NBC News was finally in tune with most of America Tuesday night after President Biden’s State of the Union address left them feeling unsure about the fate of Ukraine and confused by some of what was said on the House floor.
Today co-host Savannah Guthrie seemed to set up political director Chuck Todd to heap praise on Biden by hinting that it was a historic speech.
“Chuck, when we look back at this speech in history, and the moment that we are in, not just as a nation but the world. I mean, the President framed it democracy versus autocracy. He said this is a real test. Did it meet the moment in terms of, you know, the real good versus evil struggle that is unfolding, you know, half a world away right now,” she wanted to know.
But Todd probably didn’t give her the answer she was looking for as he suggested it already felt like the speech wasn’t going to age well in the near future. “Let me put it this way. In some ways, for the sake of the Ukrainians, I hope we don't say it didn't -- I hope we say, oh, it was about right. But I fear this is going to feel like a speech that didn't age well…,” he ominously said.
Todd wanted Biden to dive more into the importance of our alliances with Europe and why we’re looked at in such high regard on such matters:
As you said, good versus evil, explain what -- a little bit more and a little bit of the history of the defense of Europe, and a little bit of how -- why we're in this position, why we have these alliances, what it all means.
And it just felt like an abrupt end after the 12 minutes of that. And it felt like, boy, we could have had more. There was more to say. I think there was more that the public would have. And this turned.
Todd did tout Biden for doing the bare minimum to give his fellow Democrats cover in the midterms by saying “secure our borders” and “fund our police.” “But that's the politics of this,” he admitted.
Omitting Biden’s slip up where he talked about the “Iranian people” instead of the Ukrainian people, chief Washington correspondent Andrea Mitchell was left perplexed (as were the rest of us) by Biden’s declaration of “go get ‘em” at the end:
MITCHELL: I also think there was a strange moment at the end when he said "Go get ‘em." That was audible to the audience. And we're not quite sure what he means. I think he's talking about Vladimir Putin and the bad guys over there, but it was an adlib that kind of left strange.
LESTER HOLT: Normally his close is "God bless the soldiers."
Guthrie stepped in to put her heavy spin on it by suggesting “he was trying to buck up Americans and say we’re strong, the state of the union is strong, get out there, you know, remember that we are strong as Americans.”
Sure, Savannah.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
NBC State of the Union
March 1, 2022
10:17:15 p.m. Eastern(…)
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Chuck, when we look back at this speech in history, and the moment that we are in, not just as a nation but the world. I mean, the President framed it democracy versus autocracy. He said this is a real test. Did it meet the moment in terms of, you know, the real good versus evil struggle that is unfolding, you know, half a world away right now?
CHUCK TODD: Let me put it this way. In some ways, for the sake of the Ukrainians, I hope we don't say it didn't -- I hope we say, oh, it was about right. But I fear this is going to feel like a speech that didn't age well because of the lack of -- I thought he would spend more time on Ukraine, spend a little more time explaining why it is our fight.
As you said, good versus evil, explain what -- a little bit more and a little bit of the history of the defense of Europe, and a little bit of how -- why we're in this position, why we have these alliances, what it all means.
And it just felt like an abrupt end after the 12 minutes of that. And it felt like, boy, we could have had more. There was more to say. I think there was more that the public would have. And this turned.
Look, I do think he accomplished two important pieces of politics. Saying the phrases, “secure our borders” and “fund our police.” There are a lot of vulnerable Democrats in a lot of House and Senate races that are relieved to hear the leader of the Democratic Party say those two phrases.
But that's the politics of this. When you're asking about Ukraine, it certainly didn't -- it felt to me like it could have had a lot more.
(…)
10:21:35 p.m. Eastern
TODD: By the way, the end of the speech was clearly speaking to the larger, this is what makes us a great democracy. Boy, I think we were all waiting for it to be tied exactly -- I think we were all waiting for this to be, frankly, a Ukraine sandwich, and it didn't land there a little bit.
You know, and so again, I just -- I think we're all saying the same thing, I think we all expected a little more. We're all fearing the next week is going to be just horrifying, just horrifying as we see a cornered Vladimir Putin do some perhaps crimes against humanity in order to try to get –
[Gets gut off with talk of sanctions]
(…)
10:22:36 p.m. Eastern
ANDREA MITCHELL: I also think there was a strange moment at the end when he said "Go get ‘em." That was audible to the audience. And we're not quite sure what he means. I think he's talking about Vladimir Putin and the bad guys over there, but it was an adlib that kind of left strange.
LESTER HOLT: Normally his close is "God bless the soldiers."
GUTHRIE: I think he was trying to buck up Americans and say we’re strong, the state of the union is strong, get out there, you know, remember that we are strong as Americans.
TODD: By the way, his COVID messaging was very strong.
(…)
