During President Joe Biden’s first address to a joint session of Congress that you could hear someone’s phone start ringing during the speech.
“We’re going to reward work, not just wealth,” Biden said as somebody’s phone rings in the background. “We take the top tax bracket, who are the wealthiest 1% of Americans, those making over $400,000 or more, back up to where it was when George W. Bush was president when he started. 39.6%.” (RELATED: McConnell Rips Biden’s First 100 Days In Office Before Joint Session Of Congress, Lists Policy Failures)
Somebody’s phone starts ringing pic.twitter.com/ayZBbKRkiA
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 29, 2021
Later in the speech, someone’s phone alarm went off.
And now a phone alarm, going off right at 10 pm eastern. https://t.co/xhNIoagz4h
— Francesca Chambers (@fran_chambers) April 29, 2021
Far fewer attendees came to see Biden’s speech than normal due to the coronavirus pandemic – despite the fact that many lawmakers have already been vaccinated. Typically, all members of Congress and their guests attend the President’s first address, totaling roughly 1,600 people. This year, however, only around 200 people were expected to watch the speech in person.
Vice President Kamala Harris, second gentlemen Doug Emhoff, first lady Jill Biden, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts all attended the speech in person. Roberts was the only Supreme Court Justice who came to Biden’s speech in person. Most of the Cabinet was also not in attendance.
There was no “designated survivor” named for Biden’s address, which is a tradition where one member of the presidential line of succession does not attend the address in case there are mass casualties.