President Joe Biden plans to deliver two major speeches before leaving office, part of an effort to outline what he sees as key elements of his legacy of more than 50 years of public service, according to two people close to the file.
The first speech is expected to focus on foreign policy and is expected to be delivered sometime after Biden returns Jan. 12 from a trip to Italy, these sources said. They said Biden then plans to close his final days at the White House with a farewell address to the country.
Neither speech has been fully drafted, the sources familiar with the president’s plans said, but the contours and themes of both have been developed.
In his farewell speech, Biden is expected to offer a message to Americans for the future and reflect on his decades of public service, including his four years in the White House, according to people familiar with the president’s plans.
The traditional speech is expected to convey a spirit similar to the farewell sentiments expressed by some of Biden’s recent predecessors, including former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, who delivered their farewell addresses from the White House, and the former President Barack Obama, who chose to speak to the nation from his hometown of Chicago, in front of a large audience of supporters.
After losing the 2020 election, President-elect Donald Trump released a pre-recorded video message online the day before Biden was sworn in.
Biden’s foreign policy speech is expected to focus on his belief that America is stronger when it invests in its alliances around the world, according to people familiar with the president’s speeches. Biden is expected to highlight his efforts to expand and strengthen the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and U.S. relations in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as his administration’s military and financial support for Ukraine since the invasion of Russia in 2022.
It’s unclear how much the speech might touch on Biden’s decision to order the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, which was widely criticized and resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members.
Biden will likely reference his administration’s efforts to combat terrorist groups, including ISIS, but the speech is not expected to dwell on domestic terrorist threats following the New Year’s Eve attack in New Orleans, people familiar with the president’s plans said.
The administration is considering additional steps it could take before Biden leaves office to try to prevent attacks motivated by local radicalization, a person familiar with the discussions said.
The president anticipates a busy final two weeks in office. He is scheduled to travel to New Orleans on Monday to meet family members of the victims of the attack, as well as local authorities. He will then travel to California to highlight his environmental record, including new national monument designations.
On Thursday, Biden is expected to travel to Rome and Vatican City for a three-day visit, likely his final international trip in office.
And before he leaves the White House on Jan. 20, the president is expected to issue additional pardons, specifically focused on sentencing disparities, a person familiar with the plan said. This person said Biden has not decided whether to preemptively pardon people who may be targeted by the new Trump administration for retaliation, although Biden would not pardon anyone who does not want to benefit from the pardon. clemency.
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