MSNBC anchor Brian Williams urged viewers to sympathize for President Joe Biden ahead of his joint congressional address Wednesday because he was "robbed of so much of the majesty and pomp" typically attached to the office due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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As Biden made his way into a sparse House chamber for his first marquee event before Congress, Williams noted the smaller audience size -- 200, instead of the usual 1,600 -- and showered the president with praise for avoiding "terms of victimization" despite the scaled-down nature of the event.
"Something to think about, when we see Joe Biden come down this aisle, 36-year veteran of the Senate, but so far, because of the pandemic, and he has never used terms of victimization, he has been robbed of so much of the majesty and pomp of the job," Williams said.
"Campaign stops. Convention speech. After he won, giving his acceptance in a parking lot, in Wilmington. An inaugural address before an empty mall in Washington DC. These are the representatives...It is vast. They are sparse. But that is the nature of what we’re doing," he added.
NBC's Lester Holt swooned over the 46th president's policies as he took his place behind the podium, praising Biden for his far-left proposals which he claimed are "popular" among most Americans.
"It's clear he's picking things that are popular," Holt told viewers. "Big price tags, but popular."
Some lawmakers have balked at the coronavirus restrictions and social distancing mandates put in place for Wednesday's address, arguing that the 535 members of Congress have long had access to vaccinations.
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On Tuesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said there would not be a designated survivor for the event because the "Cabinet will be watching from their offices or home, but they will not be joining him for the speech."