DONALD TRUMP used his farewell speech as US President to wish “success and luck” to Joe Biden as he prepares to be sworn into office.
In a pre-recorded speech, the 45th President said he “prays” that Biden’s administration enjoys “success in keeping America safe and prosperous”.
Trump did, however, also use the speech to tell his supporters “the movement we started is only just beginning.”
His remarks regarding Biden’s administration represent something of an about-turn given Trump’s efforts to have the result of last year’s election overturned.
Trump consistently claimed that the vote was rigged against him, launching multiple legal challenges yet failing to produce any credible evidence to back up his accusations.
His continued refusal to concede provided the catalyst for the violent protests witnessed on Capitol Hill on January 6 in which five people died.
Trump is now set to become the first President to be impeached twice amid accusations he incited the violence witnessed that day during an inflammatory speech made to his supporters.
Despite the prospect of being barred from running for the office of President again, Trump was keen to stress to his supporters that this would not be the end of his time in politics.
“Now, as I prepare to hand power over to a new administration at noon on Wednesday, I want you to know that the movement we started is only just beginning,” he said.
“There’s never been anything like it,” he continued. “The belief that a nation must serve its citizens will not dwindle but instead only grow stronger by the day.”
Trump used the speech to focus on his accomplishments in office which he claimed included building “the greatest economy in the history of the world,” and encouraging nations to “stand up to China like never before”.
The outgoing President also took credit for nurturing relations between Israel and Arab states like Bahrain and United Arab Emirates and took pride from being “the first president in decades who has started no new wars.”
That claim came despite the fact Trump had previously ordered numerous military strikes in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and other places.
He also hit out at social media companies in the wake of his bans from Twitter and Facebook amid accusations of inciting aggression among his supporters.
“Only if we forget who we are, and how we got here, could we ever allow political censorship and blacklisting to take place in America,” Trump said.
“It’s not even thinkable. Shutting down free and open debate violates our core values and most enduring traditions.”
Trump is expected to make one final appearance as president at 8 a.m. Wednesday before departing from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
He will not attend President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration making him the first living ex-president to not attend the inauguration of his successor in roughly 150 years.
See More: Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Politics, US Election
