Biden was in a fighting mood for surprise speech – but he didn’t win

The president insisted he put the country back on his feet', but a last-minute fumble provided more fodder to his detractors

It came out of the blue. The White House announced that Joe Biden would deliver remarks at 7.45pm - giving the press just 23 minutes to prepare. What the sudden speech would be about, no one knew. The element of surprise and uncertainty was reminiscent of the Donald Trump era.

As it happened, many White House correspondents were at a meeting near the Watergate building about a mile and a half way. The Guardian was among four who jumped in a car, raced across town and sprinted up sedate Pennsylvania Avenue, greeting the Secret Service in a breathless and disheveled state.