Biden Breaks Down In Tears, Makes Bizarre Statement At Farewell Dinner
A farewell speech by Joe Biden became a blubbery on-stage moment Sunday night as the elderly incumbent embraced his wife and hailed the accomplishments of his four years in office.
Speaking from the South Lawn of the White House, Biden thanked his family and staff for standing by him through good and bad while First Lady Jill Biden paid tribute to her “husband and hero,” thanking him for 40 years of service in public office. As she spoke, President Biden could be seen wiping tears from his cheeks, the Daily Mail reports. “What I’ve watched you do for more than 40 years is extraordinary… Joe what you’ve done the last four years is breathtaking,” Jill said. She toasted “My husband and hero, Joe Biden” as the president pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed his eyes.
Biden then took the stage to crack a bizarre joke. “If you have a seat, please take it. Don’t jump in the pool!” he exclaimed in front of a supportive audience. “Jill and I are hosting this dinner tonight for a very simple reason to say thank you. Thank you to so many dear friends. We began this journey to redeem the soul of the nation and define the light in the darkness. And I never could have gotten to where the White House has become without you and we never could have gotten as much done as we did without you. And that’s not hyperbole. I mean it from the bottom of my heart.”
Most of President Biden’s speech was dedicated to burying the hatchet with Democrats who forced him from office. Calling his time in the White House “the honor of my life,” the 81-year-old insisted he and his cadre of steadfastly loyal Biden administrative staff “left the country better than we found it.”
“One thing I’ve always believed about public service and especially the presidency, is the importance of asking ourselves, have we left the country in better shape than we found it? I can say with all my heart, the answer to that question is a resounding yes because of you,” he continued. “I believe we can be proud we’re leaving America in a better place today than when we came into office four years ago.”
Although President-elect Donald Trump wasn’t mentioned, he loomed large over the ceremony as Biden referenced the pandemic and January 6th, both of which are laden with symbolism illustrating how Democrats blamed Trump for the events in his first term. Biden battled the “worst pandemic we’d seen in over 100 years,” he declared, while bringing the economy out of a “tailspin” and managing the aftermath of a “violent insurrection on January 6.” With noticeable emotion in his voice, Biden concluded: “We’ve come a long way since then… But I fully believe America is better positioned to lead the world today than any point in my 50 years of public service.”
“I followed that standard because I had no choice. I’m Jill Biden’s husband. That’s the title I’m most proud of.” Biden added that his wife “Jill’s the rock of our family” and “one of the finest first ladies in history.”
The president has less than two months in office and has been urging Senate Democrats to rush through a bevy of judicial nominations, most of which have been blocked on procedural grounds by Republicans. President-elect Trump has spent the weeks since the election making key appointments and, over the weekend, announced the completion of his Cabinet, filling out the roles for top advisors who he trusts to help implement a more aggressive second-term agenda.
