03/09/2024
WASHINGTON — Alabama freshman Sen. Katie Britt gave the Republican response to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, lambasting the Democratic leader over a border crisis she said he “invited,” reckless spending, and a country she said was more dangerous than it was four years ago.
In a dark turn, Britt appeared to blame Biden for the murder of Laken Riley, the 22-year-old nursing student whom the president earlier said was murdered by an “illegal” during an unscripted moment of his speech.
“She was brutally murdered by one of the millions of illegal border crossers President Biden chose to release into our homeland,” Britt said. “As a mom, I can't quit thinking about this; this could been my daughter. It could’ve been yours.”
Britt also blamed the president for an economy she said was squeezing Americans' pocketbooks, with people "who did everything right" going hungry. Britt at times seemed to mimic him, lowering her voice to a whisper.
Biden did not invoke Trump directly in his remarks, and instead referred to a “former Republican president,” and his “predecessor.” Neither did Britt.
Britt was expected to sound an optimistic note in her remarks, harking back to Ronald Reagan's declaration of American exceptionalism in his 'Shining City on a Hill' speech. Instead, Britt, at home in her kitchen, painted a darker picture, invoking Reagan’s famed question from a presidential debate against Democrat Jimmy Carter, “Just ask yourself, are you better off now than you were three years ago?”
Britt declared Biden “a dithering and diminished leader” who is “not in command” — moments after the president delivered an energetic address to Congress and the nation that saw him parry with Republicans in the audience. Biden was still at the Capitol after Britt had ended her remarks.
A rising conservative star, Britt took the task of delivering the response against the backdrop of a presidential election fight that is setting up to be waged by party leaders whose combined age is nearly four times her own.
She became the youngest Republican woman to be elected to the Senate and the first to represent Alabama when she was sworn in last year after garnering former President Donald Trump’s endorsement. She is a staunch conservative who has made immigration a top issue.
Now with Biden facing increasing skepticism over his age, Britt, 42, worked to sharpen this contrast after the president delivered his third State of the Union address on Thursday evening.
Republicans have sought to emphasize the obstacle for Democrats: In an advertisement that began airing Thursday, the super PAC supporting Trump questioned whether Biden “could even survive” a second term.
At the same time, Britt — with her husband, former NFL player Wesley Britt — is known for her close friendship with Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., and his wife, Gisele, a pairing that showcases how Americans on opposite sides of the aisle can look beyond their partisan differences.
Britt, in her address, made an argument that the Republican Party is the party of family, sharing her perspective on kitchen table issues as a mother of two.
“Sen. Britt doesn’t have to talk abstractly or even think abstractly about how policies are affecting American families,” a source familiar with Britt’s remarks said. “She’s living through it.”
At the same time, the senator made an impassioned plea for parents “to get into the arena,” a tacit acknowledgment of the women voters who have trended away from the Republican Party in elections following Trump’s 2016 win.
Britt argued that “the country we know and love seems to be slipping away.”
“It feels like the next generation will have fewer opportunities — and less freedom — than we did,” Britt said, sounding pained. “I worry my own children may not even get a shot at living their American Dreams.”
“The true, unvarnished State of our Union begins and ends with this: Our families are hurting. Our country can do better,” she said.
Britt argued that the country has been made more dangerous by Democrats who have “coddled criminals” and defunded the police. Punishing families are “sky-high” childcare costs and mortgage rates.
“The American people are scraping by while the President proudly proclaims Bidenomics is working! Goodness y'all, bless his heart,” she said. “We know better.”
In one of several references to Biden’s advanced age, Britt lambasted the president as “a permanent politician” who has spent more years in office “than I’ve even been alive.”
Central to Britt’s case is that voters are not being heard by Biden and Democrats. “Frankly, a large part of our message is going to be that the president’s out of touch,” the source said.
The Alabama senator is being elevated as voters have expressed deep dissatisfaction with the choices they are being offered.
