Key lines from President Joe Biden’s farewell address
By Kevin Liptak, Jack Forrest, Aditi Sangal and Elise Hammond, CNN
(CNN) — After four years in the White House – and a half-century in Washington – President Joe Biden has said farewell.
Sitting behind the Resolute Desk on Wednesday evening, the one-term Democratic leader used a 19-minute address to frame his four-year presidency on his own terms – and to appeal for a brand of politics that he sees as rapidly disappearing.
Utilizing the Oval Office and commandeering network airwaves one final time, Biden cast his legacy as one of rebuilding and transformation. But unlike some of his recent speeches, he did not use the moment to recite a laundry list of his accomplishments.
Instead, Biden used the bulk of his time to issue a final warning about the path he sees the nation following, one he cautioned could erode the institutions he’s spent more than 50 years revering.
Here are some key lines from Biden’s final address to the American people as president.
Biden warns of burgeoning oligarchy
Biden warned of a developing “oligarchy” in America as he stressed the importance of holding the ultra-wealthy to the same expectations as the working- and middle-class citizens.
“I want to warn the country of some things that give me great concern. And this is a dangerous concern. And that’s 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 shot 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’s about to have a clear line to the White House.
The president made reference to the concentration of power over a century ago in the hands of “robber barons,” which was broken through antitrust practices, an issue Biden has made a priority during his administration over a century later.
“They didn’t punish the wealthy. They just made the wealthy play by the rules everybody else had to. Workers wanted rights to earn their fair share,” Biden said. “They were dealt into the deal, and it helped put us on a path to building the largest middle class and the most prosperous century any nation in the world has ever seen. We’ve got to do that again.”
Taken together, the warnings amounted to a challenge to the incoming president and his team to live up to the populist promises of the campaign trail – ones Biden and many Democrats view as empty.
A warning over social media and tech companies
Biden pointed to social media as he reflected on the things that concern him as his presidency comes to a close.
“I’m equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech industrial complex that could pose real dangers for our country, as well,” 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.
“Social media is giving up on fact checking. The truth is smothered by lies told for power and for profit. We must hold the social platforms accountable to protect our children, our families and our very democracy from the abuse of power,” he urged.
Biden argues it will take time for his accomplishments to be felt
Biden is immensely proud of the list of accomplishments he leaves behind, and has said he doesn’t believe he’s received enough credit for them.
He ticked through many of them on Wednesday, though chose not to expand on them in detail during his final appearance before the American people.
Instead, he urged patience as his record is assessed, suggesting history could view him differently than polls
“It will take time to feel the full impact of what we’ve done together. But the seeds are planted, and they’ll grow and they’ll bloom for decades to come,” he said during his farewell address.
He listed some of the accomplishment, including lowering prescription drug prices for seniors, passing gun safety laws and helping veterans get health care.
Biden also touted foreign policy accomplishments and pointed 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 presents great risks and great opportunities, Biden says
Biden warned about the “profound possibilities and risks” that come with artificial intelligence.
“Artificial intelligence is the most consequential technology of our time, perhaps of all time. Nothing offers more profound possibilities 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 end cancer as we know it. But unless safeguards are in place, AI could spawn new threats to our rights, our way of life, to our privacy, how we work and how we protect our nation,” he said.
Biden urged that it should be ensured that AI works for good, and that America leads its development.
“In the age of AI, it’s more important than ever that the people must govern. And as the land of liberty, America – not China – must lead the world in the development of AI,” he added.
The president mulls ‘who we are’
Biden opened his address by saying he has been thinking a lot about who the American people are, as he referenced the symbol of the Statue of Liberty.
The nation, he said, was “constantly being tested,” and that “through good times and tough times, we’ve withstood it all.”
Using the internal girding of the Statue of Liberty as a metaphor, Biden said “storms are always coming” that will bend — but not break — the nation’s underpinnings.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about who we are and maybe even 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 is not standing still. Her foot literally steps forward atop a broken chain of human bondage. She’s on the march, and she literally moves. She was built to sway back and forth, to withstand the fury of stormy weather, to stand the test of time. Because storms are always coming. She sways a few inches, but she never falls into the current below. An engineering marvel,” he added.
It was an ode to the political world that Biden emerged from last century, which he sees being replaced by the nationalist outlook of Trump.
Biden encourages Americans to stay engaged with the democratic process
Biden had a message to Americans on Wednesday as he prepares to leave office: stay engaged.
“We have to stay engaged in the process. I know it’s frustrating. A fair shot is what makes America, America,” Biden said. “Everyone is entitled to a fair shot, not a guarantee, just a fair shot, an even playing field.”
The president said that “the concentration of power and weather” causes division and could make people feel like it is exhausting to participate in democracy.
He urged Americans not to give into that sentiment, “we can never lose that essential truth” of a fair shot, he said.
Urging respect for democracy
During his speech, Biden hailed the democratic institutions that underpin the United States of America.
The theme of democracy vs. autocracy has been the underlying current of Biden’s presidency and his wider message to Americans. Amid a time of widespread dissatisfaction with government institutions, Biden said the system set up by the founders remains the best system of government.
“After 50 years at the center of all of this, I know that believing in the idea of America means respecting the institutions that govern a free society – the presidency, the 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’s maintained our democracy for nearly 250 years, longer than any other nation in history that’s ever tried such a bold experiment,” he added.
Biden implores Americans to ‘stand guard’
Biden ended his farewell address Wednesday on an optimistic note as he told Americans he still believes “in the idea for which this nation stands.”
“To you, the American people, after 50 years of public service, I give you my word. I still believe in the idea for which this nation stands. A nation where the strength of our institutions and the character of our people matter and must endure,” he said.
After warning of a growing “oligarchy” and taking veiled shots at his successor over the course of his speech, Biden ended his address imploring Americans to carry forward his hopeful vision of the country.
“Now it’s your turn to stand guard. May you all be the keeper 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.
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