Biden and Trump spar over health care, social benefits in US

US President Joe Biden has clashed with rival Donald Trump over health care and social benefits as the president visited another battleground state in November's election.

Democrat Biden, 81, in an event in the northeastern state of New Hampshire on Monday, accused Trump of backing measures that would favour wealthy Americans.

"The bottom line is, he's still at it," said Biden.

"I'm never going to allow that to happen. I won't cut Social Security or Medicare."

Republican former president Trump, who is seeking a historic comeback to the White House, said in an interview on Monday that he would back cuts to social spending.

"There is a lot you can do in terms of entitlements in terms of cutting," property tycoon Trump, 77, told CNBC.

He was asked about the possibility of cuts to the three pillars of US social welfare: Medicare, which provides health care for seniors; Medicaid, which gives health care for the less-well off; and Social Security, which gives welfare for seniors and the disabled.

"Beyond the economics, it gives you power in dealing with other countries," he said, adding that he was not concerned about any possible retaliatory tariffs if he regained the White House.

Biden's comments came after he published an ambitious 2025 budget proposal full of populist measures, including a tax hike on billionaires and plans to strengthen social spending programs.

The budget is almost certain to be dead on arrival in the sharply divided US Congress but was designed to highlight his policy differences ahead of his likely rematch with Trump.

In New Hampshire, Biden accused Trump of wanting to cut taxes on the rich and said his own economic and social policies had sparked an "American comeback."

"I believe we're moving into a future where health care is a right, not a privilege in America," said Biden.

Full battle mode

Less than eight months out from the November 5 election, Biden and Trump have gone into full battle mode after they both dominated their parties' "Super Tuesday" primaries last week.

The Democrat is now embarking on a tour of battleground states, riding the momentum from a fiery and well-received State of the Union speech on Thursday that zeroed in on Trump.

Biden branded Trump a threat to democracy, referring to the ex-president's refusal to acknowledge his 2020 election defeat and the January 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol by pro-Trump supporters.

Impeached twice while in office, Trump now faces four criminal indictments, including two for trying to overturn the election result four years ago.

His last remaining rival for the nomination, Nikki Haley, dropped out of the race on Wednesday.