Biden pledges he is ‘all in' to seek re-election as he woos black vote

Black voters turned out heavily for him in 2020 but recent polls show waning support

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US President Joe Biden promised black voters on July 16 that he was "all in" to seek reelection on Nov 5 and assailed Donald Trump's record as president, in his first political speech since the attempted assassination of his Republican rival.

Mr Biden was greeted by chants of "four more years" as he spoke at the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People) National Convention in Las Vegas, a major gathering of black voters.

He said he was grateful that Trump was not seriously hurt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on July 13, but roundly criticised him on a variety of fronts, including his handling of the economy during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Let me say it again because Trump is lying like hell about it black unemployment hit a record low under the Biden-Harris administration," Mr Biden said.

He scolded Trump for initially contending that former president Barack Obama was not an American citizen and for his reference to "black jobs" at the Trump-Biden debate on June 27.

"I am all in," Mr Biden said.