Biden talks crime, guns in key election battleground

US President Joe Biden touted his plans to curb gun crime and framed Trumpist Republicans as a threat to the rule of law on the first of multiple visits to the key swing state of Pennsylvania.

The Keystone State -- which is hosting Biden three times over the coming days, including for a rare prime-time address to the nation -- is one of the most hotly contested battlegrounds as the president's party seeks to hold on to Congress in the midterm elections.

The Democratic leader was in the city of Wilkes-Barre -- near his hometown of Scranton -- where he promoted his Safer America Plan and called out Republicans for blocking gun reforms.

"I'm determined to ban assault weapons in this country. Determined. I did it once before and I'll do it again," Biden said, referring to his work as a senator in the 1990s to institute the last ban.

Biden's proposals include substantial new funding for 100,000 extra police officers on the streets, investment in crime prevention, and "common sense steps on guns to keep dangerous firearms out of dangerous hands."

His visit came as former president Donald Trump, still the most influential Republican, is due to host his own rally in the same area.

Republicans have presented themselves as the party of law-and-order amid a nationwide spike in murders -- with some success, according to multiple polls -- while accusing Democrats of wanting to defund the police.