As Joe Biden’s presidency winds down, he decided to grace the nation with a farewell speech from behind the Resolute Desk. Predictably, it was a performance that left much to be desired. In a short and chaotic address, Biden managed to rant about a range of disjointed topics, including his peculiar obsession with “fact-checking” on social media platforms. For a man giving his final message as president, one might expect a reflection on grand ideals or accomplishments. Instead, Biden seemed more concerned with algorithms and moderation policies, as though he were auditioning for a role in Big Tech’s public relations department.
Farewell addresses are traditionally a chance for outgoing presidents to unite the nation and speak to enduring values. Biden, however, chose to dive into the weeds, bemoaning perceived disinformation in a way that would make an authoritarian leader proud. For someone so concerned with democracy, his insistence on curating information borders on Orwellian. It’s not the government’s job to police speech or decide what counts as truth. Such rhetoric sounds less like a democratic leader and more like the musings of Xi Jinping—except, of course, Xi can deliver a coherent sentence without reading stage directions off a teleprompter.
Biden also took the opportunity to politicize recent natural disasters, blaming everything from hurricanes to wildfires on climate change. While Hurricane Helene was undeniably tragic, his suggestion that green energy spending could prevent such storms is both dishonest and opportunistic. Hurricanes have battered the Gulf Coast for centuries; they’re not a new phenomenon. Similarly, California’s wildfires have less to do with “climate change” and more to do with mismanagement, arson, and a refusal by state officials to prioritize basic infrastructure. Blaming global warming is a convenient distraction for leaders who can’t take accountability for their own failures.
No Biden speech would be complete without a few sanctimonious lines about “threats to democracy.” This time, his ire seemed directed at Elon Musk, who committed the grave sin of supporting Donald Trump and advocating for free speech. Biden, who recently awarded George Soros the Presidential Medal of Freedom for no apparent reason other than his hefty donations to Democrats, conveniently ignores the irony. Apparently, billionaires who back Democrats are patriots, but those who dare to dissent are enemies of the state. For a president who promised unity, Biden’s brand of democracy looks a lot like rewarding loyalty and punishing opposition.
Of course, Biden’s farewell wouldn’t be complete without a touch of unintentional comedy. True to form, he had yet another Ron Burgundy moment, reading “end of quote” straight off the teleprompter. If there was any doubt left about his mental acuity, this blunder sealed the deal. As his presidency limps to a close, Biden will be remembered as one of the most ineffective leaders in modern history. Some might argue that Jimmy Carter was worse, but with Biden’s legacy of bungled policies, embarrassing gaffes, and divisive rhetoric, he may have finally dethroned Carter as the gold standard of presidential failure.
🚨 JUST IN: Joe Biden LAMBASTS social media platforms for removing state-funded “fact checkers” and moving to a Community Notes model
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 16, 2025
Biden is just ticked that WE THE PEOPLE are the media now, and he was FINALLY exposed for threatening platforms to censor content he didn’t like.… pic.twitter.com/lVMk67NHR0
