The U.S. President Barack Obama has defended his legacy while striking an optimistic note for America’s future in his final State of the Union address.
He criticised the negative tone of the current presidential race arguing the US has the “strongest, most durable economy in the world”.
“Anyone claiming that America’s economy is in decline is peddling fiction,” Obama told lawmakers in Washington.
The speech to Congress highlighted his accomplishments such as health reform.
“For my final address to this chamber, I don’t want to talk just about the next year. I want to focus on the next five years, 10 years, and beyond,” President Obama said.
“I want to focus on our future.”
He rejected suggestions by politicians and commentators that America’s economy is getting weaker.
However, he added: “What is true – and the reason that a lot of Americans feel anxious – is that the economy has been changing in profound ways.”
Obama focused on the need to tackle income inequality, use technology to combat climate change and maintain national security while not becoming mired in foreign conflicts.
