President Biden's 2023 State of the Union address

GOP Rep. Bob Good told CNN that he was one of the hecklers who called out President Joe Biden as a “liar” — and said Biden deserved it for his comments about Republicans saying they want cuts to Social Security and Medicare.

"I think the greater offense is for the president to lie to the American people about something so important," Good said on the optics of Republicans heckling the president.

Freshman Rep. Andy Ogles, a Tennessee Republican, also defended his comments in the chamber. Ogles shouted “it’s your fault” when Biden brought up fentanyl deaths.

Asked whether he thought it was appropriate to heckle Biden during his speech, Ogles said it was just a “visceral response” and that a number of his GOP colleagues had also vocally pushed back on Biden.

“It just so happened, as they were getting quiet, I got louder, so my timing, cadence might have been slightly off,” he said.

McCarthy, who had urged his Republican members to be mindful of their behavior during the speech, was seen trying to shush members during that moment in the chamber.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is now delivering the Republican response to President Joe Biden's State of the Union address.

In a statement announcing that Sanders will give the response, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Sanders was a representative for a new generation of Republicans.

She gained national prominence when she served as White House press secretary under former President Donald Trump, but she was no stranger to politics with her father, Republican Mike Huckabee, serving as governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007.

Sanders worked for two years in the George W. Bush administration and later ran her father’s 2008 campaign for the Republican presidential nomination and then was campaign manager for his 2016 White House bid.

She made history last year as the first woman elected as governor of Arkansas.

Within 48 hours of being sworn in as governor, Sanders signed a flurry of executive orders, with one targeting critical race theory “to prohibit indoctrination” in schools and another banning the use of the term “Latinx” in official state documents.

The parents of Tyre Nichols received an extended standing ovation during the State of the Union address, marking an emotional moment for police reform during the president’s prime-time address. 

“Public safety depends on public trust. But too often that trust is violated,” Biden said. “Joining us tonight are the parents of Tyre Nichols, who had to bury him just last week.”

RowVaughn and Rodney Wells, who came as first lady Jill Biden's guests, stood up and received bipartisan applause.

“There are no words to describe the heartbreak and grief of losing a child. But imagine what it’s like to lose a child at the hands of the law,” he added. 

Biden sought to use his remarks to make the case for police reform, using the bully pulpit as his advisers said he would, to pressure Congress into getting something passed though reform faces an uncertain path.

The president spoke of his own privilege of not needing to have “the talk,” with his children, that “so many Black and Brown families have had with their children.

Bipartisan support for his remarks began building when Biden touched on the shared values members have for public safety.

“What happened to Tyre in Memphis happens too often. We have to do better. Give law enforcement the real training they need,” he said. “Hold on to higher standards. Help them succeed in keeping us safe.”

Biden received another standing ovation when he said, “cops are good people."

Nichols' parents stood up to applaud when Biden said, “when police officers or police departments violate the public trust, they must be held accountable.” A tear was visible on RowVaughn Wells’ face.

Biden erroneously called Tyre “Tyler,” but called on Congress to commit themselves to making her words come true: “Something good must come from this.”

In a statement after the president's speech, the NAACP said Black Americans need "more than words."

Marjorie Taylor Greene repeatedly yelled back at President Joe Biden throughout the speech — on everything from his comments on fentanyl to entitlement cuts.

She yelled out “liar” at Biden over suggesting some Republicans wanted cuts to Medicare to Social Security.

She also stayed seated when Biden introduced Tyre Nichols’ parents and the Ukraine ambassador.

White House officials are thrilled by the off-script back and forth between President Joe Biden and Republicans. 

“Couldn’t have written a better moment,” one official said.

More than the substantive back and forth, one official notes how it appeared to animate Biden in real time

But to watch it happen during the speech, on the biggest prime-time stage of the year, was a moment White House officials are basking in right now.

Some background: The president was speaking about the national debt – a debt he said took “200 years to accumulate,” but was increased by 25% under the last administration. 

“Those are the facts, check it out,” Biden said, as boos and chatter started in the chamber. “Check it out!” he continued over the ruckus. 

Democrats cheered while Republicans quieted. But when the president accused some Republicans of wanting to cut Social Security and Medicare, the protests erupted again.  Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green appeared to stand and shout, “you lie.” 

The White House has repeatedly accused Republicans of wanting to make cuts to Social Security and Medicare, but McCarthy explicitly said recently that those cuts were off the table. 

The president said he was “glad to see” the reaction, adding, “I enjoy conversion.”

People had doubts about President Joe Biden going into the State of the Union address and the president proved himself, according to CNN political commentator Van Jones.

He described Biden as "strong-minded" and relatable in the speech.

"I thought Joe Biden did really well tonight relating to the American people and if you had doubts about him, look, he was as sharp tonight as he could be," he said. "I thought he did a great job."

But the most powerful aspect of Biden's speech, Jones said, was his ability to invoke reactions out of Democrats and Republicans.

"He got both parties on their feet, not once but twice, on police reform," he said. "The open wound on this country is police reform and Republicans and Democrats stood together twice to honor the family and also to honor policies that would make a difference. That was unexpected."

President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address drew mixed reactions from the lawmakers in the room.

Here are some scenes from the inside of the House Chamber:

We tracked the approximate length of President Joe Biden’s second State of the Union speech. By CNN’s tally, the president was about 15 minutes shy of Bill Clinton’s 2000 address, the longest in recent history.

Here is how Biden's address compares to past presidents:

President Joe Biden concluded his second State of the Union address with a message about the current state of the country.

During the more than hourlong speech, Biden appealed to bipartisanship, telling Republicans he wants to work together instead of “fighting for the sake of fighting."