Biden Paints Dark And Depressing Picture Of America In Farewell Address

President Joe Biden’s tone was familiar during his final address to the country, as he used his brief speech to paint a  depressing picture of the future of America.

The 82-year-old sat behind the Resolute desk one more time to address the nation on Wednesday, spending his 16 minutes less focused on his administration’s accomplishments and more focused on what he thought a second Trump administration could bring to America. Surrounded by the vice president, second gentleman, first lady, his son Hunter Biden and other top aides, the president warned Americans of an “oligarchy” taking place and the “real dangers” coming for the country. (RELATED: Biden Reportedly Wants To Double Down On ‘Threat To Democracy’ Campaign Theme After Trump ‘Dictator’ Comments)

“I have no doubt that America is in a position to continue to succeed. That’s why in my farewell address tonight, I want to warn the country of some things that give me great concern,” Biden said. “This is a dangerous concert – that’s dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a very few ultra wealthy people.”

“They’re dangerous consequences if their abuse of power is left unchecked. 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. We see the consequences all across America, and we’ve seen it before, more than a century ago, but the American people stood up to the robber barons back then and busted the trust,” the president continued. 

After warning of a dangerous “oligarchy,” the president continued to decry “the existential threat” of climate change, citing the devastating wildfires in California and Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. Despite the state of California knowing for years that it was vulnerable to potential horrific wildfires, Democratic officials failed to take appropriate action to prevent such as they mismanage the L.A. fires.

“Powerful forces,” Biden claimed, want to eliminate the actions his administration took in regards to the economy and environment “for power and profit”

“I’m equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech industrial complex,” Biden said, just days after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that his company would be ending its third-party fact checking program.

“It could pose real dangers for our country as well. Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation, enabling the abuse of power, the free press is crumbling,” he added. “The others are disappearing. Social media is giving up on fact checking. The truth is smothered by lies, both for power and for profit.” (RELATED: Facebook Censored Hunter Biden Laptop Story To Gain Favor With Biden-Harris Admin, House Report Says)

The president did use a few minutes of his farewell address to try to take a victory lap as he looked back at his four years in office. Cheering on gun restriction legislation, Biden said his administration was able to bring violent crime to a 50 year low. The FBI Uniform Crime Report (UCR) initially showed a slight 2.1% decrease in violent crime from 2021 to 2022, but quietly revised its data, showing that violent crime actually increased, according to RealClearInvestigations.

Biden also championed his administration’s work to create nearly 17 million new jobs, adding that it was the most any single administration has been able to add. The president did not add that he inherited an economy and country reeling from a global pandemic that had devastating economic impacts. (RELATED: ‘Left With Fewer Jobs Than When He Entered’: Biden Takes Shot At Trump Economy Without Mentioning COVID)

Millions of Americans, Biden continued, have the “dignity of work” as a result of his work on the economy. In June 2024, the number of foreign-born workers employed in the U.S. increased by 637,000 to nearly 30.9 million, while the number of employed native-born Americans has decreased by 299,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The president added that under his administration NATO is stronger than ever and “Ukraine is still free.” Russia’s first incursion into Ukraine began during Biden’s Vice Presidency in 2014, and its full-fledged invasion didn’t begin until after he became president in 2022.

Four years ago, our country was hit by the worst pandemic and economic crisis in a century.

But we came together as Americans and emerged stronger, more prosperous, and more secure.

Join me tonight as I reflect on our progress and deliver my farewell address to the nation. pic.twitter.com/ds9nruBVHq

— President Biden (@POTUS) January 15, 2025

Before thanking the nation for the opportunity, Biden also took some time to call for new restrictions on the Supreme Court and members of Congress.

“We need to enact an 18 year time limit. Term limit, time and term for the strongest ethic and the strongest ethic reforms for Supreme Court,” the president said. He went on to add that congressional members should be banned from trading stock while in office. (RELATED: Pelosi Says She Won’t Block Stock Trading Ban, Trashes Supreme Court Ethics Rules)

Biden also didn’t shy away from taking some final shots at President-elect Donald Trump in his farewell address, and perhaps his last was calling for the Supreme Court to reverse its decision on presidential immunity before he passed the torch.

“In a democracy, there’s another danger to the concentration of power and wealth,” Biden said. “It erodes a sense of unity and common purpose. It causes distrust and division. Participating in our democracy becomes exhausting and even disillusioning. People don’t feel like they have a fair shot. We have to stay engaged in the process. I know it’s frustrating. A fair shot is what makes America, America.”

Then, after shouting out his vice president, her family and the first lady, Biden issued a stark warning to Americans.

“After a few years of service, I give you my word. I still believe in the idea for which this nation stands, nation where the strengths of our institutions and the character of our people matter and must endure,” he said.

“Now it’s your turn to stand guard,” the 82-year-old concluded.