Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free
Your guide to what the 2024 US election means for Washington and the world
US President Joe Biden has warned that “the oligarchy is developing in America” that threatens to destroy American democracy, as he blasts the “tech industry” that is emerging for providing a dangerous amount of wealth and power in the land.
Biden’s comments during a farewell speech to Americans from the Oval Office on Wednesday night amounted to a veiled attack on Donald Trump’s closest US allies, including tech billionaire Elon Musk, just five days before he hands down power. to the Republic.
Biden he said he wanted to warn the country about the “dangerous power in the hands of a few very rich people” and the danger that “the abuse of their power is left unchecked”.
He cited the late president Dwight Eisenhower’s warning in his 1961 speech of the separation of the military and industry and called for cooperation between government and government. technology risking the same risk.
“I am equally concerned about the potential growth of technology industries that could pose real risks to our country. Americans are being blindsided by a barrage of misinformation and disinformation, which allows for the abuse of power. The free press is collapsing. Editors disappear. Social media is giving up fact-checking,” Biden said.
Biden’s comments were a reflection of the world’s richest man, Musk, owner of the X media platform and founder of electric car maker Tesla, who has provided significant financial support to Trump’s campaign. and was one of his closest allies during the transition. The new Trump administration.
Some of Silicon Valley’s top executives, from Jeff Bezos of Amazon to Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, too accepted Trump since his election victory and is expected to have a large presence at the inauguration ceremony in Washington on Monday.
Biden also used his words to shed light on his one-term presidency, which ended in his biggest political failure when he dropped his re-election bid in late July. , passed the torch of the anti-Trump campaign to vice president Kamala. Harris – an effort that ended in a crushing defeat.
Biden’s approval ratings have plummeted since he resigned from the presidency and a political career in Washington that spanned more than five decades. Only 36.7 percent of Americans approve of his job performance, and 55.8 percent disapprove, according to an average of thirty-eight polls.
Biden said he hopes that what he has achieved will be judged better in the future.
He said: “It will take time to feel the full effect of all that we have done together, but the seeds have been planted, and they will grow and they will bloom for decades to come.”
Biden did not face strong criticism from Republicans, but also criticism from Democrats who blame him for seeking re-election even though he is old. He is now 82 years old.
Biden’s presidency has been defined by a damaged job market and a strong recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as a series of legislative achievements in the economy. But the pain of high inflation became a big political disaster for him.
In foreign affairs, he took credit for western support for Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country in 2022, but his response to the Middle East conflict, including strong support for Israel’s war in Gaza, caused a strong reaction from progressive Democrats. , destroyed the unity of his political organization.
It wasn’t until Wednesday, five days before he left office, that Biden – with the help of Trump aides – was able to make a deal. ceasefire agreement to release hostages held by Hamas.
“This strategy was developed and discussed with my team and will be implemented extensively by the next administration. That’s why I told my team to fully inform the incoming administration, because that’s how it should be, we work together as Americans,” he said at the beginning of his speech.
