US President Donald Trump watches as he speaks to the media before boarding Air Force One to leave Washington on a trip around the US-Mexico border in Texas, at the Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, on January 12 2021 to visit.
Carlos Barria | Reuters
President Donald Trump set his record on the economy and foreign policy in a pre-recorded farewell speech, while speaking out about the Capitol riot that has consumed the last weeks of his presidency.
He also failed to name his successor, Joe Biden. Biden will be inaugurated on Wednesday as the 46th president of the country.
Trump’s nearly 20-minute speech, recorded Monday, suggested his departure from the White House as the natural conclusion to a well-deserved job, rather than the result of his election loss to Biden.
“We did what we came for – and so much more,” Trump said in the address.
“This week we have inaugurated a new government and prayed for its success in keeping America safe and prosperous. We wish our best wishes, and we also want them to be happy – a very important word,” he said. Trump said.
Trump had earlier acknowledged that a new government would take the lead on Wednesday, but he did not formally concede to Biden. Unlike the farewell speeches of previous presidents, Trump’s speech makes no specific mention of his successor.
The president’s speech also contained only one reference to the January 6 invasion of the Capitol by a swarm of his supporters – an event that left five dead and prompted the House to accuse him for a second time.
“All Americans were horrified 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 Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Said the mob had been “provoked by the president and other powerful people.”
Trump is facing an accusation in the Senate.
Trump in the video praised the government’s efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic, saying that the US “has fared better than other countries because of our incredible economy and the economy we have built. Without the foundations and pedestals would not have worked that way. “
Earlier Tuesday, the U.S. hit 400,000 deaths due to Covid, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. About a quarter of the deaths have been reported in the last five weeks alone.
“We mourn for every lost life and we promise 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 campaigning for a promise to “drain the swamp in DC”, also dedicated a large part of the address and a warning given against ‘political censorship and blacklisting’.
“The abolition of a free and open debate is contrary to our core values and the most enduring traditions,” said Trump, who was permanently banned from Twitter after his initial reaction to the riot at the Capitol.
“Now, as I prepare to hand over to a new government on Wednesday afternoon, I want you to know that the movement we started has only just begun,” he said.
But it is unclear whether the move will include Trump – at least as a candidate for the elected office. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., promised earlier Tuesday that if Trump is found guilty after his indictment, “there will be a vote to detain him.”