It's often the US president's most important address of the year - but for speechwriters it's the assignment from hell.
As US President Joe Biden puts the finishing touches to his State of the Union address, spare a thought for the behind-the-scenes toil of the White House speechwriters, the hardest-working team in Washington this time of year.
"It's the biggest speech you'll write all year, but it's also the most frustrating and annoying and time consuming," he says.President Biden's first State of the Union last March came only five days after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. His second, on Tuesday, will be before a new Congress in which Republicans control one chamber.
His office had a coffee maker, gifted to him by National Security Council aides keen to get an item added to the speech one year. "The real chief speechwriter was always Barack Obama, whether it was the State of the Union or any other big speech," says Terry Szuplat, who helped craft nearly 500 Obama speeches between 2009-17.
"There's so many items to be addressed that every speechwriter does their best to pull it together in a coherent narrative with a common theme that brings everything together, but it's just so difficult when you're talking about truly everything - a state of the union," the rhetorical handyman says.Ahead of the speech, Mr Obama would sit down with his lead writers and establish an overarching theme for the address.
France Dernières Nouvelles, France Actualités
Similar News:Vous pouvez également lire des articles d'actualité similaires à celui-ci que nous avons collectés auprès d'autres sources d'information.
Teachers' strike: Headteachers union in NI not joining actionThe NAHTNInews, which represents many Northern Ireland school leaders, decides not to join a widespread strike by teachers on 21 February
Lire la suite »
Rail strikes 'could last until 2026' union boss warnsTrade union bosses have warned that train strikes could potentially last until 2026.
Lire la suite »
Junior doctors 'likely' to go on strike next month, union spokesperson saysAround 45,000 members of the BMA have been balloted, with the results expected around 20 February. If they reach the 50% 'yes' threshold then junior doctors will begin a 72-hour 'full walkout' in March.
Lire la suite »
Junior doctors 'likely' to join mass of strike action next month, union warnsJunior doctors in England have been tipped to join the mass of strike action next month They would join ⤵️ 🔴 Teachers 🔴 Nurses 🔴 Ambulance staff 🔴 Rail workers 🔴 Bus workers, 🔴 University lecturers 🔴 Civil servants 🔴 Firefighters 🔴 Border staff
Lire la suite »
Warning some State Pension recipients will not receive increaseThe CEO of a large financial advisory company says its a 'national scandal' that hundreds of thousands will miss out on a pensions rise.
Lire la suite »
DWP urged to give people 10 years’ notice before increasing State Pension ageMPs raised concerns about reports that State Pension age is set to rise to 68 earlier than planned.
Lire la suite »