President Donald Trump released a video on social media Tuesday night, the last evening of his presidency, thanking Americans for allowing him to serve in the nation’s highest office and calling on both Democrats and Republicans to lower the temperature and abandon partisan rancor.
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“As I conclude my term as the 45th President of the United States, I stand before you truly proud of what we have achieved together. We did what we came here to do — and so much more,” Trump begins, touting his success at fulfilling his primary 2016 presidential campaign promise, to “make America great again.”
The president used the first half of the 20-minute video to thank his wife, Melania, and his children, “Ivanka, my son-in-law Jared, and to Barron, Don, Eric, Tiffany, and Lara,” as well as his vice president, Mike Pence, and the United States Secret Service. He then moved on to thank the American people.
“To serve as your President has been an honor beyond description,” Trump said. “Thank you for this extraordinary privilege. And that’s what it is — a great privilege and a great honor.”
Trump then directly condemned the January 6th attack on the United States Capitol by some of his supporters. Trump was impeached for the second time last week for allegedly prompting and encouraging those attacks by repeating allegations of widespread vote fraud, intended to undermine the outcome of November’s presidential election.
“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 and flourish and be very, very successful and good. We are a truly magnificent nation,” Trump said. ‘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 rancor, and forge our common destiny,” Trump noted.
Trump then rounded out his accomplishments, beginning with the COVID-19 vaccine, and his “Operation Warp Speed.”
“They called it a medical miracle,” Trump said. “Another administration would’ve taken three, four, five, maybe even up to 10 years to develop a vaccine. We did it in nine months.”
He then turned to the economy and his efforts at securing the southern border.
“We proudly leave the next administration with the strongest and most robust border security measures ever put into place,” he added.
“Other accomplishments the president noted were the creation of the Space Force, the first launch of astronauts aboard an American rocket since the end of the Space Shuttle program more than a decade ago, and the slayings of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi,” Fox News said. Trump then commended his administration for being the first in decades to start no new wars.
He concluded by decrying censorship and “cancel culture” — an issue he’s been doggedly pursuing since being locked out of his social media properties two weeks ago — and pressed his supporters to continue his work.
“The movement that we started is only just beginning,” he said. “There’s never been anything like it. The belief that a nation must serve its citizens will not dwindle.”
“America is not a timid nation of tame souls who need to be sheltered and protected from those with whom we disagree,” he continued. “That’s not who we are. It will never be who we are.”
“As long as the American people hold in their hearts deep and devoted love of country, then there is nothing that this nation cannot achieve. Our communities will flourish. Our people will be prosperous. Our traditions will be cherished. Our faith will be strong. And our future will be brighter than ever before,” Trump ended. “I go from this majestic place with a loyal and joyful heart, an optimistic spirit, and a supreme confidence that for our country and for our children, the best is yet to come.”
President Trump will depart the White House early Wednesday morning after participating in a farewell ceremony at Joint Base Andrews. He will then fly to Palm Beach, Florida, and is expected to begin his post-presidential life at his Mar-a-Lago estate. President-elect Joe Biden is expected to be sworn in at noon.