2023 State of the Union Address Analysis & Highlights

On February 7, 2023, President Biden delivered the annual State of the Union address before Congress. Biden spoke for over an hour. We ran a highlight reel through the Yoodli AI speech tool to see what it had to say.

Take a look at our State of the Union address analysis (AI and human) and highlights.

State of the Union Address Analysis by AI

Note that this is an analysis of several State of the Union address highlights, not the speech as a whole.

After the video of Biden’s State of the Union address was uploaded, Yoodli provided a transcript with timestamps. It also offered some valuable coaching feedback, observations, and analytics. We’ve included the results below, and you also can take a look at the results within the app to get a better idea of how it works.

Yoodli AI Speech Coach

The AI Speech Coach shared a summary of the key points and main ideas from the 2023 State of the Union address and five questions that reveal where the president could have elaborated. Let’s take a look at each.

Key Points and Main Ideas

Here’s a summary of Biden’s key points and main ideas from the State of the Union address highlights we reviewed:

• Congratulates the 118th Congress and the new speaker, Kevin McCarthy
• Refers to the impact of COVID-19 two years ago and how it no longer controls our lives
• Discusses the bipartisan infrastructure law passed to make America number one in infrastructure again
• References the need for healthcare reform to reduce the cost of insulin for people with diabetes
• Outlines the high profits earned by big oil and the lack of investment in domestic production
• Comments on proposals to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act and the need to ensure that Social Security and Medicare remain
• Highlights the issue of public safety and law enforcement trust
• Introduces the parents of Tyre Nichols, a victim of police violence
• Commends Brandon Tsay, who prevented further deaths by wresting a semi-automatic pistol away from a gunman
• Calls to ban assault weapons and to protect Roe v. Wade
• Addresses Putin’s invasion and the U.S.’s response to protect sovereignty
• Mention of the need to compete with China while protecting U.S. interests
• Proposes a surge to stop fentanyl production and trafficking
• Suggests more mental health access for children in school
• Refers to political violence and the attack on the House of Representatives
• Concludes by recognizing the resilience of the U.S. and the power of collective action

Elaboration Questions

The AI Speech Coach shows where Biden could elaborate by answering the following questions:

• Question 1: What specific steps will the government take to ensure that the supply chain for America begins in America?
• Question 2: How will the government ensure that drug companies are held accountable for charging excessive prices for insulin?
• Question 3: What measures will the government take to ensure that law enforcement officers are held accountable for violating public trust?
• Question 4: What measures will the government take to reduce violent crime?
• Question 5: What specific steps will the government take to ensure that abortion access is protected?

Yoodli AI Speaking Analytics

Yoodli provided the State of the Union address analysis and scores in two categories: Word Choice and Delivery.

The Word Choice category provided observations and analysis on six points: Repetition, Filler Words, Non-Inclusiveness, Top Keywords, and Weak Words. Biden’s scores here are good, which is to be expected with a speech that’s written and read.

The Top Keywords feature shows us the words that Biden used the most: law, know, world, people, drug, and infrastructure. This is a good way to get an idea of how “on message” a speech is. (Sometimes we think we talk about something more than we actually do!)

The Delivery category provided observations and analysis on two points: Pacing and Pauses. Biden’s scores here are good, as he spoke at a conversational pace and paused at times to allow people to digest what he said.

Human Analysis of the 2023 State of the Union Address

In these State of the Union address highlights, you’ll notice that Biden strategically varied his pacing and volume. For example, he spoke slowly and quietly when he said, “Every day millions need insulin to control their diabetes so they can literally stay alive.” As he continued, his pace quickened and his volume rose when he asserted that “big pharma has been unfairly charging people hundreds of dollars.”

Here’s another example of the same technique. Biden introduced Brandon Tsay, who demonstrated heroism during the Monterey Park murders in January. Biden spoke slowly and quietly when he said of Tsay, “He saved lives. It’s time we do the same.” Then, his pace quickened and he nearly shouted when he said, “Ban assault weapons now! Ban them now!”

Variations in pacing and volume help keep an audience engaged, and they can put particular emphasis on your words. When you speak quietly, the audience tends to listen more carefully to pick up everything you say. When you raise your voice, it’s clear that you want to drive home a point that you care deeply about. Biden did this well multiple times throughout the State of the Union address.

For more State of the Union address analysis, check out these assessments from a few former government speech writers.

More Analyzed Speeches

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Jacinda Ardern’s Resignation Speech: Analysis by AI

Obama’s DNC Speech in 2020: Learn From an Analysis of His Delivery

Analyze Your Own Speech

Whether you’ve already recorded a speech or you’d like to practice one, you can let Yoodli work its magic. First, sign up for a free Yoodli account. Then, click on the Upload Speech button or the Record > Speech button in the top menu, to the right. Follow the prompts, and soon you’ll see where you excel and where you can improve.

You’ll instantly get a handy-dandy timestamped transcript. The key points and keywords that Yoodli picks up will help you know if you’re on message. And, you’ll see how you did with filler words, inclusive language, eye contact, and more elements of your speech.

Wrapping Up

The State of the Union address is always one of the biggest speeches of the year in the U.S. It’s a great opportunity to see how an experienced speaker deals with the weightiest subjects and a divided audience.

Whatever we think of the president at any given time, we can at least appreciate the daunting task that he has with this address—and there’s always something we can learn and apply to our own speaking.