Joe Biden vowed to fight for “democracy and freedom” in the US and around the world in a fiery, unabashedly political speech to Congress in which he took on Donald Trump and Republican critics to make his case for re-election.
Delivering his final State of the Union address before November’s election, the US president did not mention Trump by name but repeatedly attacked his “predecessor” for being too lenient towards Russia, blocking a bipartisan deal to curb immigration, and paving the way for strict abortion curbs across the country.
Biden also laid out his plans for a second term, including populist measures such as higher taxes on big companies and the wealthy, and vows to drive down house prices and cut drug costs, while hailing the US as the most envied economy in the world.