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U.S. President Donald Trump watches as he addresses the media before boarding Air Force One to leave Washington to visit the US-Mexico border wall in Texas at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Jan. 12 2021.
Carlos Barria | Reuters
President Donald Trump, in a pre-recorded farewell speech, praised his record on the economy and foreign policy, while ignoring the riot on Capitol Hill that devoured the final weeks of his presidency.
He also failed to 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, presented his departure from the White House as the natural conclusion of a job well done, rather than the consequence of his electoral defeat to Biden.
“We did what we came here for – and so much more,” Trump said in his speech.
“This week we are inaugurating a new administration and praying that it will succeed in ensuring America’s security and prosperity. We send them our best wishes and we also want them to be lucky – a very important word. “Trump said.
Trump previously acknowledged that a new administration would take charge on Wednesday, but he did not officially concede to Biden. Unlike the farewell speeches of former presidents, Trump’s speech makes no specific mention of his successor.
The president’s speech also made only one reference to the Jan.6 invasion of the Capitol by a swarm of his supporters – an event that left five people dead and prompted the House to impeach him a second time.
“All Americans have been appalled by the assault 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 earlier on Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Said the crowd was “provoked by the president and other powerful people.”
Trump faces a Senate impeachment trial.
Trump in the video praised his administration’s efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic, saying the United States “has outperformed other countries economically because of our incredible economy and the economy we have built. Without it. foundations and foundations, it wouldn’t have worked that way. “
Earlier on Tuesday, the United States surpassed 400,000 deaths from Covid, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. About a quarter of these deaths have been reported in the past five weeks alone.
“We mourn for every life lost and we pledge in their memory to eradicate this horrific pandemic once and for all,” Trump, whose term ends Wednesday, said in his speech.
Trump, who has regularly accused the media of being “the enemy of the people” and campaigned on a pledge to “drain the swamp” in Washington, also devoted a significant portion of his speech warning against “the political censorship and the blacklist “.
“Ending free and open debate violates our core values and most enduring traditions,” said Trump, who was permanently banned from Twitter after his initial reaction to the riot on Capitol Hill.
“Now, as I prepare to hand over power to a new administration at noon on Wednesday, I want you to know that the movement we have launched is only just beginning,” he said.
But it’s unclear whether this move will include Trump – at least as a candidate for elected office. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., promised earlier Tuesday that if Trump is found guilty after his impeachment trial, “there will be a vote on the ban on running again.”
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