Joe Biden, 81, 'yelled' through his State of the Union but was 'gutsy' and shut down age concerns with a 'burst of vitality,' top speechwriters say

President Joe Biden gave a fiery State of the Union address Thursday evening, filled with punches at Donald Trump as he fiercely defended his policies.

The 81-year-old president came out of the gate extremely fired up, swinging hard against his top political former President Donald Trump calling him a 'threat to democracy.'

He spent time touting his signature economic agenda and hammering Republicans for opposing his agenda, who he directly engaged with after taunts and boos.

And he didn't shy away from scolding the Supreme Court to their faces for overturning Roe v. Wade, telling them 'with all due respect women are not without power.'

Biden called on Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration package and aid to Ukraine and Israel, saying humanitarian assistance cannot be a 'bargaining chip.' 

He also seemingly dispelled concerns about his age and mental acuity with the speech that was forceful and didn't have many of his classic whispering spells or strange side bars. 

Notable speechwriters across different administrations shared their evaluations of Biden's critical performance with DailyMail.com as he heads into the 2024 election swing.

President Joe Biden gave a fiery State of the Union address Thursday evening

He spent time touting his signature economic agenda and hammering Republicans for opposing his agenda

David Wilezol: 'Yelled his way through'

Former chief speechwriter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo David Wilezol said Biden 'more or less' accomplished his goal tonight.

Going into the speech, there was mounting speculation over whether he could overcome voters' concerns about his old age. 

'He yelled his way through the speech to show voters concerned about his age that he's still mentally fit to be president.'

But despite a 'couple verbal stumbles,' Biden 'more or less accomplished his goal,' said Wilezol, the founder and president of the ghostwriting and speechwriting firm Seventh Floor Strategies.

On substance, Biden used his opening 15 minutes, which Wilezol calls 'a key window for communicating to casual viewers' to depict himself as a 'champion of Ukraine and abortion.'

Wilezol called it a bit out of touch with what Americans care about the most - inflation and border security - showing 'he's fearful of bleeding the upper middle class voters he needs to win.'

David Litt: 'Really, really gutsy'

President Obama's top speechwriter David Litt praised Biden for coming out swinging at the start of his address. 

'POTUS came out swinging much harder than I thought he would, I think it was smart,' he wrote on X.

Litt explained that Biden's move to 'put his age in the context of history, and timeless values' was 'really, really gusty.'

'If he hadn't nailed the first hour plus, it could have sunk him. He nailed it.' 

He went on to say that Joe Biden should get 'major credit for his performance tonight.'

Biden called on Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration package and aid to Ukraine and Israel, saying humanitarian assistance cannot be a 'bargaining chip.'

Jonathan Bronitsky: 'Burst of vitality not seen in months'

Bronitsky, former chief speechwriter for Attorney General Bill Barr and co-founder and CEO of ATHOS, told DailyMail.com that Biden's speech was out of touch, but it did enough to briefly halt fears about his age.

He said that opening with support for Ukraine proved that his administration is out of touch because voters' top issues - immigration and the economy - came way later. 

But despite 'a bit of coughing, a lot of slurring, and several bizarre slip ups' the president defied expectations. 

Biden delivered his speech with a 'torrent of yelling, a defiant tone, and even a few flashes of humor,' which was a sign of vigor in the 10 o'clock hour, Bronitsky adds.

Based on that, he 'likely did enough to stem the tide of anxiety about his age within his own party…at least for a few more days until his next verbal fiasco or explosive mental fart.'

Bronitsky added that he achieved the goal of his staff to not appear older than Gandalf.

And as a result it was 'probably' his best State of the Union due to his 'sustained burst of vitality not seen in months.'

Biden didn't shy away from scolding the Supreme Court to their faces for overturning Roe v. Wade, telling them 'with all due respect women are not without power'

Biden reacts as he looks at U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene

Rusty Hills: 'Taunts and critics energized him'

Rusty Hills, a former speechwriter for former Michigan Gov. John Engler, said his speech resembled a 'state of the campaign' address.

'No State of the Union speech has ever been more political,' he told DailyMail.com. 

'No State of the Union speech has ever referenced a president’s opponent more than this one did – at least one dozen times or more.'

Despite that, he agreed that Biden successfully gave a 'vigorous, forceful, combative speech.'

He added it was a bit too long with too many 'laundry list items.'

'But Biden was engaged, and he parried successfully with his Republican critics. The taunts and criticisms actually seemed to energize him. That’s when Biden was at his best,' he said.

Although it won't go down in history books, the speech served its purpose, he added.