By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Joe Biden promised a peaceful transfer of power when his administration ends in January, as he hands off the White House to his former opponent, President-elect Donald Trump.
Biden spoke from the Rose Garden at the White House Thursday morning.
He said he’s directed his administration to work with Trump’s team for a peaceful transition of power.
“Something I hope we can do, no matter who you voted for, is see each other not as adversaries, but as fellow Americans. Bring down the temperature,” Biden said.
He also stressed the integrity of the election, calling it honest, fair and transparent.
“The will of the people always prevails,” he said.
Biden praised his vice president for running “an inspiring campaign.”
“She has great character, true character. She gave her whole heart and effort, and she and her entire team should be proud of the campaign they ran,” he said.
Biden also defended some of his actions in office, saying, “We’re going to see over a trillion dollars’ worth of infrastructure work done, changing people’s lives in rural communities and communities that are in real difficulty, because it takes time to get it done.”
“We’re leaving behind the strongest economy in the world,” Biden added.
“I know people are still hurting,” he said, but added, “Together, we’ve changed America for the better.”
“Setbacks are unavoidable, but giving up is unforgivable,” Biden said in his closing message to Americans.
“We’re going to be OK, but we need to stay engaged. We need to keep going,” he added. “And above all, we need to keep the faith.”
Biden has invited Trump to meet at the White House, for what would be their first encounter since Biden’s disastrous debate performance against Trump in June that forced him out of the race.
World leaders have swiftly pledged to work with Trump, despite concerns in much of the globe about his nationalist “America First” approach and pledges to slap huge tariffs on foreign imports.
Watch Live in the video below:
Video Courtesy of White House.