WASHINGTON – Freshman Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama will deliver the Republican response to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, overcoming one of the biggest challenges facing Biden in his re-election campaign.
Rising conservative star, Britt will take the stage In the background of the presidential election fight, which will be conducted by party leaders whose total age is about four times his age.
She became the youngest Republican woman elected to the Senate and the first woman to represent Alabama when she was sworn in last year after winning the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. He is a staunch conservative who has made immigration a top issue.
Now, with Biden facing growing skepticism about his age, Britt, 42, is poised to sharpen the contrast after the president’s third State of the Union address on Thursday evening.
Republicans tried to highlight the hurdle for Democrats: In an ad that began airing Thursday, a pro-Trump super PAC questioned whether Biden would “even survive” for a second term. Britt, in his prepared remarks, will declare Biden a “dithering and diminished leader” who is “commandless.”
At the same time, Britt – with her ex-husband NFL player Wesley Britt to Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa. and known for his close friendship with his wife Gisele.
In her speech, Britt is expected to share her perspective on kitchen table issues as a mother of two, arguing that the Republican Party is the party of the family.
“You. “Britt doesn’t have to talk abstractly or even think abstractly about how policies affect American families,” said a source familiar with Britt’s remarks. “He lives on it.”
Britt’s lyrics claim that “the country we know and love seems to be slipping away.”
“The next generation will have less opportunities and less freedom than we did,” Britt said. “I worry that my own children won’t even have the chance to live the American dream.”
“The true, unblemished state of our union begins and ends with this: Our families are suffering. Our country can do better,” he says.
Britt argues that a crisis along the country’s southern border that is “almost entirely preventable” has been made more dangerous by Democrats who “conflate criminals” and underfund the police. Punishing families, childcare costs and mortgage interest rates are “sky high”.
“As the President proudly proclaims that Bidenomics is working, the American people are getting ripped off! Bless your heart,” he will say. “We know better.”
The bottom line in Britt’s case is that voters are not being listened to by Biden and the Democrats. “Frankly, a large part of our message will be about disconnecting the president,” the source said.
The Alabama senator is elected because voters express deep dissatisfaction with the choices offered to them.
A New York Times/Siena College survey A poll published over the weekend showed a majority of voters had negative views of both Biden and Trump, with even those who supported the 81-year-old president in 2020 saying he was “too old” to be effective.
Announcing Britt’s party response, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., called the senator an “unapologetic optimist.”
A source familiar with the conversation said that was one of the reasons House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told Britt why he believed he should speak.
“I remember the speaker saying, ‘Look, it seems to me that we need a Reaganesque ‘city on a hill’ Republican … someone who can bring not only strength but optimism into the future. And you, in my opinion, are the one who can deliver this message,” said the source.
His appeal comes as Republicans continue to struggle with women voters in suburban and highly educated enclaves who have drifted away from the party since Trump’s election.
“Republicans are promoting someone who looks and sounds like the demographic they know Trump is fighting against,” said Karen Finney, Hillary Clinton’s top adviser during the 2016 presidential campaign. “They know they have problems with women.”
Britt’s appeal comes as statewide ballot questions on abortion have won victories for abortion rights advocates in Republican states and efforts to get protections on at least a dozen more ballots in 2024.
Behind the scenes, Britt has taken a leadership role with Republicans, arguing that there is a way to talk about in vitro fertilization, a source familiar with his remarks said.
As a Supreme Court decision in Alabama threatens fertility clinics in the state, Britt argued to Trump that a truly pro-family position should include IVF, a source familiar with the conversation confirmed. The decision in Alabama raised questions about whether embryos created during in vitro fertilization can be considered children under state law, and what their destruction might mean.
Trump has avoided taking a stand on some of the most contentious fights over reproductive rights. But shortly after the call, Trump issued a post-decision statement advising that he would “strongly support the availability of IVF” and urging the Alabama Legislature to find an immediate solution to protect its access.
He is expected to back this up in his response, the source said.
The president’s allies are celebrating Britt’s rise.
“He’s a rock star,” the Democratic strategist said. “He could very well be the face of the post-Trump GOP. And maybe in 2028, we will have our first female president.”
“He’s an incredible politician and can win over a lot of suburban women in a big way,” the strategist said.