President Donald Trump released a farewell address Tuesday that called on Americans to “rise above” partisan rancor” and touted his administration’s historic accomplishments.
“To serve as your president has been an honor beyond description,” Trump said in a video shared by the White House. “Thank you for this extraordinary privilege.”
Trade deals, economic foreign policy, and the extraordinary speed of development in which the COVID-19 vaccines were developed were cited as significant achievements in the nearly 20-minute speech.
“They called it a medical miracle,” he said. “Another administration would’ve taken three, four, five, maybe even up to 10 years to develop a vaccine. We did it in nine months.”
Trump also touted his administration’s efforts to revive the U.S. economy amid the pandemic and to secure the southern border.
“We proudly leave the next administration with the strongest and most robust border security measures ever put into place,” he said.
“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,” he added.
The President also condemned the growing censorship of conservative voices in America.
“Shutting down free and open debate violates our core values and most enduring traditions,” he said. “In America, we don’t insist on absolute conformity or enforce rigid orthodoxies and punitive speech codes. We just don’t do that.”
He said the work of his movement would continue, even as his term comes to an end.
“The movement that we started is only just beginning,” he said. “There’s never been anything like it. The belief that a nation must serve its citizens will not dwindle.”
“America is not a timid nation of tame souls who need to be sheltered and protected from those with whom we disagree,” he later added. “That’s not who we are. It will never be who we are.”
President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn into office at 12 pm EST Wednesday. WIBC will air the ceremony live on 93.1 FM.
TRUMP ALLEGEDLY SCREAMS AT PENCE: GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS A PATRIOT OR A P****
Vice President Mike Pence announced Tuesday afternoon that he and outgoing second lady Karen Pence will attend the inauguration.
Pence is not expected to attend Wednesday morning’s farewell ceremony for President Trump at Joint Base Andrews, according to a report from Fox News.
WIBC’s Mock and Rob Show will offer commentary prior to the event.
