President Joe Biden’s 2023 State of the Union address, expected to be a run-of-the-mill exercise, was unexpectedly powerful and included some surprising moments . This gallery presents some vivid pictures from the night.
Biden and First Lady Jill Biden President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden enter the U.S. presidential limousine, nicknamed the Beast, on the South Lawn of the White House to attend his State of the Union address. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Supreme Court Justices Arrive Supreme Court Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson arrives for the State of the Union address. (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images) Paul Pelosi Paul Pelosi, husband of former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), before the State of the Union address. Pelosi was attacked by a hammer-wielding assailant who was seeking his wife in October. (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images) Rep. Anna Paulina Luna Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) waits for the State of the Union address to begin. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) Sen. John Fetterman Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) arrives to the House Chambers. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) Luna, Massie and Santos Luna, Massie and Santos talk prior to the address. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Rep. Ilhan Omar, Rep. Nancy Pelosi Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) speak with Pelosi before the start of the address. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) waits for the start of Biden’s State of the Union address. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) Biden arrives Biden arrives to deliver the State of the Union address. (Photo by JACQUELYN MARTIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Biden greets Justice Jackson Biden greets Supreme Court Justice Jackson as he arrives. (Photo by JACQUELYN MARTIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) First Lady Jill Biden arrives First Lady Jill Biden arrives to the House Chamber. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Rep. Nancy Pelosi Pelosi speaks with fellow representatives as they wait for Biden’s State of the Union address. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries bows as Biden acknowledges him during the State of the Union address. (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images) Rep. Chip Roy talks to Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) talks to Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) prior to Biden’s State of the Union address. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and Sen. Mitt Romney Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) arrive for Biden’s State of the Union address. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images) Speaker McCarthy shakes hands with Biden Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) shakes hands with Biden as he arrives to deliver the State of the Union address. (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images) Santos Santos laughs before Biden delivers the State of the Union address. (Photo by Jacquelyn Martin-Pool/Getty Images) Greene, Rep. María Elvira Salazar, and Rep. Dusty Johnson Greene, Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL), and Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) arrive for the State of the Union address. (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images) Reps. Jamaal Bowman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Ayanna Pressley speak to Representative Maxwell Frost Representatives Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) speak to Representative Maxwell Frost (D-FL) prior to Biden’s State of the Union address. (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images) Sinema and Sen. Todd Young Sinema and Senator Todd Young (R-IN) look on prior to Biden’s State of the Union address.(Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images) Luna talks with Boebert Luna talks with Boebert before Biden delivers the State of the Union address. (Photo by Jacquelyn Martin-Pool/Getty Images) Bono and Brandon Tsay Irish singer-songwriter Bono (R) and Brandon Tsay, the man who wrestled the gun away from a shooting suspect in Monterey Park, California, look out prior to Biden’s State of the Union address. (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images) Biden points Harris and McCarthy applaud as Biden points during his State of the Union address. (Photo by JACQUELYN MARTIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Biden Biden delivers his State of the Union address(Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh Associate Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court Amy Coney Barrett and and Brett Kavanaugh are greeted by Biden as he arrives to deliver his State of the Union address. (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images) Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts looks on as Biden arrives to deliver his State of the Union address. (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images) House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rep. Pete Aguilar, U.S. House Minority Whip Rep. Katherine Clark and U.S. Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries U.S. House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA), U.S. House Minority Whip Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) and U.S. Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) applaud as Biden delivers his State of the Union address. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) U.S. House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise U.S. House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) walks towards the House chamber to attend Biden’s State of the Union address. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) Democrats applaud U.S. Representatives Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Maxine Waters (D-CA), and Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) applaud as Pelosi waves while being acknowledged during the State of the Union address. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) Sens. Joe Manchin and Tommy Tuberville U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) walk through the U.S. Capitol ahead of the State of the Union address. (Photo by Julia Nikhinson/Getty Images) Attendees applaud Ukrainian Ambassador Attendees — including U.S. Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, Irsih singer-songwriter Bono, and Brandon Tsay — applaud Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova as Biden delivers the State of the Union address. (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images) Sen. Jeff Markley, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Mazie Hirno Sen. Jeff Markley (D-OR), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Sen. Mazie Hirno (D-HI) listen as Biden delivers his State of the Union address. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Biden Biden delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress as Harris and McCarthy listen. (Photo by Jacquelyn Martin-Pool/Getty Images) Guests Left to right: Rodney Wells and RowVaughn Wells, parents of Tyre Nichols, and Brandon Tsay, hero of the Monterey, California, shooting, wait for the start of Biden’s State of the Union address. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) Donalds, Boebert and Gaetz Left to right: Donalds, Boebert and Gaetz talk prior to Biden’s State of the Union address. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)