US INAUGURATION:

Joe Biden’s inauguration address overnight Australian time has been lauded as one of the best for 50 years – but he has an eagle-eyed speech writer to thank for that.

The Bug can reveal exclusively that the original speech notes prepared by the 46th US president himself included some pointed comments aimed at the previous occupants of the White House.

“Let’s just say the comments were not in keeping with the incoming President’s image as a decent, kind and thoughtful man with a half-century’s reputation as a consensus-seeking political operator,” a senior member of the Biden transition team explained.

The Bug understands one of President Biden’s senior speech writers saw the offending paragraphs just as the speech was about to be uploaded to the autocues on the ceremonial platform in front of the Capitol building and quickly ran a red pen through them (below).