Presiding over his first State of the Union deal with as speaker of the Home, Mike Johnson sat at heart stage, simply over President Biden’s left shoulder, with one of many worst poker faces in American politics.
His eyebrows arched and fell. He pursed his lips. He couldn’t resolve whether or not he ought to get up, smile or frown.
He smirked. He corrected himself. He kind of rolled his eyes. He regarded down. He sighed. He shook his head. He swallowed. He smiled once more. He regarded amused and affected person when he clearly meant to look critical and never happy in any respect.
To be truthful, one other performer had appeared to overlook his personal cue first.
As is customary, Mr. Johnson banged the gavel when Mr. Biden stepped as much as the podium. And when Mr. Biden started, “Mr. Speaker,” Mr. Johnson briefly leaned ahead, as if anticipating Mr. Biden to offer him the chance to ship the ceremonial introduction of the president.
As an alternative, Mr. Biden launched proper into his speech, and Mr. Johnson nodded politely and took his seat.
He then had the excessive privilege and distinct honor of making an attempt to manage his boyish facial expressions for greater than 70 minutes on nationwide tv.
“I’m afraid he could have practiced it in entrance of a mirror,” stated the presidential historian Douglas Brinkley.
Mr. Johnson had urged his fellow Republicans, forward of the speech, to respect the decorum of the occasion, and to chorus from the disruptions which have turn out to be commonplace in recent times. He roughly succeeded at holding his occasion underneath management.
However his personal brows, lips and eyes have been one other matter.
A part of Mr. Johnson’s problem was one in every of distinction. Seated to his proper, Vice President Kamala Harris managed to look each relaxed and disciplined, her face at all times on message.
So long as there have been cameras skilled on presidents, Home audio system have been extra than simply State of the Union surroundings. They’re typically silent characters — notably once they belong to the president’s opposition.
Paul Ryan joked that he practiced his personal poker face for former President Barack Obama’s remaining State of the Union, Mr. Ryan’s first as speaker.
Nancy Pelosi was a foil for former President Donald J. Trump, alternating a sarcastic clap with an unflinching scowl. On the finish of Mr. Trump’s 2020 deal with, she calmly stood up and tore his printed remarks in half, like a dissatisfied buyer rejecting a invoice.
And Thomas P. O’Neill Jr., in 1984, may very well be seen over Ronald Reagan’s left shoulder, leaning backward, rolling his papers into a good tube, which he put down solely to applaud.
Mr. Johnson didn’t contact the papers in entrance of him, and whereas he typically nodded in approval, he appeared to applaud Mr. Biden solely sparingly — most notably, after Mr. Biden stated no American troopers could be on the bottom in Ukraine, and when Mr. Biden quoted Reagan.
Whereas Ms. Harris rose often to affix standing ovations by her fellow Democrats, Mr. Johnson acquired no such train.
Nonetheless, on the finish of the speech, Mr. Johnson each applauded and rose to his ft, shook the president’s hand, buttoned his swimsuit jacket, and — as Mr. Biden lingered within the effectively of the Home chamber — regarded very able to go dwelling.
