President Joe Biden's Oval Office farewell address, Jan. 15, 2025

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Speaking from the Oval Office as he prepares to hand over power Monday to President-elect Donald Trump, President Joe Biden used his farewell address to the nation to deliver stark warnings about an “oligarchy” of the ultra-wealthy taking root in the country and a “tech-industrial complex” that is infringing on Americans' rights and the future of democracy. Biden used his 15-minute address to offer a model for a peaceful transfer of power and — without mentioning Trump by name — raise concerns about his successor. It marked a striking admonition by Biden, who is departing the national stage after more than 50 years in public life, as he has struggled to define his legacy and to steel the country against the return of Trump to the Oval Office. This time, the president, who has repeatedly called Trump a threat to the nation’s system of governance, went even further, warning Americans to be on guard for their freedoms and their institutions during a turbulent era of rapid technological and economic change. Image credit: MANDEL NGAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images