White supremacists pose bigger threat than foreign actors: Biden

Washington, Apr 29: In his first joint address to the US Congress, President Joe Biden identified 'white supremacy' as a domestic terror threat that America must remain vigilant against.

While discussing his decision to withdraw American troops from war-torn Afghanistan, Joe Biden noted global terror networks have largely moved beyond the country and that 'white supremacists' posed a bigger threat than foreign actors.

"We won't ignore what our intelligence agencies have determined to be the most lethal terrorist threat to our homeland today: White supremacy is terrorism," Joe Biden said in the House chamber, which just three months ago was attacked by the supporters of former president Donald Trump in an effort to overthrow the outcome of the 2020 US Presidential election.

"White supremacy is terrorism, and we're not going to ignore that either. My fellow Americans, look, we have to come together to heal the soul of this nation," the US President said.

In remarks, Joe Biden acknowledged the January 6 attempted insurrection at the Capitol, saying it was an existential crisis that tested democracy.

"As we gather here tonight, the images of a violent mob assaulting this Capitol desecrating our democracy remain vivid in all our minds. Lives were put at risk many of your lives. Lives were lost.

Extraordinary courage was summoned. The insurrection was an existential crisis a test of whether our democracy could survive. It did," Joe Biden said.

But he underscored that "the struggle is far from over" and that "the question of whether our democracy will long endure is both ancient and urgent."