Biden's State of the Union guest list: Why Bono was on Biden's guest list

As President Joe Biden delivered his second State of the Union Address before a joint session of Congress, he was speaking to more than just the high-ranking US officials gathered in the halls of power to hear him.

All 535 lawmakers - 100 senators and 435 representatives - were invited, and Vice-President Kamala Harris was there in her capacity as Senate president. It was also attended by cabinet members, high-level US military commanders and Supreme Court justices.

But lawmakers, and the president and first lady, can invite guests and often use their invitations to signal their political priorities.

A president's featured guests are often used to highlight key policy themes being made in the speech.

Here is what to know about some of the notable guests this year, including rock star Bono, former ambassador of Afghanistan Roya Rahmani, and the family of Tyre Nichols.

RowVaughn and Rodney Wells, the mother and stepfather of Tyre Nichols, the 29-year-old man whose death at the hands of Memphis police officers has reignited calls for police reform, were among the invitees.

They were invited both by Nevada Democratic Representative Steven Horsford, the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, and by the White House.

The family spoke with Mr Biden last week after five Memphis officers were charged with murder.

In his speech, Mr Biden invited Americans to "imagine what it's like to lose a child at the hands of the law".

He also spoke emotionally of the fears that many black Americans have of being pulled over by police.

The brother of George Floyd, who was killed by police in Minneapolis in 2020, and family members of Michael Brown, who was shot and killed by an officer in Ferguson, Missouri in 2018, was also in attendance.

Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar also hosted the father of Amir Lock, who was shot and killed by officers serving a no-knock warrant in Minneapolis last year.

Brandon Tsay, 26, made national headlines in January after he disarmed a gunman who had carried out a shooting in Monterey Park, California that left 11 people dead.

He was invited to the State of the Union by California Representative Judy Chu, who told the BBC's US partner CBS that she wasn't the only one to reach out to Mr Tsay.

"Only an hour after I talked to him, President Biden himself asked him to be his guest at the State of the Union. Brandon, how could you turn me down?" Ms Chu said.

Mr Biden hailed his bravery and called for lawmakers to think of his heroism and pass more gun control laws.

"He saved lives. It's time we do the same as well," said Mr Biden.

The Irish singer-songwriter and activist was among the 26 people on First Lady Jill Biden's guest list.

In a statement, the White House said that the 62-year-old rock star was a "ground-breaking activist in the fight against HIV/Aids and extreme poverty".

Twenty years ago, he played an important role in the "President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief" announced by George W Bush and championed by then-Senator Joe Biden. The initiative has been credited with saving 25 million lives worldwide since its launch.

The U2 frontman also works with governments around the world to fight poverty and preventable disease and has raised $700m (£584.2m) to combat HIV and Aids in Africa.

In his speech, Mr Biden never gave a shout out to Bono, but praised efforts to fight against HIV and Aids in Africa.

Congressman Greg Steube, a Florida Republican, announced his guest will be "Good Samaritan" Darrell Woodie, who called for help after Mr Steube was seriously injured in an accident in January.

Mr Steube was hurt after falling about 25ft (7.6m) from a ladder while cutting tree limbs at his home in Sarasota.

Mr Woodie saw the incident and immediately called 911.

The congressman is still recovering from his injuries in Florida, though Mr Woodie attended the speech as his official guest.

Michael McCaul, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs committee, invited former Afghan ambassador to the US, Roya Rahmani.

In 2018, Ms Rahmani became Afghanistan's first female ambassador to Washington DC, where she served between December of that year until the collapse of the Afghan government in July 2021. Before that, she was ambassador to Indonesia and to the Association of South East Asians Nations.

She now has a position as a "distinguished fellow" at the Washington DC-based Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security and continues to be an advocate for women living in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

"Since the United States unilaterally withdrew from Afghanistan last year, paving the way for the Taliban to take over, the situation for women in the country has become dire. Women there - many of whom only ever knew the freedoms of the last 20 years - no longer have rights," Mr McCaul said in a statement.

"I hope my invitation and Ambassador Rahmani's presence will send a signal to the women of Afghanistan that they have not been forgotten."

Among the other names on the White House's guest list is that of Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

In October 2022, Mr Pelosi was badly injured by a hammer-wielding intruder who entered their home in San Francisco. Authorities believe the attack was politically motivated.

Other White House's guests included Americans from various walks of life, including teachers, medical professionals, students and business leaders.