With only days left in the White House, President Joe Biden was saving a few surprises for his farewell address Wednesday evening. Instead of simply summing up his term in office, he used the opportunity to issue dire warnings about the future and call for deep changes to the country’s foundational document.
Biden’s term ends Monday, when he’ll be replaced by Donald Trump, a man he has called an existential threat to the nation. Here’s a look at what was likely the last major speech of a political career spanning more than five decades:
Biden sent an ominous message about future dangers
The outgoing president used the opportunity to deliver a series of warnings to the American people, much like Dwight Eisenhower did in 1961 when he expressed concerns about the “military industrial complex” in his farewell address.
Biden said “an oligarchy is taking shape in America” as power and money become more concentrated in the hands of the few. He criticized the “tech industrial complex” and social media, where “the truth is smothered by lies told for power and for profit.” He urged the country to continue confronting climate change, saying, “We must not be bullied into sacrificing the future.”
It was a stark assessment for a politician who prides himself on optimism. Still, as if to prove his point about misinformation, Trump’s incoming communications director and press secretary started falsely claiming on social media that Biden’s speech was prerecorded.
The president called for a constitutional amendment
Biden used the speech to announce one of his most ambitious proposals. He wants an amendment to the U.S. Constitution “to make clear that no president — no president — is immune from crimes that he or she commits while in office.”
The proposal is related to a landmark Supreme Court ruling from last summer, when justices said former presidents have broad immunity for official acts while they’re in the White House. The ruling had major legal consequences, significantly narrowing the case against Trump for attempting to overturn his 2020 loss. The charges were dismissed following Trump’s win in November because sitting presidents can’t be prosecuted.
In addition to the ruling’s impact on Trump’s case, Biden has been deeply troubled by the possibility that it would turn presidents into unaccountable kings.
Biden had other ideas, too. He said there should be higher taxes on billionaires, stricter rules on campaign contributions, 18-year term limits for Supreme Court justices and a ban on stock trading for members of Congress.
It’s been a long goodbye for Biden
The speech Wednesday evening was one of several events Biden was holding as he winds down his time in the White House. He gave a speech on foreign policy at the State Department on Monday, and he’s granted a handful of interviews. He also named new national monuments, issued new rules on America’s use of artificial intelligence and announced that a ceasefire had been brokered between Israel and Hamas.
His final public appearance before Monday’s inauguration will be on Sunday in South Carolina, where he’s expected to visit the International African American Museum in Charleston. The state was a crucial part of his quest for the White House four years ago, helping him secure the Democratic nomination.
The presidential farewell speech isn’t always at the White House
Biden chose to speak from the Oval Office, the most presidential of presidential venues. He sat at the Resolute desk, photos of his family behind him. First lady Jill Biden, son Hunter and other family members, including his 4-year-old grandson, Beau, sat in the office as he delivered his speech.
Not every president gives a speech in the same spot. President Barack Obama went to his home in Chicago for his farewell speech. George W. Bush spoke from the East Room. Donald Trump never conceded his election loss four years ago, but he delivered a pretaped address that was made public Jan. 19, 2021.
Biden gave a nod to his vice president
Also in the Oval Office were Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff. Harris replaced Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket when he abandoned his reelection bid after a disastrous debate performance. Biden endorsed Harris and hoped she would be replacing him as the country’s first female president.
Instead, Harris was watching as Biden talked about a smooth transition to the next administration.
Biden said Harris has been “a great partner,” adding that she and Emhoff had become “like family.” When he said that, Jill Biden reached over and squeezed Harris’ hands.