State of the Union: Biden to tout economic record in primetime speech

US President Joe Biden is expected to tout his administration's record on the economy when he gives an optimistic State of the Union address on Tuesday.

He will speak to a full, politically divided Congress and make the case for his leadership in the primetime speech.

It is being viewed as a blueprint for a potential re-election bid in 2024, which he is expected to announce soon.

But it comes as Mr Biden's public approval rating hovers near the lowest level of his presidency.

He will likely lay out his administration's achievements and agenda over the past year, focusing on recent strong employment figures and falling inflation.

Mr Biden, 80, will deliver the hour-long address to a full House chamber featuring high-profile guests and nearly every senior member of government. He will cover a range of issues, including the economic recovery after the coronavirus pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and police reform following the death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis last month.

He will also challenge Republicans, who have a new majority in the House of Representatives, to raise taxes on the wealthy and increase social aid.

Republican Kevin McCarthy, who leads the party in the chamber, reportedly called on his colleagues to behave during the address. The "cameras are on," and the "mics are hot", he warned during a closed-door meeting.

"I want to talk to the American people and let them know the state of affairs," he said on Monday. "Just have a conversation with the American people."

"This is a president who is incredibly optimistic," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

But the address has been complicated by escalating tensions with China over the shooting down of a suspected surveillance balloon at the weekend. Mr Biden has been criticised by Republicans for not ordering the object to be destroyed sooner.

A new poll by the BBC's US partner CBS showed 39% of Americans approved of the administration's general China policy.

Another recent poll by the Associated Press showed just a quarter of US adults felt the country was heading in the right direction, with many raising concerns about the state of the economy.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the country's youngest governor, will deliver the Republican response to the address. She is best known for her tenure as press secretary to former President Donald Trump from 2017-19.

Mrs Sanders will deliver a roughly 10-minute speech shortly after Mr Biden has finished speaking. The rebuttal is often delivered by young rising stars in the opposition party and frequently from outside Washington.

Senior aides to Mrs Sanders - who took the oath of office four weeks ago to become governor of Arkansas - said she would lay out her priorities for the state and discuss issues at the southern border with Mexico.