President Joe Biden has given a sweeping State of the Union address, setting out the key issues likely to feature in his re-election campaign
He took repeated swipes at Donald Trump - his likely opponent in November's election - criticising his recent comments about Russia and Nato
He defended abortion rights and said he would work to restore them nationwide if re-elected
Biden also pitched his record on the economy, telling the crowded House chamber that "America’s comeback is building a future of American possibilities"
Trump said his rival was to blame for the border crisis, and called the speech an "embarrassment" in a series of social media posts
Alabama Senator Katie Britt, delivering the formal Republican rebuttal, said the "American Dream turned into the American nightmare" under Biden
Sam Cabral
Reporting from Capitol Hill
"Mr Speaker the president of the United States.”
Joe Biden enters to a big cheer from Democrats and a standing ovation overall.
Republican Tim Burchett, who told me he wants Biden to shut the border, just had a lengthy exchange with him.
Biden seemed to return to make a point and Burchett attempted to re-engage him a moment later.
Image source, PoolUS President Joe Biden has entered the House chamber to applause.
He's greeting lawmakers as he walks to the podium.
Standby for live updates and analysis throughout his roughly hour-long speech.
Image source, Reuters
Natalie Sherman
New York business reporter
For a long time, the White House has emphasised the economic fundamentals, which have remained healthy, with strong hiring and unemployment below 4%.
The numbers are especially remarkable, given the jump in borrowing costs since 2022 and Mr Biden can legitimately take some credit: government spending has helped boost construction and other sectors.
But those arguments haven’t connected with voters.
“When you see the reports coming out that the economy is doing really well – whatever they’re talking about does not apply to me whatsoever,” Jerry Bradley, a 54-year-old in Wisconsin told me last month.
Worried about the polling, Democratic strategists have been pushing for an approach aimed at persuading voters that their economic concerns wouldn’t be addressed by Republicans.
In this speech, Biden is taking on a populist tone – calling for higher taxes on big companies and the wealthy, among other policies.
Those plans have little chance of getting through Congress but it’s an interesting election strategy – of the non-Republicans I spoke to who were disenchanted with Mr Biden, many felt disappointed, saying he did not deliver on more sweeping liberal policy changes.
Sam Cabral
Reporting from Capitol Hill
The first lady gets a standing ovation as she enters her box in the upper gallery and takes her seat among invited guests.
The president’s cabinet members are now taking their seats as well, received with cheers by Democrats again.
Though closely divided in the chamber, the Democrats have so far been lively and seem to be in a jubilant mood. Emily McGarvey
Image source, Reuters
Image source, Getty ImagesChairman of the Democratic National Committee Jamie Harrison tells BBC News that Biden should brag about his accomplishments tonight, and should not be shy about boasting of what he has done in the last three years.
He needs to “spike the football”, Harrison says, referencing the move done by American football players after they score a touchdown.
“The 'D' on my lapel isn’t just for Democrat. It’s for delivering,” he says, pointed to Biden’s promises to restore the US economy in particular.
Sam Cabral
Reporting from Capitol Hill
Ketanji Brown Jackson, as the junior most jurist on the court, enters last but gets a raucous reaction from Democrats.
Jackson, who was nominated by President Biden in 2022, is the first black woman to sit on the nation’s top court.
Three justices are missing tonight: Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Amy Coney Barrett. Former Justice Anthony Kennedy takes one of their seats instead.
Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has been seen helping her guests put on keffiyehs, the traditional Palestinian garment.
Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American in Congress, has been very critical of Biden's policies on the war in Gaza.
Image source, Reuters
Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent
Image source, ReutersBiden has decades of experience delivering in high-stakes political moments, and he likely spent all weekend practising his speech's delivery.
But this turn on the national stage could prove crucial, as the president must appear competent and comfortable while speaking to Congress - and avoid any missteps that feed the damaging political narrative surrounding his seniority.
Questions about the president's age have been simmering for months, but they were supercharged by special counsel Robert Hur's investigation of Biden's handling of classified documents which characterised the president as a "well meaning, elderly man with a poor memory".
The president - who has suffered from a stutter since boyhood - well knows that every cough, stammer and stumble will be put under the microscope, so he must be aware of how he looks and acts during tonight's address.
As he left the White House, President Biden was asked how he is feeling by a reporter.
"Feeling good," he answered quickly, pumping his fists into the air.
A moment later, he glanced back at a crowd of people gathered on the White House steps.
"Don't jump! I need you," he joked. "See you all later."
Nomia Iqbal
Reporting from Washington DC
Ceasefire protesters block DC roads ahead of Biden speech
Several hundred protesters are attempting to block Biden's passage from the White House to Congress.
We saw about 200 protesters on Pennsylvania Avenue. The protesters had a huge Palestinian flag and are holding a banner reading: "Biden's legacy is genocide."
Wearing black shirts, many are chanting for a "ceasefire" and yelling slogans targeting congressional staff members.
Police in riot gear were in the area.
It is understood that President Biden's motorcade has been re-routed to avoid the protesters and the large police presence.
The Secret Service, however, has yet to comment.
President Joe Biden has just left the White House and is on his way to Capitol Hill ahead of his third State of the Union speech.
You can stream our live coverage by clicking on the play button at the top of the page.
Sam Cabral
Reporting from Capitol Hill
The House chamber is filling up and us members of the press have just filed into the gallery above.
The first thing that caught my eye is a sea of white on the Democratic side. Several members of the minority party, though not all, are decked out in all-white outfits from head to toe.
Democratic women started wearing white at States of the Union during the Trump administration. The color is associated with the suffrage movement that brought women the right to vote. This year, many have also reportedly added "Fighting for Reproductive Freedom" pins to their outfits.
Many of the white-clad lawmakers just erupted in chatter as they posed for a group photo. There is no such co-ordination on the Republican side.
About five lawmakers are dressed in red, but it does not appear to be planned.
If there has been any co-ordination by the Republican majority, it was by the handful of members who are donning blazer pins in honour of Laken Riley tonight.
We don’t know for sure - although we can expect Biden to try and cover his policy achievements and his vision for the future.
In a White House press call yesterday, we got a hint of the topics he might cover.
The US national economic adviser Lael Brainard brought up some of what Biden is claiming as successes - the economy (Brainard said Biden’s economic plan “has led to the strongest recovery in more than 50 years”), infrastructure projects, and cutting overdraft fees.
Brainard also mentioned Biden had “taken on Big Pharma” and lowered prescription drug costs - referring to a 2022 act which allowed government healthcare programme Medicare to negotiate the price of 20 expensive drugs used by many Americans with diabetes, arthritis and heart disease for the first time.
According to the BBC’s US partner CBS News,, external Biden will urge Congress to further focus on cost-saving ideas for prescription drugs - for example expanding this to 50 medications.
Sam Cabral
Reporting from Capitol Hill
The gavel has just been banged.
The chamber rises to its feet as Vice-President Kamala Harris enters, followed by Senate leaders Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer.
A trail of other senior congressional members follow closely behind.
Harris gets a pat on the shoulder from Republican Tim Burchett, who appears keen to shake her hand.
She greets several others on either side of the centre aisle as she walks down to her seat in the well.
Image source, Getty ImagesGeorge Santos with Colorado's Lauren Boebert earlier this evening.
Among those at the Capitol for tonight's State of the Union is George Santos, the New York Republican who was expelled from the House of Representatives last year.
As a former member of Congress, Santos is allowed to be on the House floor.
Photographs taken earlier this evening show Santos alongside Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz, both vocal supporters of former President Donald Trump.
Sarah Smith
North America editor
This will be the most important speech of Joe Biden’s presidency as it's his opportunity to make his case in an election year, uninterrupted and on primetime TV, for why he deserves another four years in the White House.
He will list all the things he’s achieved in office - and there have been some really significant pieces of legislation. But few Americans are feeling the benefits of his infrastructure investments or climate change initiatives.
So the president needs to persuade voters he really understands their problems and their concerns.
Telling voters that the economy is in good shape when they are struggling with sky high food prices won’t work. Blaming Republicans for scuppering a congressional deal on border security may not be enough to convince people that he’s going to deal with an immigration crisis.
Voters who feel worse off now than they did when Donald Trump was in office want to hear a plan that will improve their lives.
And they will want to see a sparky, energetic president who can demonstrate he’s not too old for the job.
Ahead of President Joe Biden's third State of the Union address tonight, we asked Americans from different political views how they think the country is doing.
This is what they told us.
The state of the union is... Americans fill in the blank
Image source, EPAHumanitarian aid was air-dropped by US aircraft over the northern Gaza Strip at the weekend
One thing we know for sure that’s coming in the speech tonight, after the White House confirmed it earlier, is an announcement on US aid in Gaza.
Biden will announce to Congress that he has ordered the US military to set up a port in Gaza to get more humanitarian aid into the territory by sea.
Gaza has no deep water port and so the US has for weeks been looking at ways to get shiploads of aid in urgently, while the administration has publicly ramped up its pressure and increasingly shown in public its impatience with Israel over the desperate situation on the ground.
The UN warns that a quarter of the population is on the brink of famine. There will be a temporary pier to transport supplies from ships at sea to the shore, which will sail from Cyprus, where Israeli security inspections will take place.
The plan will not involve US boots on the ground in Gaza, officials say.
Bernd Debusmann Jr
US Reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesProtesters attempted to block President Biden's motorcade ahead of the State of the Union
Protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza have blocked roads in Washington DC and near the White House ahead of the State of the Union Address, according to local media reporters.
Earlier, a man was taken into custody after revving his engines near some of the protesters in the area. The individual was later charged with reckless driving. No injuries were reported.
And this afternoon, another group of protesters gathered in Lafayette Park near the White House. On Instagram, the group identified itself as being from the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights group.
"Our People's State of the Union rally will demonstrate that the U.S. public demands a permanent ceasefire now and an end to arming Israel with our tax dollars," the post says.
Joe Biden is expected to soon depart the White House and make the short journey down to Capitol Hill.
Other dignitaries - including his wife, First Lady Jill Biden, and most members of his cabinet - will be inside the congressional chamber when he arrives.
In about 30 minutes, the House Sergeant at Arms will announce the president's arrival with the words: "Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States."
Biden will then be escorted into the chamber to his podium.