President Biden delivers farewell speech after 4 years in power
US President Joe Biden delivers his farewell speech in the Oval Office, ending his four-year term as president.
In a televised national address on the evening of January 15 (morning of January 16, Hanoi time), US President Joe Biden reviewed his nearly five-decade political career.
Reflecting on the legacy and accomplishments of his administration over the past four years, President Joe Biden said he hopes they will endure for years to come.
“It will take time to feel the full impact of what we have done together. But the seeds have been planted and they will sprout and blossom for decades to come,” Mr. Biden said.
He listed a number of accomplishments during his presidency, including lowering prescription drug prices for seniors, passing gun safety laws and helping veterans get health care.
President Biden also touted his foreign policy achievements and pointed to how he “strengthened NATO.”
“Ukraine is still free and we have outpaced competitors like China and many others,” Mr. Biden said.
President Joe Biden, in his farewell address to the nation from the Oval Office, praised the democratic institutions that govern America.
“After 50 years at the center of all this, I know that believing in the American idea means respecting the institutions that govern a free society — the president, Congress, the courts, a free and independent press,” he said.
America's system of separation of powers, checks and balances may not be perfect, but it has sustained democracy for nearly 250 years, longer than any other country in history, Mr. Biden added.
Also in his final speech, President Joe Biden warned of the growth of "oligarchy" in the US as he stressed the importance of keeping the super-rich on the same level of expectations as the working and middle classes.
“I want to warn the country about something that I am very concerned about. And this is a dangerous concern. And that is the dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a few extremely wealthy people and the dangerous consequences if their abuse of power is left unchecked,” Biden said.
“Today, an oligarchy is emerging in America with such immense wealth, power, and influence that it threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and liberties, and our fair chance for everyone to get ahead,” he added.
President Biden invoked the concentration of power more than a century ago in the hands of “robber barons” who were broken up through antitrust actions, an issue Mr. Biden has prioritized in his administration more than a century later.
“They didn’t punish the wealthy. They just made the wealthy play by the same rules that everyone else had to play by. Workers want their fair share,” Biden said. “They were bought into the deal, and it helped put us on the path to building the biggest middle class and the most prosperous century any country in the world has ever seen. We have to do it again.”
President Joe Biden ended his farewell speech on an upbeat note, saying he still believes in “the ideals this nation stands for.”
“To you, the American people. After 50 years of public service, I make a promise. I still believe in the ideals this nation stands for. A nation where the strength of our institutions and the character of our people matter and must endure,” President Biden said.
Implicitly criticizing his successor in his speech, Mr. Biden ended his speech with a call for Americans to continue to realize his hopeful vision for the country.
“Now it’s your turn to stand guard. May all of you be keepers of that flame. May you keep the faith. I love America. You love America. God bless all of you. And may God protect our troops. Thank you for this great honor,” Biden said.
