Biden kicks off reelection bid with union rally in Philadelphia

President Joe Biden kicked off his reelection campaign Saturday at a union rally in his frequent haunt of Pennsylvania, the state that remains an intersection of his personal and political identities that he hopes can propel him to a second term.

The first official rally of his final political campaign was a moment for Biden to underscore recent economic wins that undergird his argument for another four years in the White House.

"Just think back. Remember what it was like when I came to office, we came into office. Remember the mess we inherited," Biden told the audience in Philadelphia. "Now look at where we are today."

To a roaring crowd, who repeatedly cheered "four more years," the president touted several accomplishments, including the bipartisan infrastructure law, a coronavirus relief package, a bipartisan semiconductor chip manufacturing law and the recently negotiated debt ceiling deal that helped avert a US default.

Biden also criticized recent Republican tax proposals while describing what he called his middle-class vision for the American economy, referring to it several times as "Biden-omics."

Biden made only brief mention of Donald Trump, the current front-runner for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, steering clear of the former president's recent federal indictment and arraignment but hitting him on infrastructure.

"Under my predecessor, infrastructure week became a punchline," Biden said. "On my watch, we're making infrastructure a decade headline."