Closing summary
In his final address to the nation, Joe Biden delivered an ode to American liberal democracy and issued a warning about its future.
In the speech:
Biden called for the strengthening of democratic institutions and the separation of powers.
The president claimed some credit for the negotiated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
He touted his administration’s economic accomplishments in the wake of the pandemic.
In an especially striking moment, Biden argued that the US could be heading toward “oligarchy” and the consolidation of power by a few.
Unsurprisingly, Biden’s speech was lauded by Democrats, who thanked him for his role in post-pandemic recovery, while Republicans offered scathing denunciations of the president.
For more on the address, you can read our full report:
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In a lengthy tribute, Nancy Pelosi, the powerful former House speaker who played a role in pushing Biden to end his 2024 presidential campaign, thanked him for his service and offered a list of the president’s accomplishments, writing on X that Biden and Kamala Harris had “earned their place in the pantheon of American democracy.”
In a tribute post on X, Barack Obama thanked Biden “for his leadership, his friendship, and his lifetime of service to this country we love” and credited him with rescuing the economy after the pandemic. “At a time when our economy was reeling, he drove what would become the world’s strongest recovery – with 17 million new jobs, historic wage gains, and lower health care costs,” Obama wrote.
Some Republicans seized on Biden’s remarks about fairness and democratic principles to revive criticisms about the president’s son, Hunter. “He just mentioned the need to pay your ‘fair share’ of taxes - is he for real? Did he or Hunter Biden pay any taxes on the millions of dollars they earned through foreign business deals and trading on public office?” wrote Rep. Nancy Mace on social media.
Democratic praise, Republican eye rolls: reaction to Biden's speech
The congressional reaction to Biden’s speech is not exactly surprising: Democrats laud the president, while Republican representatives wish him good riddance.
“When @POTUS was sworn in, our nation faced the worst pandemic in a century & the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. But we turned it around!” wrote Representative Mark Pocan on social media.
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Biden's farewell address expresses gratitude and warnings
During Biden’s farewell address, the president expressed gratitude toward everyday Americans and paid homage to the idea of liberal democracy while issuing a warning against the consolidation of power in the hands of a few. He memorably warned against “oligarchy” and expressed grave concern about the state of the free press and the acceleration of climate change, wrapping his comments with an appeal to Americans and the incoming administration to uphold the tenets of democracy.
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“It’s up to us to make our dreams come true,” said Biden, wrapping up his comments thanking servicemembers, first responders, Kamala Harris and his family.
“You’re the love of my life and the life of my love,” he said. “I still believe in the idea for which this nation stands.”
“Now it’s your turn to stand guard,” he said.
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Biden called on the constitution to be amended to “make clear that no president, no president is immune from crimes that he or she commits while in office,” alluding to the supreme court ruling last year that guaranteed broad executive immunity from prosecution.
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Under every topic that Biden has touched on so far is the idea of democratic control and liberal democratic principles.
“We need to get dark money, that’s that hidden funding behind too many campaign contributions, we need to get it out of our politics,” he said.
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Fact-checking and misinformation got a shout out during his address: “The free press is crumbling,” said Biden. “Social media is giving up on fact checking.”
Biden spoke about the ravages of climate change and warned of corporate efforts to roll back climate protections. “Powerful forces want to wield their unchecked influence to eliminate the steps we’ve taken to tackle the climate crisis,” he said.
Biden vows peaceful transition of power to Trump but warns 'oligarchy is taking shape in America'
He wished Donald Trump’s administration success and vowed to enact a peaceful transition of power, but warned of abuses of power.
“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America, of extreme wealth, power and influence,” said Biden.
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“Together, we’ve launched a new era of American possibilities,” said Biden, arguing that poor economic conditions and inflation had been inherited from the pandemic during Donald Trump’s first term and that his administration had salvaged the economy.
Biden calls for maintaining fair government ahead of Trump's second term
Biden made the case for safeguarding institutions and maintaining the separation of powers and checks and balances.
The constitution, he said, has “maintained our democracy longer than any other nation in history.”
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Biden then pivoted to an ode to America. “The Statue of Liberty is not standing still,” said Biden. “She’s on the march.” He invoked the idea of American liberal democracy, saying that “the idea of America, our institutions, our people, our values are constantly being tested.”
Biden opens speech by taking credit for Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal
Joe Biden opened his speech by taking credit for the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
“This plan was developed and negotiated by my team and will be largely implemented by the incoming administration,” he said.
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Joe Biden isn’t the only one trying to salvage his presidential legacy.
In an interview published by the Washington Post this morning, Jill Biden worried about public perceptions of her husband and sounded a note of irritation at Biden’s critics in the Democratic Party, including Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker.
“Sure,” she said, when asked whether Biden could have governed for another four years.
Joe Biden’s farewell address, which will offer him an opportunity to make a final case for his legacy to the American public, comes at a time of persistently poor polling for the president: according to a CNN poll released today, about 36% of adults say they believe Biden is doing a good job, with his favorability rating at closer to 33%.
Biden to deliver farewell address from the Oval Office
President Joe Biden will speak from the White House, delivering a final address to the country at 8pm eastern time. Biden set the tone for the speech in a letter released by the White House earlier today in which he touted his record on the economy and underscored the challenges facing the US when he assumed office, noting the “peril” of the pandemic and ensuing economic disruption, and the insurrectionary violence of January 6.
“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,” he wrote in the letter.
The last time Biden delivered a speech to the nation from the Oval Office was in July, when he announced his decision to end his presidential campaign.
This address comes just hours after news broke that Israel and Hamas had reached a deal to secure a ceasefire after 15 months of bloodshed in the Gaza strip. The deal, which is expected to involve the release of hostages from Gaza and Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli detention, comes after months of Biden’s threats and pleas for Israel to change its conduct in Gaza while thousands of civilians died.
The address also comes just five days before Donald Trump, who Biden has called a threat to democracy, takes office.
