WASHINGTON, USA – In a poignant farewell address delivered from the Oval Office, outgoing President Joe Biden issued a stark warning about the state of American democracy, accusing an emerging “oligarchy” of endangering the nation’s core values.
The 82-year-old president, who is stepping down after one term, spoke on Wednesday, January 13, 2025, to a nation bracing for Donald Trump’s return to power.
“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power, and influence that really threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedom,” Biden declared, taking aim at a “tech-industrial complex” that he likened to the “military-industrial complex” warned of by Dwight Eisenhower in his 1961 farewell address.
The outgoing president’s remarks appeared to target prominent tech billionaires Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos, who have amassed vast wealth and publicly supported Trump’s presidential campaign.
Musk, in particular, has been a frequent subject of Biden’s critiques, with the president citing a “dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a few ultra-wealthy people.”
Achievements and Warnings
Biden used his address to highlight his administration’s accomplishments, including historic infrastructure investments, healthcare reforms, and clean energy initiatives.
He credited these policies with creating 17 million new jobs, reducing healthcare costs, and helping the nation recover from the pandemic.
“It will take time to feel the full impact of all we’ve done together, but the seeds are planted, and they’ll grow and bloom for decades to come,” Biden said.
However, his tone shifted to one of caution as he underscored challenges facing the nation, particularly misinformation and climate change.
He accused social media platforms of abandoning fact-checking and enabling the spread of disinformation, stating, “Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation, enabling the abuse of power.”
Biden also warned of efforts by powerful interests to undermine climate action.
“Powerful forces want to wield their unchecked influence to eliminate the steps we’ve taken to tackle the climate crisis to serve their own interests for power and profit,” he said.
Divided Reactions
Biden’s speech drew predictably polarized responses.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised the president’s leadership, describing his presidency as “four historic years of progress, hope, and unity for American families.”
Republicans offered a harsher assessment. Representative Andrew Clyde called Biden’s tenure a “failure,” while South Carolina’s Nancy Mace accused him of attacking American citizens with his references to oligarchs.
Incoming President Donald Trump, who defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in November, dismissed Biden’s warnings.
Trump and his supporters took credit for a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas announced on the same day as Biden’s address.
Biden described the agreement as one of the toughest negotiations of his career but noted it would take effect just one day before Trump’s inauguration.
A Closing Call to Action
In his final moments as president, Biden urged Americans to remain vigilant in defending democracy.
“May you all be the keeper of the flame,” he said, calling on citizens to “stand guard” against abuses of power.
Biden’s farewell address, steeped in both pride and apprehension, encapsulated a presidency defined by efforts to bridge a divided nation and tackle systemic challenges.
As the country prepares for a new administration, the divisions Biden sought to heal remain stark, leaving the nation at a crossroads.