Biden's State of the Union: Agony and ecstasy of writing the president's biggest speech

Biden's State of the Union: Agony and ecstasy of writing the president's biggest speech

Feb 04, 2023 by BBC News - US & Canada

Key Facts

  • Image source, Getty Images As US President Joe Biden puts the finishing touches to his State of the Union address, spare a thought for the behind-the-scenes toil of the White House speechwriters, the hardest-working team in Washington this time of year.
  • That likely means the speech will take on a much different tone from last year's one, but Mr Keenan argues it should nevertheless pick up from the core message left behind by Mr Biden in his 2022 State of the Union.
  • Image source, Obama White House Archives Image caption, Barack Obama reviews an address with deputy speechwriter Terry Szuplat Under Mr Obama, Mr Keenan would begin working on the speech at least a month or two in advance, locking himself inside his windowless workroom beneath the Oval Office for hours on end as the date drew closer.
  • Ignoring these entreaties, as well as his swelling email inbox, Mr Keenan and his assistant Susannah Jacobs came up with a system: a big smiley face emoji on his door if the speech was going well and he was open to additions, but a skull and crossbones up if the draft was in rough shape and needed no more cooks.

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