US President Donald Trump watches as he speaks to the media before embarking on Air Force One to leave Washington on a trip to visit the US-Mexico border wall in Texas at Andrews Joint Base in Maryland, January 12, 2021 .
Carlos Barria | Reuters
President Donald Trump, in a pre-recorded farewell speech, praised his record in the economy and foreign policy, while covering up the Capitol riot that consumed the final weeks of his presidency.
He also did not mention his successor, Joe Biden, by name. Biden will be inaugurated as the country’s 46th president on Wednesday.
Trump’s nearly 20-minute speech, which was recorded on Monday, framed his departure from the White House as the natural conclusion of a job well done, and not as a consequence of his defeat in the Biden elections.
“We did what we came here to do – and more,” Trump said in the speech.
“This week, we inaugurated a new government and we pray for its success in keeping America safe and prosperous. We express our best wishes and we also wish them luck – a very important word,” said Trump.
Trump had previously acknowledged that a new government will take over on Wednesday, but did not formally give in to Biden. Unlike previous presidential farewell speeches, Trump’s speech makes no specific mention of his successor.
The president’s speech also made only a reference to the January 6 invasion of the Capitol by a swarm of supporters – an event that left five dead and prompted the House to impeach a second time.
“All Americans were horrified by the attack on our Capitol. Political violence is an attack on everything we cherish as Americans. It can never be tolerated,” Trump said in the speech.
He denied any responsibility for the invasion. But the previous Tuesday, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Said the crowd was “provoked by the president and other powerful people”.
Trump faces an impeachment trial in the Senate.
Trump in the video praised his government’s efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic, saying the United States “outperformed other countries economically because of our incredible economy and the economy we built. Without the foundations and foundations, it wouldn’t have worked that way. . “
Earlier Tuesday, the United States overcame 400,000 deaths from Covid, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Approximately a quarter of these deaths have been reported in the past five weeks alone.
“We regret every life lost and swear in our memory to end this horrific pandemic once and for all,” said Trump, whose term ends Wednesday in his speech.
Trump, who regularly accused the media of being “enemies of the people” and campaigned on the promise to “drain the swamp” in DC, also dedicated a considerable part of the speech by issuing a warning against “political censorship and blacklisting”.
“Closing the free and open debate violates our core values and the most enduring traditions,” said Trump, who was permanently banned from Twitter after his initial reaction to the Capitol turmoil.
“Now, as I prepare to hand over power to a new government at noon on Wednesday, I want you to know that the movement we started is just beginning,” he said.
But it is unclear whether this move will include Trump – at least as a candidate for an elected office. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., promised on Tuesday that if Trump is convicted after his impeachment trial, “there will be a vote to stop him running again.”