What to watch at the State of the Union

It’s time for everyone’s favorite constitutionally-mandated-but-mostly-meaningless political exercise: The State of the Union. President Joe Biden will address the nation at 9 p.m. ET before a joint session of Congress, and you can expect the theatrics of past years to continue.

The speech: The White House has not released an official preview of the president’s speech, but you can expect quite a litany: Israel and Hamas, Ukraine and Russia, migration, crime, health care, abortion – you know, the usual.

Of course, the challenge for Biden might not be what he says but how he says it. He’s fighting perceptions of senility and infirmity and will be trying to show mental acuity and physical fitness as he delivers his message.

The guests: Democrats are inviting many women who have been hurt by abortion restrictions in GOP-run states since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, including Katie Cox and Kayla Smith. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries will also host 17 relatives of Israelis taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7, while Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) will host Intimaa Salama, who lost 35 family members in Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.

The Republican guest list leans more toward law enforcement, including Border Patrol Agent Brandon Budlong, and New York police officer Zunxu Tian and Lt. Ben Kurian, who were allegedly assaulted by migrants. House Speaker Mike Johnson will have the parents of detained journalist Evan Gershkovich with him.

Not in attendance: Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska and Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of late Russian dissident Alexei Navalny. The White House invited both women to sit with First Lady Jill Biden, but each cited scheduling conflicts. One thing to note: Appearing with Navalnaya may not have played so well for Zelenska at home, as Navalny was viewed with skepticism in Ukraine.

The GOP response: The often thankless task of presenting the Republican rebuttal to the president falls to Alabama Sen. Katie Britt. She’s the youngest woman ever to win a GOP Senate race (and may have the gig because senior figures spurned it). She says "hardworking parents and families" will be the focus of her rebuttal.