By ZEKE MILLER, CHRIS MEGERIAN and COLLEEN LONG
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden used his farewell tackle to the nation Wednesday to warn of an “oligarchy” of the ultra-wealthy taking root within the nation and of a “tech-industrial complex” that’s infringing on People’ rights and the way forward for democracy.
Talking from the Oval Workplace as he prepares handy over energy Monday to President-elect Donald Trump, Biden sounded alarm over the buildup of energy and wealth amongst a small few.
“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,” Biden stated, drawing consideration to “a dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a few ultra-wealthy people. Dangerous consequences if their abuse of power is left unchecked.”
Invoking President Dwight Eisenhower’s warnings concerning the military-industrial complicated when he left workplace, he added, “I’m equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech-industrial complex that could pose real dangers to our country as well.”
Biden sounded the alarm as a few of the world’s richest people and titans of its expertise trade have flocked to Trump’s aspect in latest months, notably after his November victory. Billionaire Elon Musk spent greater than $100 million on serving to Trump get elected, and executives like Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos have donated to Trump’s inaugural committee and made pilgrimages to Trump’s personal membership in Florida for an viewers with the president-elect.
Biden additionally referred to as for a constitutional modification to finish immunity for sitting presidents, after the Supreme Courtroom granted Trump sweeping protections final yr from prison legal responsibility over his function in attempting to undermine his 2020 defeat to Biden.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows under.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden delivered a farewell tackle to the nation Wednesday night time, seizing what could also be his last alternative to reshape People’ grim views on his time period earlier than he departs the White Home.
His speech within the Oval Workplace is the most recent in a sequence of remarks on home coverage and international relations which might be meant to cement his legacy. Earlier within the day, he heralded an extended awaited ceasefire settlement between Israel and Hamas, which might finish greater than a yr of bloodshed within the Center East.
“It will take time to feel the impact of all we’ve done together, but the seeds are planted and they’ll grow and they’ll bloom for decades to come,” Biden stated.
However Biden isn’t leaving the White Home in the best way that he hoped. He initially tried to run for reelection, brushing apart voters’ issues that he could be 86 years outdated on the finish of a second time period. After stumbling in a debate with Republican Donald Trump, Biden dropped out of the race underneath strain from his personal occasion.
He endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, who misplaced to Trump in November. Now Biden is making ready to cede energy to somebody he’s described as an existential risk to the nation’s democratic establishments.
He implicitly acknowledged that his guarantees remained unfulfilled in an open letter launched Wednesday morning.
“I ran for president because I believed that the soul of America was at stake,” Biden wrote. “The very nature of who we are was at stake. And, that’s still the case.”
The remainder of the letter emphasised his accomplishments, together with guiding the nation out of the coronavirus pandemic, supporting home manufacturing and limiting the price of pharmaceuticals.
The speech Wednesday night time will cap not solely Biden’s presidency however his 5 many years in politics. He was as soon as the nation’s youngest senator at 30 years outdated after being elected to signify his residence state of Delaware in 1972.
Biden pursued the presidency in 1988 and 2008 earlier than turning into Barack Obama’s vp. After serving two phrases, Biden was thought of to be retired from politics. However he returned to middle stage because the unlikely Democratic nominee in 2020, efficiently ousting Trump from the White Home.
“Nowhere else on Earth could a kid with a stutter from modest beginnings in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Claymont, Delaware, one day sit behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office as President of the United States,” Biden wrote in his letter. “I have given my heart and my soul to our nation. And I have been blessed a million times in return with the love and support of the American people.”
Initially Printed: January 15, 2025 at 4:30 PM EST
