Republican lawmakers have criticized a security fence around the U.S. Capitol ahead of President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech, pointing out how the government will secure the Capitol but not the southern border.
The president will deliver his annual State of the Union speech on Thursday evening, ahead of which a large metal fence has been constructed around the Capitol building. The fence being set up comes as many Republicans have criticized the Biden administration for not securing the border between the United States and Mexico, which could be a big topic for voters going into the November elections.
“Remember this when @POTUS talks about the border tonight. Biden doesn’t hesitate to put a barrier up for his speech in Washington but refuses to build a wall and secure the southern border,” Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) wrote on X.
U.S. Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said people should expect a heavy law enforcement presence around the Capitol complex. He noted that there will be technology, plainclothes officers, and support teams.
The Pentagon has authorized as many as 700 National Guard personnel to assist the Metropolitan Police and the Capitol Police in an unarmed capacity through March 7. Capitol Police also said Sunday it would close some roads around the Capitol in preparation for the State of the Union.
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene voiced her concerns against the Biden administration in a tweet ahead of the State of the Union address on Thursday. She took the time to sum up the scene in her own words, with a photo of Capitol Hill to prove her point.
The State of the Union summed up in one picture.
The Biden admin will erect a fence around the Capital in the dark of night but absolutely refuses to build a wall and seal our border to defend innocent Americans like Laken Riley.
The SOTU is not about Israel and Hamas or… pic.twitter.com/RI4GuTNykb
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) March 7, 2024
Following her initial tweet, the Republican congresswoman continued to post more critical tweets targeting Biden. Another recent post has her calling out the president’s administration for providing security to their political leader in the “middle of the night” but refusing to do the same for the American people.
President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address will begin at the Capitol on Thursday, March 7, at 9 p.m. local time. The presidents often use this political theater to propose new policies. However, with everything happening in the U.S. surrounding the issue of national security, women’s rights to reproductive health care, and Israel’s ongoing military campaign in the Gaza Strip, a lot is at stake for him.
Moreover, it all comes with the added baggage, with this being his last session before the upcoming 2024 presidential elections in the fall.
Biden’s addressing this Joint Session of Congress is bound to either make or break his political stance, mainly since his speech works as an audition piece for his re-election campaign, too.
