President Donald Trump will use his final hours in office to deliver a valedictory address summarizing his accomplishments and promising supporters that his political movement will continue even after he’s out of power.
“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,” the president plans to say at an address scheduled for 8 a.m. Eastern, according to an excerpt released by White House spokesman Judd Deere.
Trump will reportedly give the address before his final departure from Joint Base Andrews. He has stated that he will not attend President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. It will be the first time a living ex-president did not attend the inauguration of his successor in roughly 150 years.
The president will focus his speech on his administration’s accomplishments, which he says include building “the greatest economy in the world,” rallying nations to “stand up to China like never before” and encouraging Israel’s normalization of relations with Arab states, including Bahrain and United Arab Emirates.
“I am especially proud to be the first president in decades who has started no new wars,” Trump will say, though the president has ordered numerous military strikes in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and other places.
Vice President Mike Pence will not attend Trump’s farewell speech, with the Washington Post reporting that logistical challenges prevent him from attending that speech and Biden’s inauguration.
