In Farewell Address, Trump Wishes Biden Success In “Keeping America Prosperous And Safe”

After 4 years in office (during which no new foreign entanglements were initiated) President Trump is releasing his farewell remarks on Tuesday, as he prepares to hand power over to Joe Biden.

Trump has opted not to participate in the inauguration ceremony, and instead of the usual pageantry, Joe Biden is reportedly planning to deliver an address roughly 20-30 minutes in length, focusing on the theme of unity.

As for President Trump, his team has leaked a short excerpt from his planned remarks to the press. He’s expected to point out that he’s the first president in “decades” who didn’t start any new wars, while also proclaiming that the “America First” movement he started is only just beginning.

But as Bloomberg’s report pointed out in the headline, Trump is also expected to say he is praying for Biden’s success, what BBG described as “a rare gesture of goodwill” toward his successor.

“This week, we inaugurate a new administration and pray for its success in keeping America safe and prosperous,” Trump will say, according to excerpts released by the White House.

He’s also expected to denounce the outbreak of violence at the Capitol earlier this month, which has been used to justify a massive pre-inauguration quasi-lockdown in Washington DC.

“All Americans were horrified by the assault on our Capitol,” he will say, according to the excerpts. “Political violence is an attack on everything we cherish as Americans. It can never be tolerated.”

The prepared remarks were leaked first on twitter by reporters for Bloomberg and the Washington Post, among other MSM news outlets.

Biden’s inauguration speech will last 20 to 30 minutes. Theme is “unity,” his aides say.

— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) January 19, 2021

Trump in his farewell speech will say: “I am especially proud to be the first president in decades who has started no new wars.

“All Americans were horrified by the assault on our Capitol. Political violence is an attack on everything we cherish.”

— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) January 19, 2021

These scripted words are what some advisers had been urging an irritable Trump to say all along: a new president is coming in Jan. 20 but the Trump movement isn’t over.

— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) January 19, 2021

Excerpt from Trump’s farewell speech, as released by the White House:

“Now, 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.”

— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) January 19, 2021

A more comprehensive list of the main points Trump will hit in his pre-recorded video (which was reportedly recorded on Monday) can be found below.

INBOX: Excerpts from Trump’s farewell address to the nation, per today’s pooler @mchalfant16 — the video (recorded Monday) is expected to be released at 4pm today pic.twitter.com/LmhbjaZl88

— Christian Datoc (@TocRadio) January 19, 2021

The video is expected to be released at 1600ET, at which point we will post it here.