President Joe Biden’s lighthearted response to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-GA) outburst during his State of the Union address drew laughter and applause from the Virginia Beach crowd on Tuesday. After the crowd responded to his question of whether they remembered Greene’s cries of “liar!”, Biden chose to make a sign of the cross instead of returning her insult with a barb of his own.
The sign of the cross is a gesture Biden, a devout Catholic, often uses in a joking manner. It is commonly used as a blessing as well as a shield from evil. Given Greene’s recent calls for a “national divorce” between red and blue states, some have judged her actions as “treasonous”. Biden’s sign of the cross seemed to be in response to this, a subtle way of expressing that he would not stoop to her level.
Biden’s response showed the audience that he chooses to be the bigger person, even in the face of criticism. His humorous but meaningful gesture seemed to be a way for him to remind everyone in the audience that no matter our differences, we can still show respect and kindness to one another.
