President Biden delivered his farewell address to the nation on Wednesday, taking to the Oval Office for one last opportunity to frame his legacy and to deliver a warning about the threat from unchecked abuse of power and wealth and what he described as an emerging oligarchy.
Speaking from behind the Resolute Desk, Biden sought to sound an alarm about "a dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a very few ultra wealthy people" that he said risks undermining the very fabric of American life.
"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," he said.
The address was an echo of the farewell address that then-President Dwight Eisenhower delivered to the nation in 1961, in which he famously warned about the dangers of an emerging "military industrial complex." Today, Biden said, that threat that he saw was coming from a "tech industrial complex."
Biden said that the consequences of this emerging concentration of power can already be felt across the nation in myriad ways.
The fight against climate change was one of several examples he pointed to.
"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," Biden said. "We must not be bullied to sacrifice in the future, the future of our children and our grandchildren."
But the dangers are evident in other areas as well, the president said. While praising the achievements of U.S. advances in technology, Biden also spoke about how notions of truth are being undermined.
"Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation enabling the abuse of power," Biden said. "The free press is crumbling, editors are disappearing. Social media is giving up on fact-checking. The truth is smothered by lies told for power and for profit."
Biden spoke about artificial intelligence as the "most consequential technology of our time, perhaps of all time," yet simultaneously cautioned of the technology's potential dangers without adequate safeguards in place. Without those protections, he said, "AI could spawn new threats to our rights, our way of life, to our privacy, how we work and how we protect our nation."
Biden also used his remarks to call for various reforms in the nation's capital. He called for "dark money" to be eliminated as a form of campaign contributions, for a ban on stock trading by members of Congress and for 18-year term limits for members of the Supreme Court.
And without mentioning President-elect Donald Trump by name, he said the Constitution should be amended "to make clear that no president — no president — is immune from crimes that he or she commits while in office."
'The magic of America'
Biden's remarks marked a coda to a political career that spanned more than half a century — a career that took him from a blue-collar upbringing in Scranton, Pa., to the halls of power in the U.S. Senate; from two terms as vice president under former President Barack Obama to his own improbable victory in 2020.
"America can be defined by one word: 'possibilities,' " Biden said. "Only in America, do we believe anything is possible, like a kid with a stutter from modest beginnings in Scranton, Pa.; Claymont, Del., sitting behind this desk in the Oval Office as president of the United States. That's the magic of America."
Biden ran for president insisting the soul of the nation was at stake. "That's still the case," Biden said ahead of his remarks in a letter to the American public. "History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America lies in your hands."
Biden, 82, had hoped for another four years at the White House, but his reelection chances were hurt by high inflation, disenchantment over illegal immigration and questions about his age. Weeks after a disastrous debate performance last June, he announced he would give up his bid for a second term.
He is leaving office deeply unpopular, and in less than a week will turn power over to Trump — a leader Biden had vowed to make a one-term president. After losing to Biden four years ago, Trump will now return to the White House promising to undo broad pieces of Biden's accomplishments.
Biden touched on a number of those achievements over the course of his address Wednesday night. He said he was proud of his accomplishments, noting the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, historic investments in infrastructure, lowering prescription drug prices and gun-safety legislation.
Biden delivered his remarks hours after announcing a diplomatic breakthrough in the war between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza. The conflict has at times dominated his presidency — and also eroded his support among many Arab-Americans. But speaking from the White House earlier in the day, Biden was able to announce a ceasefire agreement designed to end more than 15 months of bloodshed.
He called the opportunity to serve as commander in chief "the highest honor of my life," and said that after 50 years of public service he continued to have faith for the future of the nation.
"I give you my word: I still believe in the idea for which this nation stands, a nation where the strengths of our institutions and the character of our people matter and must endure," Biden said.
But as he prepares to leave the White House, he said it is also time to pass the torch.
"Now it's your turn to stand guard. May you all be the keeper of the flame. May you keep the faith. I love America. You love it, too."
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