Biden urges US blue-collar resurgence in feisty Congress speech

President Joe Biden gives his State of the Union speech before the US Congress, with far-right Republicans heckling and mocking throughout.

President Joe Biden urged unity and touted a blue-collar economic resurgence in a rousing State of the Union speech before a raucous Congress that doubled as a bid to persuade voters he still has what it takes to seek reelection at the age of 80.

The Democrat, who has been written off even by some supporters as too old, gave as good as he got in an unusually boisterous event, with far-right Republicans heckling and mocking throughout.

At times smiling and joking, at times showing anger, Biden concluded his address, viewed on television by tens of millions of Americans, that "because the soul of this nation is strong..., the state of the union is strong."

And without mentioning the 2024 election, he said: "Let's finish the job."

The first mention of Ukraine, which Biden vowed would get US support against Russia for "as long as it takes," came just under an hour into the speech.

China -- which Biden warned would face a US response whenever it "threatens our sovereignty," as in last week's shooting down of an intruding high-tech Chinese balloon -- came even later.

Biden has yet to announce his run for a second term but is expected to declare soon. The State of the Union speech could serve as an opening audition.

He pitched a centrist, populist vision of a country healing after Covid and the turmoil of Donald Trump's one-term presidency.