Key lines from President Joe Biden’s farewell address

CNN
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After four years in the White House – and half a century in Washington – President Joe Biden has said goodbye.

Sitting behind the Resolute Desk on Wednesday night, the one-time Democratic leader used a 19-minute speech to frame his four-year presidency on his own terms — and to appeal to a brand of politics he sees as fast disappearing.

Using the Oval Office and cutting-edge network airwaves one last time, Biden cast his legacy as one of rebuilding and transformation. But unlike some of his recent speeches, he didn’t use the moment to recite a laundry list of his achievements.

Instead, Biden spent the bulk of his time issuing a final warning about the path he sees the nation taking, one he warned could erode the institutions he has spent more than 50 years honoring.

Here are some key lines from Biden’s final address to the American people as president.

Biden warned of a developing “oligarchy” in America as he stressed the importance of holding the ultra-wealthy to the same expectations as working and middle-class citizens.

“I want to warn the country about some things that are of great concern to me. And this is a dangerous concern. And it is the dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a very few ultra-wealthy people,” Biden said.

He added: “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 chance for everyone to get ahead.”

He did not name the subjects of his warning, but his targets seemed clear: Donald Trump and Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, who has a clear line to the White House.

The president referred to the concentration of power more than a century ago in the hands of “robber barons” that was broken through antitrust practices, an issue Biden has prioritized during his administration more than a century later.

“They didn’t punish the wealthy. They just made the rich play by the rules like everyone else had to. Workers wanted rights to earn their fair share,” Biden said. “They were shared in the deal, and it helped put us on the path to building the largest middle class and the most prosperous century that any nation in the world has ever seen. We must do that again.”

Overall, the warnings posed a challenge to the president-elect and his team to deliver on populist promises on the campaign trail — ones that Biden and many Democrats view as empty.

Biden pointed to social media as he reflected on the things that worry him as his presidency nears its end.

“I am equally concerned about the potential rise of a technical industrial complex that could also pose real dangers to our country,” he said.

“Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation, enabling the abuse of power. The free press is crumbling, editors are disappearing,” he added.

“The social media give up checking the facts. The truth is stifled by lies told for power and profit. We must hold social platforms accountable to protect our children, our families and our very democracy from abuse of power,” he urged.

Biden is immensely proud of the list of accomplishments he leaves behind and has said he doesn’t think he’s received enough credit for them.

He ticked off many of them on Wednesday, though he chose not to elaborate on them during his final appearance before the American people.

Instead, he urged patience while his record is assessed, suggesting that history could view him differently than polls

“It will take time to feel the full impact of what we have done together. But the seeds have been planted and they will grow and they will flourish for decades to come,” he said during his farewell address.

He cited some of the results, including lowering prescription drug prices for seniors, passing gun safety laws and helping veterans get health care.

Biden also touted foreign policy achievements, pointing to how he “strengthened NATO.”

“Ukraine is still free and we’ve pulled ahead of our competition with China and so much more,” Biden said.

Artificial intelligence poses great risks and great opportunities, says Biden

Biden warned of the “profound opportunities and risks” that come with artificial intelligence.

“Artificial intelligence is the most consequential technology of our time, perhaps of all time. Nothing presents more profound opportunities and risks for our economy and our security, our society, for humanity. Artificial intelligence even has the potential to help us answer my call to stop cancer as we know it. But unless safeguards are in place, artificial intelligence could create new threats to our rights, our way of life, our privacy, how we work and how we protect our nation,” he said.

Biden urged that it be ensured that AI works for good and that America leads the development.

“In the age of artificial intelligence, it is more important than ever that the people rule. And as the land of the free, America – not China – must lead the world in the development of artificial intelligence,” he added.

Biden opened his address by saying that he has thought a lot about who the American people are when he referenced the symbol of the Statue of Liberty.

The nation, he said, was “constantly tested” and that “through good times and hard times we have withstood it all.”

Using the inner turmoil of the Statue of Liberty as a metaphor, Biden said “there are always storms coming” that will bend — but not break — the nation’s foundations.

“I’ve thought a lot about who we are and, perhaps more importantly, who we should be,” Biden said.

He went on to describe the building of the Statue of Liberty in New York, a gift from France, saying that “like the very idea of ​​America, it was built not by one person, but by many people, from every background and from around the world.”

“Like America, the Statue of Liberty does not stand still. Her foot literally steps forward on top of a broken chain of human servitude. She is on the march, and she literally moves. She was built to sway back and forth, to withstand the storm’s fury, For storms always come, but she never falls Into the stream below,” added he.

It was an ode to the political world that Biden emerged from last century, which he sees being replaced by Trump’s nationalist outlook.

Biden had a message for Americans Wednesday as he prepares to leave office: stay engaged.

“We must remain committed to the process. I know it’s frustrating. A fair shot is what makes America, America,” Biden said. “Everybody has a right to a fair shot, not a guarantee, just a fair shot, a level playing field.”

The president said the “concentration of power and weather” causes division and can make people feel that participating in democracy is exhausting.

He urged Americans not to give in to the feeling “we can never lose the essential truth” of a fair shot, he said.

During his speech, Biden praised the democratic institutions that support the United States.

The theme of democracy vs. autocracy has been the undercurrent of Biden’s presidency and his broader message to Americans. Amid a time of widespread dissatisfaction with government institutions, Biden said the system established by the Founding Fathers remains the best system of government.

“After 50 years at the center of all this, I know that believing in the idea of ​​America means respecting the institutions that govern a free society — the presidency, Congress, the courts, a free and independent press,” he said.

“Our system of separation of powers, checks and balances. It may not be perfect, but it has sustained our democracy for nearly 250 years, longer than any other nation in history that has ever attempted such a bold experiment,” he added.

Biden pleads with Americans to ‘keep vigil’

Biden ended his farewell speech Wednesday on an upbeat note, telling Americans that he still believes “in the idea that this nation stands for.”

“To you, the American people, after 50 years of public service, I give you my word. I still believe in the idea that this nation stands for. A nation where the strength of our institutions and the character of our people matter and must pass,” he said.

After warning of a growing “oligarchy” and taking veiled shots at his successor during his speech, Biden concluded his speech by pleading with Americans to carry on his hopeful vision for the country.

“Now it’s your turn to stand guard. May you all be guardians of the flame. May you keep the faith. I love America. You love it too. God bless you all. And may God protect our troops. Thank you for this great honor,” Biden said.