For those rolling their eyes at home during President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday, rest assured you weren’t alone. Some in the joint session of Congress that Biden addressed were doing it, too.
Take House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who’s currently going viral for his facial expressions during the speech.
While McCarthy had promised to not engage “in the theatrics of tearing up speeches” in a video posted on his Twitter account the morning of the State of the Union — a dig at former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s performative destruction of then-President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address in 2020 — he didn’t bother hiding his boredom, either.
A lot of people have been asking if I’m planning on ripping up President Biden’s speech tonight. Here’s my answer: pic.twitter.com/WRlAlYgCbs
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) February 7, 2023
It was clear he wasn’t a fan.
Take, for instance, the tail end of this clip, after Uncle Joe began yelling about “mannrafacturing” and “inferrstrre.” (What the rest of us call “manufacturing” and “infrastructure,” respectively.)
I regret to inform you Joe has started yelling during his State of the Union pic.twitter.com/DTZgjyAH89
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) February 8, 2023
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After what looks like an involuntary eye-roll on McCarthy’s part, he started slow-clapping sarcastically after Vice President Kamala Harris sprang up and enthusiastically began slapping those palms together.
After another face, one Twitter user noted that “McCarthy is all of us right now.”
McCarthy is all of us right now 🤣😂🤣😂🤣#SOTU pic.twitter.com/D21DH9OWiI
— Brenden Dilley (@WarlordDilley) February 8, 2023
“McCarthy’s facial expressions are gold,” former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis tweeted, as well.
McCarthy’s facial expressions are gold. 🤣
— Jenna Ellis 🇺🇸 (@JennaEllisEsq) February 8, 2023
And the New York Post’s Miranda Divine: “McCarthy’s face is priceless.”
McCarthy’s face is priceless
— Miranda Devine (@mirandadevine) February 8, 2023
McCarthy’s expressions weren’t the only priceless reactions during Tuesday’s speech.
Here’s Utah GOP Sen. Mike Lee, looking as if he’s just been offered a chance to buy the Brooklyn Bridge from its self-declared “rightful owner,” New York Rep. George Santos:
Sen. Mike Lee HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA pic.twitter.com/ozn4zki2a0
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) February 8, 2023
Meanwhile, Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat-turned-independent who caucuses with the Democrats, was so bored by the address that she was checking her phone during an applause line.
Krysten Sinema is on her phone reading Twitter just like the rest of us because this speech is a snoozerpic.twitter.com/xMkXGBO7QU
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) February 8, 2023
Not everyone kept their cool, mind you. There was GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert’s face after Biden called for a ban on so-called “assault weapons,” which he seemed to intimate included “semi-automatic handguns.”
President Biden introduces Brandon Tsay, who disarmed the Monterey Park gunman:
“He saved lives. It’s time we do the same. Ban assault weapons now! Ban them now. Once and for all.” https://t.co/qKzCwkne5X pic.twitter.com/Y07ZsdyevB
— NBC News (@NBCNews) February 8, 2023
And then there was Republican Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene:
Chaos ERUPTS during State of the Union after Joe Biden flat-out LIES about Republicans’ Social Security plan@MTG calls him out, stands up and yells “LIAR!” at him on LIVE TV 🔥
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) February 8, 2023
However, most of us could have our reactions summed up by Kevin McCarthy‘s face.
Sure, it may not be as memorable as tearing up a speech. However, it was an appropriate reaction to an appropriately dull address. Eat your heart out, Nancy.
