President Biden delivered his farewell address to the nation on Wednesday, five days before he passes the mantle of the presidency to his predecessor and his successor, President-elect Donald Trump.
Speaking from behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, Biden reflected on his political career and said he was proud of what his administration accomplished as the country climbed out of the coronavirus pandemic and made investments in the economy, infrastructure, gun safety, and climate change. As Vice President Kamala Harris sat nearby alongside second gentleman Doug Emhoff, first lady Jill Biden and Hunter Biden, the President commended Harris as a “great partner”.
Biden went on to express his concerns to the nation as he prepares to cede power to President-elect Donald Trump, noting that the concentration of power is in the hands of a few wealthy individuals: “Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead. Powerful forces want to wield their unchecked influence, to eliminate the steps we’ve taken to tackle the climate crisis, to serve their own interest for power and profit. We must not be bullied into sacrificing the future, the future of our children and our grandchildren, must keep pushing forward and push faster. There’s no time to waste.”
Prior to his televised address, a farewell letter released by the White House was released Wednesday morning in which Mr. Biden wrote that it has been “the privilege of my life to serve this nation for over 50 years. Nowhere else on Earth could a kid with a stutter from modest beginnings in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Claymont, Delaware, one day sit behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office as President of the United States. I have given my heart and my soul to our nation. And I have been blessed a million times in return with the love and support of the American people. I ran for president because I believed that the soul of America was at stake. The very nature of who we are was at stake. And, that’s still the case. America is an idea stronger than any army and larger than any ocean. It’s the most powerful idea in the history of the world. That idea is that we are all created equal, endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
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