U2's Bono was included among the guests gathered at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. yesterday, February 7, as U.S. President Joe Biden made his 2023 State of the Union Address.

A select number of special guests were invited to attend the event, watching from a viewing box alongside the first lady, Jill Biden – with the guests selected to "personify issues or themes" Biden addressed in his speech, according to The White House.

In a statement, The White House noted that Bono was honoured with an invitation in recognition of his work as "a groundbreaking activist in the fight against HIV/AIDS and extreme poverty."

"Working in concert with other activists, he played a pivotal role building public and bipartisan political support for the creation of PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), a program announced by President Bush in his State of the Union twenty years ago, and championed by then-Senator Biden," the statement continues. "PEPFAR is credited with revolutionising the provision of life-saving HIV medications in poorer countries and saving 25 million lives worldwide. Bono is the cofounder of the nonpartisan ONE Campaign, which works with governments to fight poverty and preventable disease, and (RED), which has raised more than $700 million from businesses to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa."

In addition to Bono, RowVaughn and Rodney Wells, the mother and stepfather of Tyre Nichols – who was brutally killed by police in Memphis, Tennessee, earlier this year – were also in attendance. The Wells were given a standing ovation during the address, in what was described by Washington D.C. publication The Hill as "one of the most bipartisan and dramatic moments of the night."

26-year-old Brandon Tsay, who heroically disarmed the gunman who carried out the shooting in Monterey Park in California on January 21, which killed 11 people, was also present at the Capitol as a special guest.

Also on the guest list was Paul Pelosi – the husband of Speaker Emerita of the House Nancy Pelosi – who was seriously injured by an intruder in their home in 2022, in what was believed to be a politically motivated attack.

Other guests included Kate Foley, a high school student; Paul Sarzoza, a small business owner; Amanda Zurawski, who nearly died due to complications caused by the Texas abortion ban; Harry Miller, student-athlete turned mental health advocate; Doug Griffin, who lost his daughter to a fentanyl overdose; Ruth Cohen, a survivor of the Holocaust; and more.

The State of the Union Address is an annual speech delivered by the president of the U.S. at the beginning of the year – in which the most crucial issues currently facing the nation are addressed.

The full 2023 State of the Union Address is available to watch below: