<\/p>\n
On Tuesday night, Donald Trump<\/strong><\/a> stood at the podium in the U.S. Capitol for one hour and 47 minutes \u2014 the longest State of the Union address in American history \u2014 and described a nation he rescued from ruin. Three days later, Joe Biden<\/strong> <\/a>stood at a podium in a South Carolina art museum for 23 minutes and described the exact same nation as one he\u2019d left in pristine condition.<\/p>\n Same country. Same economy. Same border. Same four years. Two completely different planets.<\/p>\n Biden\u2019s Friday night appearance at a South Carolina Democratic Party fundraiser was supposed to be sentimental \u2014 a celebration of the sixth anniversary of the 2020 primary win that pulled his campaign off life support. He arrived on a commercial flight. He embraced his old friend, Rep. Jim Clyburn. He told the room, \u201cMy buddy Jim Clyburn, you brought me back.\u201d<\/p>\n But sentimentality is hard to maintain when the man who replaced you just spent nearly two hours on national television telling the country you left him a disaster.<\/p>\n \u201cBy the way, did you see Trump give the State of the Union?\u201d Biden asked, to laughter. \u201cIs he still talking?\u201d<\/p>\n Then, more pointedly: \u201cThe guy talks for almost two hours, but never mentions the anniversary of Putin invading Ukraine. Never once.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cIs He Still Talking?\u201d<\/h2>\n