Biden warns against tech ‘oligarchy’ and abuse of power in farewell speech
The president defends his legacy while warning about the ‘tech-industrial complex,’ with veiled references to Donald Trump, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg
Four days before leaving the White House, Joe Biden is already on his way out. On Wednesday the president addressed the nation in prime time to deliver his farewell speech, a tradition that dates back to the first president, George Washington, in 1796, and which has become institutionalized in recent decades. From the Oval Office, with family photos behind him, Biden defended his legacy before the American people and before history, but he also went on the attack. He warned against the technological “oligarchy” emerging in the country and attacked social media platforms that have given up on fact-checking, an obvious reference to tycoons such as Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, who have allied themselves with Trumpism. Biden also defended the institutions, warned against “abuse of power,” and maintained that presidents should not have immunity for their actions, alluding to his successor, Donald Trump.
