[ad_1]
Donald Trump has posted his full farewell address online just hours before he is set to depart the White House.
In it he said he would pray for the incoming Biden administration, and thanked his family, his staff and the American public for “fighting for America”.
“To serve as your President has been an honour beyond description,” he says.
“Thank you for this extraordinary privilege. And that’s what it is, a great privilege and a great honour.
“We must never forget that, while Americans will always have our disagreements, we are a nation of incredible, decent, faithful and peace loving citizens who all want our country to thrive, flourish and be very, very successful and good.
“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.
“Now more than ever, we must unify around our shared values and rise above the partisan rancour, and forge our common destiny.”
He reflected on his role as a political “outsider”, hailing his supporters as the “greatest political movement” in US history.
“I came to Washington as the only true outsider ever to win the presidency. I had not spent my career as a politician, but as a builder looking at open skylines and imagining infinite possibilities,” he said.
“I ran for president because I knew there were towering new summits for America just waiting to be scaled. I knew the potential for our nation was boundless, as long as we put America first.
“So I left behind my former life and stepped into a very difficult arena. But an arena, nevertheless, with all sorts of potential if properly done. America had given me so much and I wanted to give something back.
“Together with millions of hardworking patriots across this land, we built the greatest political movement in the history of our country. We also built the greatest economy in the history of the world.
“We restored the principle that a nation exists to serve its citizens. Our agenda was not about right or left, about Republican or Democrat, but about the good of a nation. And that means the whole nation.
“We achieved more than anybody thought possible. Nobody thought we could even come close.”
He also spoke about the challenges America faces.
“The greatest danger we face is a loss of confidence in ourselves – a loss of confidence in our national greatness,” Mr Trump said.
“No nation can long thrive that loses faith in its own values, history and heroes, for these are the very sources of our unity and our vitality.
“America is not a timid nation of tame souls who need to be sheltered and protected from those with whom we disagree.
“We are – and must always be – a land of hope, of light and of glory to all the world.”
The address also included an acknowledgment that Joe Biden will be sworn in as president.
“This week, we inaugurate a new administration and pray for its success in keeping America safe and prosperous,” he said.
“We did what we came here to do, and so much more. Above all, we have reasserted the sacred idea that in America, the government answers to the people.
“We restored the idea that in America, no one is forgotten, because everyone matters and everyone has a voice.
“I took on the tough battles, the hardest fights, the most difficult choices, because that’s what you elected me to do. Our agenda was not about right or left, it wasn’t about Republican or Democrat, but about the good of the nation, and that means the whole nation.”
He listed his achievements, including: tax cuts; cuts to regulation; trade deals; withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Paris climate agreement; imposing tariffs on China; developing COVID-19 vaccines, and reaching a trade agreement with China.
“Before the ink was even dry, we and the rest of the world got hit with the China virus. Our trade relationship was rapidly changing, billions and billions of dollars were pouring into the US, but the virus forced us to go in a different direction,” he said.
“The whole world suffered, but America outperformed other countries economically because of our incredible economy and the economy that we built. Without the foundations and footings, it wouldn’t have worked out this way. We wouldn’t have some of the best numbers we’ve ever had.”
Mr Trump appeared to be particularly proud of his foreign policy, which involved brokering a series of peace deals in the Middle East between Israel and its former enemies.
“It is the dawn of a new Middle East, and we are bringing our soldiers home,” he’ll say.
“I am especially proud to be the first President in decades who has started no new wars.”
There was a denunciation of the riot at the Capitol on January 6, and a promise that Mr Trump’s political movement will continue.
“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.
“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 started is only just beginning.”
[ad_2]
Source link
