WASHINGTON ― President Joe Biden delivered a vigorous defense of his record and warned of an American “oligarchy” in a primetime address from the Oval Office as he bid farewell to four years in the White House and a five-decade political career.
“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights, the freedoms and the fair shot for everyone to get ahead,” Biden said.
Biden, who will be replaced by President-elect Donald Trump in five days, recalled the situation he inherited four years ago: a country in the grip of a raging pandemic and an economic crisis.
“In the past four years, our democracy has held strong, and every day I’ve kept my commitment to be president for all Americans through one of the toughest periods in our nation’s history,” Biden said. “I’m so proud of how much we’ve accomplished together for the American people, I wish the coming administration success because I want America to succeed.”
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In the final days of his presidency, the 82-year-old Biden has tried to assert a legacy defined by signature laws he pushed through in his first term ‒ overcoming a razor-thin Democratic majority in the Senate ‒ to unleash historic infrastructure spending, a resurgence of clean-energy factories and investments in the microchip industry to catch up to China.
“It will take time to feel the full impact of all we’ve done together. But the seeds are planted.”
On the foreign policy front, Biden has touted his record restoring the nation’s global alliances and leading international support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion and war.
Biden’s address came after he announced a long-awaited ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that will pause the war in Gaza and result in a phased release of the remaining hostages in Gaza including three Americans and the remains of four deceased Americans.
“This plan was developed and negotiated by my team, and it’ll be largely implemented by the incoming administration,” Biden said at the beginning of his remarks.
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Trump immediately claimed credit for the deal, writing in a post on social media that it wouldn’t have happened without his election victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in November.
Biden is exiting the White House with a mixed legacy and an approval rating of just 34%, according to a USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll this week. Meanwhile, Americans by a 52%-45% margin now say they approve of Trump’s job performance during his first term ‒ a far rosier assessment than he ever received while in office.
Since the election, Biden has faced finger-pointing from Democrats who argue he helped lead to Trump’s return to power by waiting until 107 days until the election to drop out of the race and thus limiting the time Harris had to mount her campaign.
Despite concerns about his age, Biden announced plans to seek reelection in the spring of 2023, only to drop out last July following a disastrous debate performance against June that exposed an aging president who sounded incoherent at times and struggled to make his case against Trump.
Throughout his term, Biden repeatedly warning that Trump is a threat to a democracy and framed stopping him as a “battle for the soul of the nation.” But Biden failed in his push to make Trump a footnote in American history. And on Monday, he will attend Trump’s inauguration ceremony and watch as Trump is sworn in as the 47th president.
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Before that moment, Biden is set to travel to Charleston, South Carolina on Sunday in what will be his final full day as president. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to say what Biden will be doing there.
Ahead of his farewell address, Biden issued an open letter to Americans touting his accomplishments and calling it “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,” Biden said in the letter. “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.”
Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison and Francesca Chambers at @fran_chambers
