\"They played last night, something I didn't even know existed,\" Biden said. \"A video of him saying, 'I'm here right now to tell you one thing you've probably never heard from a politician: It'll be my objective to phase out Social Security. Pull up by its roots. Get rid of it... Then he adds -- I'm quoting this now, 'Medicare and Medicaid are the same sort. They need to be pulled up.'\"

\"Sounds pretty clear to me. How about you?\" Biden told the audience. \"But they sure didn't like me calling 'em on it.\"

\"Look, a lot of Republicans, their dream is to cut Social Security and Medicare. Well, let me just say this .... My veto pen [will] make it a nightmare,\" he told the union crowd.

Biden ultimately spun the contentious moment in the House chamber as \"good news.\"

\"PHOTO:
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
PHOTO: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) gives a thumb down as President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address at the Capitol in Washington, DC, Feb. 7, 2023.
>

\"I found it interesting that when I called them out on it last night, it sounded like they agreed to take these cuts off the table,\" Biden said with confidence. \"I sure hope that's true. I'll believe it when I see it and their budget's laid down with the cuts they're proposing, but it looks like we negotiated a deal last night on the floor of the House of Representatives.\"

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy again on Wednesday hotly insisted he's told Biden Social Security and Medicare are \"off the table\" in negotiating the standoff over raising the debt ceiling, despite the GOP demanding spending cuts. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has previously said Scott's proposal is not part of the GOP's agenda, calling it a \"non-starter.\"

Scott defended his proposal Wednesday, tweeting Biden was \"twisting his words.\"

Many of the themes of Biden's speech Wednesday, as he appears to lay the groundwork for a reelection campaign, echoed those in his State of the Union address, including saying he wants to keep working across the aisle on bipartisan legislation.

\"If we could work together last Congress, there's no reason we can't get things done as well this Congress, and I mean that,\" Biden said.

ABC News' Justin Gomez contributed to this report.

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