Biden spotlights threats to democracy in State of the Union speech | First Thing

The president also addressed concerns about his age and announced plan for US troops to build port on Gaza shore for aid delivery

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Good morning,

Joe Biden made a forceful State of the Union speech on Thursday, criticising the former president Donald Trump over the January 6 insurrection, vowing to stand up to Russia's Vladimir Putin, urging Israel to take responsibility in the delivery of aid to Gaza, backing reproductive freedom and taking on rightwing antagonists over immigration.

Threats to democracy: Not since President Lincoln and the civil war have our freedom and democracy been under assault at home as they are today," Biden said. What makes our moment rare is freedom and democracy are under attack both at home and overseas at the very same time."

Israel's war on Gaza: Humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip. Protecting and saving innocent lives has to be a priority" for Israel, he said.

Abortion on the ballot: The president said efforts to restrict abortion were an assault on freedom", and he derided the supreme court ruling that overturned Roe v Wade.

The age question: Biden, 81, leaned into his age, mentioning he was born during the second world war, but defended his vision for the country as fresh. You can't lead America with ancient ideas that only take us back," he said, referring to Trump.