President Joe Biden is no stranger to the State of the Union and joint addresses to Congress after 36 years in the Senate and eight years as vice president, but Wednesday night, he finally got to deliver one of his own - a speech that looked back. on the ดาวน์โหลด slotxo android president's accomplishments and pitched ahead to his future agenda.

The speech looked different than in years past, with COVID-19 keeping the audience confined and putting a larger emphasis on the television audience at home - likely Biden's biggest audience of the year outside of his inauguration.

The pandemic made this a speech like none other

COVID-19 was one of the first topics the president addressed, and as has been the case for all of Biden's presidency, the virus played a large role in shaping the look and feel of the president's remarks.

For the lifelong politician, this long-awaited moment lacked much of the normal fanfare.

The usually jam-packed chamber was sparsely filled, and while the applause was no less frequent, it did not reach the same volume as years past.

While more than 1,600 people typically attend a presidential speech to Congress - called a State of the Union address except in a president's first year - this year, only 200 people were allowed to be there in person.

The smaller crowd in the House of Representatives chamber was socially distanced and masked, with attendees kept three seats away from the center aisle Biden walked down.

Traditional glad-handing transformed into fist-bumping, with members of Congress leaning across socially distanced empty seats to reach prime real estate along the aisles in order to be seen on television greeting the president.

While most of the Cabinet usually attends, this year only the secretaries of state and defense were there. The rest watched from home, eliminating the need for a "designated survivor."

The invited guests usually seated in the first lady's box were instead celebrated in a virtual reception Wednesday afternoon.

The White House said Biden's goal would be to speak more directly to the American people than usual during such an address, and Biden delivered, speaking directly to American workers.