On Tuesday night, President Joe Biden will deliver his first State of the Union address since the 2020 election, addressing a new power alignment in Washington and seeking to find a balance between compromise and confrontation. Biden has already proven himself capable of bipartisan cooperation, having successfully completed multiple bills over the last two years.

However, there will likely be an emphasis on Biden's willingness to press forward on the issues that he deems important. Historical precedents from previous presidents such as Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Donald Trump offer a range of responses. Obama and Clinton were more conciliatory and contrite in their initial speeches, while Trump was the most confrontational.

Paul Begala, a political adviser to Clinton and CNN political commentator explained that “Biden is likely to pledge to cooperate where he can and then confront where he must.” As