Joe Biden uses his farewell address to speak of the threat to democracy, while only briefly defending his own legacy.
The outgoing American president used his final Oval Office address to warn against the rise of a new oligarchy in the U.S. Just as Dwight D. Eisenhower spoke about the substantial impact of the industrial military complex in his farewell address in the early 1960s, Joe Biden referred to the technological industrial complex in bleak terms on Wednesday. The “extreme wealth, power and influence,” he said, amassed by the new oligarchs, threatens “our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms.”
With only until Monday left in the White House, the president mentioned no names. But it was perfectly clear that the Democratic president’s warning was directed at the wealthy tech entrepreneurs surrounding his successor, Donald Trump: namely, X owner Elon Musk and Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg. Once again, Biden bitterly complained about the social media platform Facebook no longer actively tackling misinformation in the future. “The truth is smothered by lies,” said the outgoing president.
Biden then called for an overhaul of U.S. institutions. Specifically, he proposed an 18-year term limit for the nine Supreme Court justices in response to a series of controversial decisions made by the conservative majority in recent years. Biden also advocated for an amendment to the Constitution that makes clear no president has total immunity for criminal acts. The latter was a dig at the controversial U.S. Supreme Court ruling that shields his predecessor and successor, Trump, from criminal investigation. **
Biden Calls His Career the ‘Magic of America’
Biden also used his 18-minute address to reflect on his long political career. The former senator, vice-president, and president has spent nearly a half-century in Washington, which amounts to almost one-fifth of the entire history of the American Republic. Biden said he was grateful to American voters for giving him the opportunity to experience all that he has. Ultimately, his rise from the industrial center of Scranton, Pennsylvania, to the White House is the typical American success story. Biden, 82, referred to his political biography as the “magic of America.”
However, Biden spent little time dwelling on his term in office. On the one hand, this is probably due to his low approval rating. As it stands, only about one-third of Americans believe he did a good job as president. On the other, it may be because Biden implemented an agenda that yielded no immediate results during his four-year term. “It will take time,” he said, referring to the full impact of his legislative proposals, such as infrastructure deals and climate law, being felt. “But the seeds are planted.”
Of course, in the eyes of his political opponents, this is a mere pipe dream. Many Republicans, and even some Democrats, believe Biden was an ineffective president. His farewell address, which was also a homage to American history, will not have changed that. “Thank you for this great honor,” Biden said at the close of his speech, and then the TV cameras turned off. Biden first embraced his wife, Jill, in the Oval Office and then the woman who was meant to succeed him, Vice President Kamala Harris.
*Editor’s note: This article is available in its original German language with a paid subscription.
**Editor’s note: The author is referring to the Supreme Court case of Trump v. United States, in which it held that former presidents cannot be prosecuted for actions relating to the core powers of their office.
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