President Joe Biden failed to talk about numerous major challenges during his speech to Congress on Wednesday night that he has faced during his first 100 days in office.
Below is a list of things that Biden failed to address:
1. Biden failed to address his border crisis.
The biggest challenge Biden has faced during his first three months in office has been the crisis that has unfolded on the southern border, which many critics directly blame on him because he rolled back many of the Trump administration’s policies and sent signals to the world that his administration would be more welcoming to migrants. Recent polling showed that only 37% of Americans approve of his handling of the border crisis.
Instead of directly addressing the issue, Biden called on Congress to “end our exhausting war over immigration.” Biden failed to talk about the alarming conditions that migrants have been subjected to under his administration and how border officials have been overwhelmed by the crisis, over which members of his own party have been sounding the alarm for months.
2. Biden failed to mention Taiwan by name.
Biden failed to show support for Taiwan during his speech. Biden said that the U.S. was in “competition with China” but that “we’re not looking for conflict.” Biden said “we’ll maintain a strong relationship in the Indo-Pacific” but did not explain what that meant.
All this comes as left-wing New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman highlighted China’s interest in overtaking Taiwan this week. Friedman wrote in part:
China is now a true peer competitor in the military, technological and economic realms, except — except in one critical field: designing and manufacturing the most advanced microprocessors and logic and memory chips that are the base layer for artificial intelligence, machine learning, high-performance computing, electric vehicles, telecommunications — i.e., the whole digital economy that we’re moving into. …
However, just a few miles away from China sits the largest and most sophisticated contract chip maker in the world: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. According to the Congressional Research Service, TSMC is one of only three manufacturers in the world that fabricate the most advanced semiconductor chips — and by far the biggest. …
That’s why — today — as much as China wants Taiwan for reasons of ideology, it wants TSMC in the pocket of Chinese military industries for reasons of strategy. And as much as U.S. strategists are committed to preserving Taiwan’s democracy, they are even more committed to ensuring that TSMC doesn’t fall into China’s hands for reasons of strategy. (TSMC is now building a new semiconductor factory in Phoenix.) Because, in a digitizing world, he who controls the best chip maker will control … a lot.
3. Biden failed to mention holding China accountable for the coronavirus pandemic.
Biden failed to say anything about holding China accountable for the pandemic that erupted in Wuhan and their lies, attempted cover-up, and withholding of critical information during the early days of the pandemic that worsened the pandemic’s trajectory. Biden failed to say anything about the severe doubt that has been cast on the WHO report that was published about the pandemic’s origins, which many critics believe could have easily come from a lab accident. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have died, the economy has suffered trillions of dollars in damage and social and political upheaval in the process.
4. Biden failed to mention the Uyghurs by name.
Biden said that he told Chinese President Xi Jinping that “no responsible American president could remain silent when basic human rights are being so blatantly violated,” but he failed to specifically mention the Uyghurs in Xinjiang and he failed to mention the persecution that other religious minorities in the country, including Christians, face in China.
5. Biden failed to mention Russia’s recent military aggression in Eastern Europe.
Biden said that he is holding Russian President Vladimir Putin accountable for alleged election interference and for the cyberattack that Russia launched against the U.S. last year. However, he failed to call out Putin’s recent military build-up near Ukraine.
The Atlantic Council wrote on Tuesday:
Ukraine spent much of April in the international headlines as global audiences watched to see if a massive Russian military build-up along the Ukrainian border would become a precursor to a major escalation in the simmering seven-year conflict between the two countries. Fears of an imminent Kremlin offensive appeared to ease on April 22 when Russia announced plans to begin withdrawing troops from border zone positions. However, few are taking anything for granted.
At present, it remains far from clear whether Russia’s declared withdrawal will include the vast amounts of military equipment concentrated close to the Ukrainian border. Even if the immediate danger has indeed passed, Vladimir Putin’s bout of springtime saber-rattling has succeeded in sending a clear and unmistakable message to Kyiv that Moscow has not yet ruled out a military solution to its Ukrainian problem.
The Ukrainian authorities have no time to waste. What we have just witnessed was nothing less than a dress rehearsal for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Much of this potential future invasion force remains in position and poised for action. Next time, Putin will be able to call upon the invaluable experience gained by the Russian Armed Forces during its recent mobilization.
6. Biden failed to give the Trump administration any credit for the progress made in combatting the pandemic and failed to mention Operation Warp Speed.
What Biden said:
After I promised we would get 100 million Covid-19 vaccine shots into people’s arms in 100 days, we will have provided over 220 million Covid shots in those hundred days, thanks to all the help of all of you. We’re marshaling with your help, everyone’s help, we’re marshaling every federal resource. We’ve gotten vaccinations to nearly 40,000 pharmacies and over 700 community health centers where the poorest of the poor can be reached. We’re setting up community vaccination sites, developing mobile units to get to hard-to-reach communities. Today, 90% of Americans now live within five miles of a vaccination site. Everyone over the age of 16, everyone, is now eligible to get vaccinated right now, right away. Go get vaccinated, America. Go and get the vaccination. They’re available. You’re eligible now.
When I was sworn in on Jan. 20, less than 1% of the seniors in America were fully vaccinated against Covid-19. One hundred days later, 70% of seniors in America over 65 are protected, fully protected. Senior deaths from Covid-19 are down 80% since January, down 80%, because of all of you.
Biden failed to mention the work that was completed during the previous administration, which included the development of vaccines. The Trump administration was vaccinating up to 1 million people per day by the time that Biden took over and the number of new cases had already peaked at 312,024 cases on January 8 and had fallen to 188,391 by the day that Biden was sworn in.