Katie Britt comes off unpolished in much anticipated Biden SOTU Republican response

Alabama Republican Sen. Katie Britt's State of the Union rebuttal appeared to fall flat for many, with some Republican strategists describing it as unpracticed and incomplete. 

"The American Dream has turned into a nightmare for so many families. The true, unvarnished State of our Union begins and ends with this: Our families are hurting. Our country can do better," Britt said in her Thursday night remarks, directly following President Biden's SOTU address. 

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"There is a long history of poorly reviewed State of the Union responses and, unfortunately, this is another to add to the list," said Republican strategist Ron Bonjean, former top spokesman to then-Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R– Miss., and former chief of staff of the Senate Republican Conference. 

Republican strategist David Kochel described the 42-year-old senator's speech as "cringe-inducing," joking, "She skipped right over the response part and went directly to the [Saturday Night Live] cold open."

Britt emphasized her role as both a wife and mother in the rebuttal, which she delivered from her home in Montgomery, Alabama. She wore a dark green blouse, which contrasted with the neutral tones of her kitchen backdrop. Her ensemble was complete with a cross necklace, as she evoked God in her remarks. 

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"This is where our family has tough conversations and where we make hard decisions," she said in reference to her kitchen. "It’s where we hold each other’s hands and pray for God’s guidance. And, many nights, to be honest, it’s where Wesley and I worry." 

But according to Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA and Turning Point Action founder and CEO, Biden gave "a wartime address." And in response, he said, Britt delivered "a peacetime rebuttal."

He added, "It left a lot on the table."

Kirk noted the issue didn't lie in the GOP's choice of messenger, explaining, "We need more moms articulating the conservative vision for families and suburban women." 

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Both Bonjean and Kochel suggested Britt's delivery could have been improved if she had more time to practice. If she took more time to review and reflect, Kochel said, "I think things might have been done differently in the delivery."

In a social media thread against what Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, called the "#SwampGOP," on X, formerly known as Twitter, he slammed Republicans in the Senate for letting Britt go forward with the SOTU response. He accused his Senate counterparts of "throwing a freshman Senator to the wolves by asking her to give the rebuttal knowing she had not yet given even a Senate speech."

Roy further criticized Senate GOP leadership for failing to fact-check Britt's remarks "to help protect her from making an error with an outdated anecdote" on immigration and human trafficking, thus giving Democrats ammunition to use against her. 

As she was discussing the southern border, the Alabama senator recalled the story of Karla Jacinto Romero, who was raped and sexually abused for several years starting when she was 12. After her speech, it resurfaced that the assaults and captivity took place between the years of 2004-2008 under the administration of former President George W. Bush and not on Biden's watch, as some assumed. 

While Britt faced significant criticism following her rebuttal, not all reviews were bad. 

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said in a statement to Fox News Digital: "Katie Britt spoke truth in the face of Biden’s fantasy." 

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"She showed that she has her finger on the pulse of what is going on in real America, both in Alabama and across the United States," she continued. 

Ernst added that Britt's remarks were a "stark contrast" to Biden's address and that the Alabama senator "made our party’s vision clear – that the GOP is dedicated to a brighter future for our families, freedoms, and the American dream."

Trump-aligned Republican strategist Alex Bruesewitz suggested attacks on Britt's speech were an effort by Democrats "to distract from Biden’s disastrous and divisive State of the Union address."