The Startling Number Of Times Harris And Pelosi Stood Up During The State Of The Union
President Joe Biden certainly had a lot to talk about during his State of the Union address. He spent the beginning of his speech touching on the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, offering his support to Ukraine and promising to fight Russia the best he can with sanctions and fly bans (via NBC News). He also promised that the American military would not fight in combat but would instead punish Russia financially.
Russia was not the only topic Biden spent time speaking about, though, as his address included a message of unity (via CBS News). The bipartisan unity he spoke of had four parts to it: beating the opioid epidemic, tackling mental health, supporting veterans, and ending cancer.
President Biden's talking points were met with applause from his colleagues — and a lot of it. He touched on many issues that Americans hold close to their hearts. However, no one at the State of the Union address applauded more for Biden than Vice President Kamala Harris and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. If you noticed they were standing up and clapping a lot, you're not alone. We counted how many times they did.
Harris and Pelosi had a lot to clap about during the speech
Many political reporters have speculated that there has been conflict brewing between the president and vice president behind the scenes (via the New York Post). One former aide for Harris said, "It's hard to miss the specific energy that the White House brings to defend a white man, knowing that Kamala Harris has spent almost a year taking a lot of the hits that the West Wing didn't want to take themselves."
However, Newsweek reported that this is not true. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki even tweeted, "For anyone who needs to hear it. @VP is not only a vital partner to @POTUS but a bold leader who has taken on key, important challenges facing the country—from voting rights to addressing root causes of migration to expanding broadband."
It seems that Harris, along with colleague Pelosi, were supportive of the message Biden sent out during the speech. The pair were seen standing and applauding a total of 59 times — we counted! If there is any drama behind the scenes, Harris still rallied behind the president with gusto during his important address.