President Donald Trump released his farewell speech on Tuesday afternoon, saying he will pray for the success of the forthcoming administration.
“We restored the idea that in America, no one is forgotten—because everyone matters and everyone has a voice. I took on the tough battles, the hardest fights, the most difficult choices—because that’s what you elected me to do. Our agenda was not about right or left, it wasn’t about Republican or Democrat, but about the good of a nation, and that means the whole nation.”
Trump added that on Wednesday, the United States will “inaugurate a new administration and pray for its success in keeping America safe and prosperous.”
The commander-in-chief also trumpeted what he saw as his top achievements in office, including efforts to normalize relations in the Middle East as well as his administration’s efforts to take on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He also touted the fact that he started no new wars—noting he was the first president to do so in decades.
“We revitalized our alliances and rallied the nations of the world to stand up to China like never before,” he said. “As a result of our bold diplomacy and principled realism, we achieved a series of historic peace deals in the Middle East. It is the dawn of a new Middle East and we are bringing our soldiers home. I am especially proud to be the first president in decades who has started no new wars.”
Offering his remarks about the breaching of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. for the first time in weeks, Trump disavowed the violence on Jan. 6 during the Joint Session of Congress.
Trump also thanked First Lady Melania Trump, family members, various staffers, and the U.S. Secret Service.
The president also struck an optimistic tone, saying he built a potent political movement.
“Now, as I prepare to hand power over to a new administration at noon on Wednesday, I want you to know that the movement we started is only just beginning,” Trump said.
White House officials said on Tuesday that the speech was recorded on Monday.
Trump, meanwhile, will reportedly skip the ceremonial swearing-in of Biden on Wednesday and will depart the White House on Wednesday morning. Before his account was suspended by Twitter earlier in January, Trump said he would not attend the event.
President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday promised that even as he departs for D.C., to be sworn in, “I’ll always be a proud son of the state of Delaware.” Biden added: “It’s deeply personal that our next journey to Washington starts here—the place that defines the very best of who we are as Americans.”
