President Biden delivered his 2023 State of the Union address on Feb. 7, 2023, on Capitol Hill.
The annual address included mention of gun violence, health care, the state of the economy and more.
Many Americans watched the address and had strong thoughts about it afterward.
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"Idiotic," one father and grandfather in Iowa said bluntly in remarks about the speech to Fox News Digital. "Biden is not leading us — he's misleading us down a very slippery slope, morally, economically and geopolitically."
He continued, "What I mean by geopolitically is this: The China spy balloon should have been shot down as soon as it crossed into the U.S. The message Biden sent to his own people and to leaders around the world is one of hesitation and weakness."
A wife, mother and grandmother in the greater Boston area said that the speech "was intended to pacify liberals and present an America most of us just don't experience."
She added, "Everyone in my family is working longer hours and paying more for groceries and gas. The president's speech felt insulting; he is in an ivory tower filled with progressive ideas, while we at the bottom of the tower are paying for those ideas — which we don't even agree with."
"Fox & Friends Weekend" co-host Pete Hegseth also talked to Americans about the address; he appeared on "Fox & Friends" on Wednesday morning to get input and reaction to the speech from restaurant customers.
Hegseth visited Pete’s Family Restaurant in Carthage, North Carolina, to speak with North Carolinians such as Donna (last name omitted) about the address.
When asked what she thought of the speech, the woman said it was "nothing but lies, all lies" — with one major topic missing in action.
She said, "How does anything else even matter in this country without a border?"
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Another restaurant visitor named Ken served for 40 years in the Army — and said he was also disappointed with the lack of border talk.
"I was disappointed in the fact that he didn’t mention anything about the border," he said.
The Army veteran said he spent almost five years as a commander for the National Guard in California — working to build fencing and to secure the border.
Ken said he believed that Vice President Harris has not helped the situation at the border.
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"His [Biden's] vice president has dropped the ball completely," he said.
Two other individuals, Brenda and Carter, said they found the speech "disheartening."
"He makes everything sound great, and it’s not," Brenda said.
Carter mentioned the backlash Biden received during the speech when he claimed that Republicans were the ones who cut Social Security and Medicare from seniors.
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Carter said Biden was put in his place — as Republicans verbally fought back.
"Typical liberal speech … promised everything, but delivered nothing," he said.
Brenda and Carter said the best part of the night was the Republican response to the State of the Union — given by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Both said she was "fantastic" in delivering her commentary on the address.
