Katie Britt Panned for ‘Cringe’ State of the Union Response
Republican Alabama Sen. Katie Britt was roasted for what some described as her “cringe” State of the Union response, as she provided the Republican rebuttal to President Joe Biden’s speech.
In a roughly 17-minute speech from her kitchen, Britt briefly spoke about the American dream and hit a few major Republican talking points, such as the immigration crisis and rising costs affecting American families across the nation. However, while she appeared to address the right topics on paper, her speaking style and overall delivery completely failed to resonate, prompting critiques all across the board, as many mocked her breathy speech, full of pauses, hushed tones, and abrupt emotional switches from near-tears to happy-go-lucky:
Sen. @KatieBrittforAL: “Right now, our Commander in Chief is not in command. The free world deserves better than a dithering and diminished leader.” pic.twitter.com/os5i606TeE
— GOP (@GOP) March 8, 2024
Describing her speech as “breathless,” sometimes delivered in an “ASMR-esque whisper,” Rolling Stone likened it to more of a “rejected audition tape for a supporting role on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ than the hard-hitting political sparring favored by Biden’s Republican critics.”
“I’ll give Biden this — he at least gave a better speech than Katie Britt,” one national Republican consultant said, according to Rolling Stone, which quoted a Trump adviser who reportedly said, “What the hell am I watching right now?”
The outlet also pointed to a “lawyer working in the Trump orbit” who described the speech as “cringe,” adding that it is now destined to be mocked on Saturday Night Live.
“I’m sure Katie Britt is a sweet mom and person, but this speech is not what we need,” Charlie Kirk said of Britt’s speech.
“Joe Biden just declared war on the American right and Katie Britt is talking like she’s hosting a cooking show whispering about how Democrats ‘dont get it,’” he added:
I’m sure Katie Britt is a sweet mom and person, but this speech is not what we need. Joe Biden just declared war on the American right and Katie Britt is talking like she’s hosting a cooking show whispering about how Democrats “dont get it.”
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) March 8, 2024
Conservative host Allie Beth Stuckey was blunt in her remarks.
“Ok, GOP. Never again. I know y’all were going for the relatable mom speaking in her kitchen from her heart, but it didn’t work,” she observed. “Just a straight, strong speech will do in the future. Thanks”:
Ok, GOP. Never again. I know y’all were going for the relatable mom speaking in her kitchen from her heart, but it didn’t work. Just a straight, strong speech will do in the future. Thanks
— Allie Beth Stuckey (@conservmillen) March 8, 2024
Radio host Jesse Kelly noted that he felt Britt truly “mastered the ultimate weapon of dimes everywhere; the fake cry.”
“That’s a seasoned pro right there,” he added, as others chimed in with similar remarks, with some even comparing it to a “high school freshman speech” and others deeming it the “worst GOP SOTU reply ever”:
Not what I’d prefer out of the GOP response, but there’s no question Katie Britt has mastered the ultimate weapon of dimes everywhere; the fake cry.
That’s a seasoned pro right there.
— Jesse Kelly (@JesseKellyDC) March 8, 2024
GOP Hill staffer told me Sen. Katie Britt’s SOTU response was “giving high school freshman speech.”
“She really thinks she’s killing it. But it’s comical. Like SNL quality.”
— bryan metzger (@metzgov) March 8, 2024
when the pastor’s wife at the nearby non-denom mega church comes onstage to help with fundraising https://t.co/8rNGU0sA0U
— Tom Sauer (@thomasbsauer) March 8, 2024
I’ve watched thousands of hours of political videos in the past 20 years and I have never seen anything like Senator Katie Britt’s rebuttal to the State of the Union. pic.twitter.com/aMN5Q7hJn8
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) March 8, 2024
I’m not saying Katie Britt’s State of the Union response was horrible and over-acted…
I’m just saying it was far too easy to do a mashup with it and Alyssa Milano’s Unicef commercial. pic.twitter.com/w83jpj6tFc
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) March 8, 2024
I am DYING over the intense delivery of every single syllable here. pic.twitter.com/4LIA8XGt4v
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) March 8, 2024
She left me no choice. pic.twitter.com/d4cwc6s14M
— Jason Gallagher (@jga41agher) March 8, 2024
I decided to go back and watch all of Katie Britt’s #SOTUResponse. I cannot believe it is real. It’s the worst and most cringe political performance I’ve ever seen that wasn’t a fictional portrayal. It’s parody come to life, albeit unintentional. I cannot believe it is real.
— Steve Deace (@SteveDeaceShow) March 8, 2024
Why is Katie Britt’s voice like that?
She really is trying to get an Oscar.
It’s just too weird to watch. Had to shut it off. Why does the GOP always give us their worst?
Worst GOP SOTU reply ever. @KatieBrittforAL
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) March 8, 2024
Katie Britt is giving massive acting class energy.
It’s like a scene out of Barry where Henry Winkler has to tell the meta actor to bring it down from an 11 to a 7.
— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) March 8, 2024
Campiest, creepiest SOTU response in history? https://t.co/Qm512fTADi
— Lis Smith (@Lis_Smith) March 8, 2024
Who media-trained and coached Sen. Katie Britt?
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) March 8, 2024
Some questioned the optics of placing Britt in a kitchen, as she tried to make what she described as a “direct appeal” to parents.
“In particular to my fellow moms, many of whom I know will be up tossing and turning at 2:00 a.m. wondering how you’re going to be in three places at once and then somehow still get dinner on the table. First of all, we see you, we hear you, and we stand with you,” she said.
“Putting the Republican woman from Alabama in a kitchen was quite the visual message for the GOP,” Erick Erickson remarked:
Putting the Republican woman from Alabama in a kitchen was quite the visual message for the GOP.
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) March 8, 2024
Daily Beast reporter Jake Lahut cited Republicans who were “privately freaking out” over the speech, providing this quote: “Everyone’s fucking losing it. It’s one of our biggest disasters ever”:
Republicans are privately freaking out over Katie Britt’s speech: “Everyone’s fucking losing it. It’s one of our biggest disasters ever.”
Early GOP reax are not so Reaganesque, and other folks struggled with what to make of the kitchen imagery.https://t.co/9gOCgTNVIZ
— Jake Lahut (@JakeLahut) March 8, 2024
Others described the speech as “not a serious rebuttal,” and Roger Stone remarked, “I guess Katie Britt just failed her vice presidential audition”:
This isn’t the response we need. I like Katie Britt, but this is not a serious rebuttal.pic.twitter.com/581aZyimgP
— Eric Matheny 🎙️ (@ericmmatheny) March 8, 2024
I guess Katie Britt just failed her vice presidential audition. Godawful ,
— Roger Stone (@RogerJStoneJr) March 8, 2024
While the consensus seems to be that Britt missed the mark by a lot, former President Donald Trump — presumably attempting to keep Republican spirits high — congratulated the junior senator, particularly praising her for her comments during the rebuttal on migrant crime.
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