He is due to become the first former US president to stand trial in a criminal case in New York on March 25, where he is accused of falsifying business records to hide hush money payments to a porn star.
The most serious case against him is generally considered to be the federal indictment in Washington, D.C., accusing him of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election.
But the case is stalled after the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Trump's presidential immunity claim, and it is unclear whether a hearing can be held before Election Day.
Biden is troubled by the perception among most voters that he is too old to run for a second four-year term, though aides believe his fiery State of the Union address could serve to counter that perception Is.
The ongoing crisis at the US-Mexico border, where the influx of migrants has overwhelmed the system, is another weakness for Biden. They sought to shift the blame to Trump after the former president urged congressional Republicans to kill a bipartisan border security bill that would have stepped up enforcement.
The economy, as always, will be a central campaign issue. Biden has presided over an expanding economy, with inflationary pressures down and stocks reaching all-time highs. But surveys show Americans are reluctant to give the president credit and are frustrated by higher prices of goods like food in the wake of the pandemic.
