US Politics

Marion McKeone: Biden fighting the law of diminishing returns as his presidency enters part two

Biden is losing a legendary chief of staff just as his ageing presidency is facing into the headwinds of a debt crisis and the venom of the GOP

Joe Biden: the US president is unlikely to bring any gimmicks or clickbait controversies to his state of the union speech this week. Getty Picture: Getty

It’s that time of year again. Like the Oscars and other annual events that appear frozen in a television time warp, the state of the union address is a victim of dwindling audiences and increasing irrelevance in an era when political messages are delivered in 30-second video clips or 240 characters.

During the Trump administration, the 60-minute prime time address from Capitol Hill was punctuated by stunts, tirades and calculated clickbait. Donald Trump, a former ...