Oh, so this is why Bono was at the State of the Union

Many viewers were puzzled by the presence of U2 frontman Bono at the State of the Union. However, the Irish artist/activist was there to mark a milestone for a cause he championed.

According to The Hill, US President Joe Biden invited Bono in honor of his twenty years of advocacy in the fight against HIV/AIDS and other global health issues. The music legend attended the joint session of the United States Congress. A lot of people were unaware of Bono’s work through the One Campaign, and were bewildered to see him at the Capital.

Jezebel’s editor-in-chief Laura Bassett wondered aloud on Twitter why the Irish star was present. Nick Kristof of the New York Times briefed her on Bono’s persuading President George W. Bush to establish PEPAR (Present’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) in 2003. It has since allocated $90 billion for HIV/AIDS treatment.

Screenwriter Jess Dweck also struggled to make sense of why Bono was in attendance.

However, other people like HuffPost’s Jennifer Bendery were delighted to see Bono in the First Lady’s viewing box, where he was seated between Paul Pelosi, husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Brandon Tsay, noted for his heroism at the Monterey Park shooting.

To clear things up, Bono took to Twitter to share that he was in attendance representing the One Campaign and celebrating the 25 million lives in the two decades since PEPFARs inception.

The music legend received backup from a fan who urged people to recognize his contributions to the fight against global health issues, including HIV/AIDs and tuberculous. She tweeted that the One Campaign has raised $37.5 billion commitments for its causes.

Perhaps President Biden’s invitation to Bono is to remind all of us of what is possible when we set out personal biases aside, and work together for the greater good. It’s impossible not to be impressed by what the One Campaign achieved. More than anything, we should be inspired.