President Joe Biden delivered the latest State of the Union address on Tuesday night. This is the second time the president has given this speech since taking office in 2021.

The address on February 7 covered a number of topics, including gun rights, abortion, COVID-19, and the overall success of the nation. He also defended the White House’s response regarding an alleged Chinese spy balloon discovered over the United States mainland.

The balloon was shot down over the Atlantic after spending an extended amount of time in United States airspace, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.

“I am committed to work with China where it can advance American interests and benefit the world.

“But make no mistake: as we made clear last week, if China’s threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country. And we did,” said Biden during his speech, as it has been transcribed for the White House briefing room.

President Biden also remarked on border security and the crisis at the southern border that is affecting the nation, particularly the inflow of fentanyl.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott had issued a handwritten letter to the president back in January. It criticized the Biden administration’s handling of border security, notably condemning its so-called lack of action.

In his response to Biden’s State of the Union address on Tuesday, Gov. Abbott said:

“Tonight, President Joe Biden illustrated that states like Texas are leading the nation, and Washington follows. He announced initiatives to lessen the flow of deadly fentanyl into this country, yet Texas has been fighting this surge ever since he opened our southern border to the dramatically increased influence of Mexican drug cartels.

“In fact, Texas has seized enough fentanyl to kill every man, woman, and child in the United States. Texas also announced an effort last year to educate the public on the dangers of this horrific drug through our One Pill Kills campaign.

“Americans deserve decisive action from our federal government to stem the tide of this deadly drug entering our country, but in order to truly solve the fentanyl crisis, President Biden needs to do what Texas has been trying to do in his absence — secure our southern border. Once again, President Biden proved that Texas leads, and Washington follows.”

Biden claimed in his address that, since his administration’s latest border plan was implemented, unlawful migration from nations such as Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela had dropped by 97%.

“If you won’t pass my comprehensive immigration reform, at least pass my plan to provide the equipment and officers to secure the border. And a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, those on temporary status, farm workers, and essential workers,” said Biden.

Several Republicans, however, interrupted Biden, shouting that both situations regarding compromised border security and fentanyl flowing into the United States were the fault of the president.

President Biden also said that he wished to ban “assault weapons” in the United States, referencing a massacre during the Lunar New Year celebrations where a gunman killed 11 people with a semiautomatic pistol at Monterey Park in California.

He also vowed to protect abortion, in the United States in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling to allow states to regulate access to abortion and overturning Roe v. Wade.

“Make no mistake; if Congress passes a national abortion ban, I will veto it,” said Biden.

Despite the president pushing for bipartisanship during his address, the Republican Party made clear that it has no intention of cooperating with the current administration.

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders delivered the Republican Party’s response to the president’s speech, citing the failure of the administration and a need for new leadership.

Sanders’ speech admonished the Democratic Party and the Biden administration, arguing that the division in America is now not between the left- and right-wing, but rather between “normal and crazy.”

“And while you reap the consequences of their failures, the Biden administration seems more interested in woke fantasies than the hard reality Americans face every day,” said Sanders, according to Axios.

“I’m the first woman to lead my state, and he’s the first man to surrender his presidency to a woke mob that can’t even tell you what a woman is,” said Sanders, according to NPR.