Former Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson says United States President Joe Biden should have “gone on an extensive listening trip” if he wanted to unite America after his inauguration.

“The new president’s election (is) likely to continue the deep polarisaion and the deep feeling of alienation of many people in middle America,” he told Sky News host Catherine McGregor.

Mr Anderson said Mr Biden has been “badly dragged to one side of politics” in his administration and has created the impression the Trump voters were “deplorables”.

“If he wants to reunite America, he needs to go to the red states and listen to why those Americans who so strongly supported Donald Trump feel so disaffected.”