President Joe Biden will deliver a farewell address to the nation from the Oval Office Wednesday, according to the White House.
The primetime speech follows a speech Biden gave Monday at the State Department, focused on his foreign policy legacy. It also comes five days before Inauguration Day for 2025, when President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in.
The president’s remarks are set to be his last significant opportunity to speak to Americans and the world before he leaves office at noon Jan. 20, when the transition of power for the 47th President of the United States begins.
Friday, speaking from the Roosevelt Room, Biden said he didn’t think that dropping out of the presidential race over the summer helped deliver the election to Trump. Biden stepped aside amid enormous pressure from Democrats following a disastrous debate performance, and Kamala Harris ran in his place with just a few months to set up a campaign that normally is years in the making.
“I think I would have beaten Trump, and I think that Kamala could have — would have beaten Trump,” he said. “I thought it was important to unify the party. Even though I thought I could win again, I thought it was better to unify the party.”
Biden said he didn’t want to cause a divided party to lose an election, adding: “That’s why I stepped aside. But I was confident she could win.”
Only a quarter of Americans said Biden was a good or great president, according to the latest poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That’s lower than the views of the twice-impeached Trump when he left office soon after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and during the deadly depths of the coronavirus pandemic.
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Biden’s friends and supporters insist that views will shift over time.
“We lost a close election under closely contested, hard fought issues, but that doesn’t mean that what we did and how we did it hasn’t helped change the country for the better,” said Steve Ricchetti, a longtime adviser to Biden who served as White House counselor.
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As Biden's speech -- and Inauguration Day -- approach, here's what to know.
What time is Biden's farewell speech Wednesday?
President Joe Biden will deliver his farewell speech from the Oval Office beginning at 7 p.m. CT Wednesday.
Where to watch Biden's speech
The speech will air on NBC Chicago when it begins.
When is Inauguration Day 2025?
Monday, Jan. 20, marks the official 60th Presidential Inauguration Day for 2025. The day is also Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday.
When does president-elect Donald Trump take office?
The swearing-in ceremony on Inauguration Day will begin at 11 a.m. CT or 12 p.m. ET.
Under provisions of the 20th Amendment, the terms of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will officially end at 11 a.m. CT on Jan. 20, meaning that Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance will officially take office at that time, whether or not they’ve had their oaths of office administered.
Can the public get tickets to the Inauguration?
According to officials, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies makes a "limited number of inauguration tickets available to the public through members of Congress."
Tickets are free and allow the public to watch in-person on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol as the president and vice president are sworn in.
According to government officials, tickets will be available from members of Congress in the weeks leading up to the inauguration.
"Please check with the Senator or Representative of your home state for tickets," the JCCIC said. "You can find your Congressional Members here."
Who is performing on Inauguration Day?
Country music star Carrie Underwood will perform “America the Beautiful” at Trump's inauguration and the 1970s hitmakers Village People will perform at two inaugural events.
Other inauguration ceremony performers will include two of the president-elect’s musical favorites, country singer Lee Greenwood and opera singer Christopher Macchio.
Full performer list here.
There will also be a lineup of groups participating in the Presidential Parade. See the full lineup here.