 "US President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. File Image/AP")
In his farewell address to the nation, US President Joe Biden paid an ode to his five-decade-long political career. While speaking from the Oval Office, the oldest sitting president of the United States traced the history of the country and used the Statue of Liberty to describe what the United States represents.
He went on to call the monument “an enduring symbol of the soul of our nation,” recalling the mantra of his 2020 presidential campaign.
One of the first topics Biden addressed in the speech was the recent ceasefire deal agreed between Israel and Hamas. He emphasised how he and his team laid out the framework of the deal and kept US President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team in the loop.
During his address, Biden raised warnings of “unelected oligarchs” who he claimed had taken over American politics. He also raised concerns about the concentration of “power, wealth and technology” in the hands of the few.
Biden calls past four years ‘one of the toughest periods’ in US history
The outgoing president’s speech started with the mention of the ceasefire deal agreed by Israel and Hamas. Biden said that the deal was “developed and negotiated” by his administration, reiterating remarks from earlier. He went on to claim that the past four years have been “one of the toughest periods in our nation’s history.”
“Every day, I’ve kept my commitment to being president for all Americans for one of the toughest periods in our nation’s history,” he said. He thanked US Vice President Kamala Harris, referring to her as a “great partner”. One of the key takeaways of Biden’s address was his attack on the spread of “misinformation” across the country.
He emphasised that “misinformation and disinformation” is leading to an “abuse of power” in the United States. “The free press is crumbling and as it’s disappearing, social media is giving up on fact-checking,” he said. Biden’s remarks can be seen as his condemnation of Facebook’s parent company Meta’s decision to end fact-checking in the United States.
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More Shorts‘America is heading towards Oligarchy’
While taking potshots at the upcoming administration, the POTUS insisted that an Oligarchy is taking shape in America. “Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America … that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights, their freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead,” he remarked. “We see the consequences all across America,” he added.
Biden warned against granting the presidency “unchecked” power, saying “extreme" wealth, power and influence “literally threatens our entire democracy.” While alluding to the case of President-elect Donald Trump, Biden said that no president of the US should be “immune of any crimes”. Throughout the whole address, Biden did not mention that the attack was directed towards his successor Donald Trump.
In his 18-minute-long address, Biden warned about the new threats of Artificial Intelligence (AI). “AI could spawn new threats to our rights, our way of life, to our privacy, how we work and how we protect our nation,” he said. He also emphasised the “existential threat” of climate change. Protection of the environment and climate garnered major attention in his address after deadly wildfires wreaked havoc in Los Angeles, California.
Finally, he thanked his family and Harris calling her a “historic Vice President”. While concluding his speech, Biden insisted that Harris was an “incredible partner” during his run as the president. It is pertinent to note that Harris was the first female and first woman of colour to hold that office. However, she lost the 2024 presidential race to Trump, months after Biden dropped out.
At the Oval Office Biden was joined by his inner circle, which included, Vice-President Kamala Harris, First Lady Jill Biden, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, Hunter Biden and his wife Melissa Cohen Biden.