 21% think we’re in a depression.”

Key Takeaways

Cruz called Biden’s SOTU “the most out-of-touch speech I have ever heard” in 10 years, noting Biden acknowledged problems without taking responsibility for any.
CNN analysts said the speech was “totally out of step with reality” for a president at 37% approval with three-quarters of Americans saying the country was on the wrong track.
Instant polls showed lower marks even from Democratic-leaning audiences, reflecting Biden’s broader decline in support.
70% of Americans disapproved of Biden’s handling of inflation; real wages had been negative every month since the American Rescue Plan passed.
The administration continued buying 600,000 barrels of Russian oil daily while offering Build Back Better — not domestic production — as its inflation solution.

Transcript Highlights

The following is transcribed from the video audio (unverified — AI-generated from audio).

This was the most out-of-touch State of the Union speech that I have ever heard. He acknowledged problems but utterly denied any responsibility.
It was totally out of step with reality for where most Americans are. A missed opportunity for a White House looking for a reset.
These are lower marks than you would expect from such a disproportionately Democratic audience. He’s been on the decline.
70% of Americans disapprove of the administration’s handling of inflation.
Every single month since March 2021 has been negative real wage numbers. Seven out of ten are living paycheck to paycheck.
Why not ramp up domestic production? We’ve put a solution on the table — pass legislation to lower costs.

Full transcript: 1251 words transcribed via Whisper AI.