Dems praise Biden's State of the Union address as 'masterful,' 'inspiring' despite backlash from GOP

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Voters grade Biden's State of the Union in real time

Lee Carter, president at Maslansky+Partners, joins 'Fox and Friends' to discuss Biden's speech and credibility.

Democrats were not shy about heaping praise on President Biden for his State of the Union address Tuesday night, standing in stark contrast to Republicans who lambasted the speech.

"President Biden talked with vision. He talked with values. He talked with vigor," tweeted Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. "The speech tonight was a great success."

Schumer added that "everyday Americans hearing this speech felt that President Biden was talking directly to them. He aimed his speech directly at the needs, hopes, and dreams of American families."

Schumer unexpectedly made headlines during the State of the Union address when Biden incorrectly congratulated him for "another term as Senate minority leader."

In the House, meanwhile, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., similarly lauded Biden's speech.

"In tonight's State of the Union address, President Biden offered an inspiring message of progress, hope, and unity for our nation," Pelosi said in a statement. "Under the president's magnificent leadership, Democrats have made a tangible difference in the lives of America's families."

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., praised the president for delivering "a compelling speech outlining a vision to make life better for everyday Americans. And his dignity presented a stark contrast with the right-wing extremists who are unfit to serve."

Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, meanwhile, gave Biden a top grade for his remarks.

"Any big speech like this for any president is a chance to showcase their mettle," Castro told reporters. "And I thought he passed with flying colors."

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., described the speech as "excellent" and on MSNBC marveled at Republicans expressing outrage over Biden's misleading claim that they want to make cuts to Social Security and Medicare, saying the president got the GOP to effectively cheer entitlements.

Beyond Congress, several Democrats and liberal activists also lauded Biden, arguing he baited Republicans into making a public commitment not to cut Social Security or Medicare.

"Biden's way of turning [Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's] heckling ('Liar!') about his accurate reference to Rick Scott's threats to cut Social Security into a deal binding the GOP to commit never to do what Scott has threatened was just masterful — as was his SOTU speech as a whole," wrote Laurence Tribe, professor emeritus at Harvard Law School who's advised top Democrats.

"Dark Brandon gets Republicans to cheerily promise not to cut Social Security and Medicare live during the #SOTU speech!" added Grant Stern, executive editor of political organization Occupy Democrats. 

"Dark Brandon" references a meme that has been used to praise Biden, playing on the phrase "Let's Go Brandon," which had been used to insult the president.

"These 2 minutes made the night for Biden," tweeted Kaivan Shroff, a commentator who describes himself as a "proud Democrat." "That's all he needed to do. He created a little live Reality TV moment that showed his agility and that he is fighting for the American people."

Steven Rattner, a former Obama administration official, said Biden "did an exceptional job of articulating his accomplishments" and "successfully put the Rs on their back feet."

Republicans, however, blasted Biden for "lying shamelessly" about Social Security and Medicare and, more broadly, viewed Biden's speech quite differently.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, for example, tweeted that Biden's speech was angry, divisive, dishonest and out of touch. "It also reminded me of a guy screaming from his front porch, 'Kids, get off my lawn!'" he wrote.

Fellow Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn said "it was pretty flat" in terms of Biden's potential 2024 re-election bid.

"The president downplayed inflation, he didn't talk about the uptick in crime across the country, and I think he gave short shrift to the border," said Cornyn. "He wanted to talk about what he wanted to talk about, but not what affects the lives of ordinary Texans."

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Meanwhile, Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall said Biden "painted a rosy picture" of the current state of America and ignored the problems facing hardworking families, while Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., argued Biden's words on China during the State of the Union were "totally inadequate."