In farewell speech, Biden calls for protection of democracy

In his farewell speech from the White House on Wednesday evening, President Joe Biden warned of risks from the concentration of power and assets. The talk was the final chapter of a decades-old political career and a four-year term, and comes a few days before Donald Trump comes into office for the second time.

President Joe Biden will leave the White House when his mandate ends on January 20th. In his farewell speech Wednesday evening, he made a warning.

The dangerous concentration of power in the hands of very few very wealthy people; the dangerous consequences if their abuse of power comes out of control: Today, in America an oligarchy of wealth, power and extreme influence is creating that threatens all our democracy, our fundamental rights and freedoms”, said Mr. Biden.

The president did not say who he meant by oligarchy. But some of the country's largest billionaires, such as Elon Musk, have established close ties with President-elect Donald Trump.

Not to mention names, Mr. Biden apparently referred to Mark Zuckerberg's recent decision that his social media company Meta, including Facebook and Instagram platforms, will stop the practice of checking facts.

The Free House is falling apart. Editors are disappearing. Social media are giving up the fact control. The truth is being absorbed by lies for profit”, he said.

President Biden ends his mandate with a success in foreign policy. Just hours before the speech, he announced that Israel and Hamas had reached a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. The agreement will be implemented mainly by the next administration.

That's why I told my team to keep the next administration completely informed, because that's what needs to happen: work together as Americans.”

In a letter made public Wednesday, Mr. Biden expressed his reflections from the beginning of his administration under the shadow of COVID and the January 6th attack on the US Capitol by a crowd of supporters of Mr. Trump aiming to overturn the results of the 2020 elections.

According to the Gallup organisation, Mr. Biden leaves the post after a mandate, with support of only 39%. How his inheritance will be remembered may also depend on his successor.

If Trump really turns out to be as dangerous to democratic norms as Biden and other Democrats suggest, then I think he [Biden] could be appreciated for predicting such a thing. But if with the Trump administration we see a relatively normal presidency that faces problems, but there are also some achievements, I think that Biden will be remembered more about what has reached”, says presidential historian Thomas Schwartz of Vanderbilt University.

The White House cited as Mr. Beden's achievement leading to a strong economic recovery.

And although Mr. Biden tried to end his involvement in foreign wars, he is primarily criticized for his chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. The president ended the talk by thanking the nation for the privilege he was given.

I still believe in the idea on which this place was founded. A country where the power of institutions and the character of the people are vital. Now it's your turn to protect them. ”/voa