Biden faces ‘tightrope’ in balancing realism and optimism in State of the Union

President's second address on Tuesday comes at a critical moment, as House Republicans are eager to damage his 2024 election prospects

Joe Biden's second annual State of the Union address on Tuesday comes at a critical juncture for the president, as he contemplates a second term.

He faces a newly empowered House Republican majority eager to damage his political prospects with investigations into him, his administration and his family while a special counsel investigation into his handling of classified documents brings a degree of legal uncertainty.