Biden takes Trump fight to battleground states after blistering address

US President Joe Biden stepped up his attacks on Donald Trump Friday as he took his election message to crucial battleground states on the back of a combative, well-received State of the Union address.

Speaking to supporters in the swing state of Pennsylvania, 81-year-old Biden finally attacked Trump by name, a day after he had referred to him only as "my predecessor" multiple times.

"Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans are trying to take away our freedoms, and that's not an exaggeration," Biden said, referring to Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan.

"Well guess what? We will not let him."

The Democrat slammed Trump for backing abortion bans and for inviting Russian President Vladimir Putin to invade NATO members that don't pay their bills.

He also criticised Trump for meeting Friday with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who he said "is looking for dictatorship." Orban has also angered EU allies by maintaining ties with Putin after the invasion of Ukraine.

People cast their vote during a US election. File photo

Trump, 77, hit back at Biden on Friday, saying Biden was a "psycho" and saying his speech was "getting 'panned' all over the world," without offering any examples.

Trump has said that he will debate Biden on television "anytime" but Biden told reporters on Friday that it "depends on his behavior."

Biden has branded Trump a threat to democracy. The former president faces multiple criminal cases, including for trying to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden, and a $355 million civil fraud fine.

But he currently holds a narrow lead over Biden in the polls.

Agence France-Presse