What We Should Have Heard Last Night . . .

That is the way President Joe Biden should have opened last night's State of the Union address. Instead, the American people were subjected to an alternative reality history lesson for nearly twenty-five minutes before he declared what the State of our Union is. And, that makes sense . . . because he had to spend time spinning a web of deceit and half-truths to be able to tell the American people with a straight face that our Union is "strong and getting stronger."

The truth is that the American people disagree with Joe Biden. With nearly 60% of Americans disapproving of his job performance, Republicans and Democrats (to the tune of over 65%) describe the State of the Union as either "divided" or "declining." Very clearly, the Americans aren't buying what Joe Biden is selling.

Overwhelmingly, the number one issue for Americans during this election cycle is the economy, and they're right to think so. 80% of Americans view the economy in a negative light.

President Biden claims that former President Trump is responsible for ballooning the national debt while he is reducing it. In reality, the national debt increased during the Trump Administration due in no small part to bipartisan emergency spending of trillions of dollars during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under Biden's watch, though, it has grown by 24% since he took office, with no pandemic to blame.

One of the most artful half-truths Joe Biden presented last night was regarding the creation of 800,000 manufacturing jobs here in the United States. He isn't wrong . . . but it is something he has already taken credit for. The truth is that nearly all of these jobs were created in 2021 (thanks in part to policies and efforts of the Trump Administration) and 2022, while 2023 remained flat regarding job growth in this sector.

President Biden misled the American people when he claimed to have lowered the nation's deficit by $1 trillion. While it is true the deficit has fallen, experts agree it is not credit to any of Biden's policies or actions . . . in fact, he has worsened the deficit. This $1 trillion drop comes from when COVID-19 pandemic emergency spending authorizations expired and ultimately reduced the national deficit on schedule. What is widely agreed upon is that Joe Biden's deficits are some of the worst in history.

Here is the long and short of the economy:

• Real wages are down.
• The cost of living is up.
• It costs a little more than $11,000 a year to maintain the same standard of living we had in the Trump Administration.
• Inflation continues to be a problem for American families, and homeownership is considered unaffordable in 99% of the country.

That is not an American economy that Joe Biden should be proud of.

During the State of the Union, President Biden made the laughable attempt at blaming the vast majority of Republicans in Congress for being the roadblock when it comes to securing our Southern Border. Once again . . . nowhere close to being true.

House Republicans passed a border security bill over 300 days ago that has stalled in the Senate thanks to Democrats. Yes, I can admit that a bipartisan border security bill passed the Senate and died in the House . . . but that is where the two Chambers must come together to find compromise and solutions, especially when two different political parties control them.

Here are the facts about our nation's Southern Border:

Quite simply, President Joe Biden's weak border security policies have allowed for a massive influx of illegal border crossings since January of 2021. In fact, according to The Washington Post, apprehensions are at the highest levels of the U.S. Border Patrol's 100-year existence.

According to statistics from the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, there were 27,425 convictions of illegal aliens throughout the Trump Administration in comparison to 58,017 convictions since the beginning of the Biden Administration — an increase of 112% so far. But, it gets worse . . . there were 11 convictions for homicide or manslaughter during the Trump Administration compared to 165 during the Biden Administration so far. That is an increase of 1,400%.

Joe Biden isn't just weak on the border . . . he is disastrous on it.

Regarding energy policy in the United States, the barometer for most Americans is the cost of a gallon of gas. For over 1,000 days, the average cost per gallon of gas has been above $3.00. The next place Americans immediately feel the pinch of rising energy prices is in their homes, where electricity bills have skyrocketed nearly 25% in the three years since Joe Biden took office.

The Biden Administration policy to shut down pipelines, limit drilling, place a scarlet letter on coal and natural gas production, and push a Green New Deal that focuses exclusively on "new energy" is killing America's energy dominance.

John Kerry recently commented about how coal power plants should become extinct and immediately signed an international pledge on behalf of the United States to push toward that goal. However, as Kyle Wiley mentioned in his last article, this runs counter to the actions of Germany and China on this issue. Rather than embracing a fuel source that is bountiful and accessible, the Biden Administration is handcuffing our nation's ability to produce and export energy sources.

Joe Biden's misguided energy policies are also threatening our national defense posture, especially when it comes to pausing Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) production. The European Union's imports of U.S. LNG surged to over 45 million metric tons in 2023 — an increase of nearly 30 million metric tons in just two years. How much of our strategic resources is Joe Biden just giving away?

Instead of this current approach, we must invest in an all-of-the-above approach to energy security and production. By investing in oil, gas, coal, solar, wind, hydro, and countless other methods, America can ensure its future as an autonomous producer and exporter for future generations. We must insist on being a provider rather than a consumer.

The most outrageous moment from last night's State of the Union was President Biden's claim about taxes, especially taxes paid by high-net-worth individuals.

Joe Biden made the (false) claim that billionaires in the United States pay an average tax rate of 8.2%. This claim is a bald-faced lie. According to the IRS, there are seven separate tax brackets for filers:

• 10% Tax Rate for Those Earning $0 to $10,275
• 12% Tax Rate for Those Earning $10,275 to $41,775
• 22% Tax Rate for Those Earning $41,775 to $89,075
• 24% Tax Rate for Those Earning $89,075 to $170,050
• 32% Tax Rate for Those Earning $170,050 to $215,950
• 35% Tax Rate for Those Earning $215,950 to $539,900
• 37% Tax Rate for Those Earning More Than $539,900

According to the Tax Foundation, the top 50% of taxpayers paid 97% of all federal income taxes in 2018, the last year for which comprehensive data is available. Keeping this margin in mind, the Tax Foundation calculates that the average tax rate for the top 50% of taxpayers was 14.6%.

It gets worse.

The 8.2% figure that President Biden referenced is not part of the U.S. Tax Code or how tax calculations are considered under federal law. Instead, it is a figure based on an alternative calculation from economists working in his own Administration, which considers unrealized capital gains (which aren't treated as taxable income).

In 2019, two economists from Berkeley estimated that close to the top 500 households paid an average effective tax rate of 23% in 2018. The Tax Policy Center did further research just last month. It determined that the top 0.1% of households in this country paid an average effective tax rate of above 30% in 2020, which includes an average income rate of over 24%.

Take away the Left's disdain for wealthy Americans, predominantly conservative wealthy Americans. The rhetoric being espoused by President Biden and his progressive allies directly attacks people who are building businesses, creating jobs, investing wisely, and saving responsibly. That is never something we should demonize.

Biden's disastrous and misguided policies — from the economy to the border to energy to taxes — have harmed American families, America's reputation on the world stage, and our national morale. So yes, President Biden, you were right about one thing: we are facing an unprecedented moment in the history of the Union . . . and it is all thanks to you.