Biden sits on pillow to boost himself up during farewell Oval Office address
He needs all the support he can get.
President Biden sat on a pillow for an extra boost as he delivered his 18-minute farewell address to the nation from the Oval Office Wednesday night.
Photos taken from just outside the Oval Office show the 82-year-old commander in chief with the small cushion wedged between the presidential rump and the seat of the seemingly firm leather chair.
The oldest serving US president has often struggled with his balance, stamina and mental acuity — whether tripping on the stairs of Air Force One or slipping up presidential speeches, with frequent gaffes and coughs.
The images also show an emergency box of tissues placed to Biden’s right — invisible below his desk from the front view cameras that streamed his speech to the nation.
Against the wall of the Oval Office, Vice President Kamala Harris sat flanked by second gentleman Doug Emhoff and first lady Jill Biden, with whom the veep reportedly has icy relations.
First son Hunter Biden and his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, were also in the room.
All were dramatically dressed in black for Biden’s eulogy on his presidential term, which he acknowledged was “one of the toughest years” in US history and claimed “an oligarchy” is on the horizon in a clear swipe at Trump ally Elon Musk.
“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America … that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights, their freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead,” the outgoing president said.
Biden warned of a “tech-industrial complex” in what is both a reference to President Eisenhower’s farewell address and a jab at Musk.
The lame-duck president warned against “dark money” in politics and urged Congress to ban its members from trading stock.
His comments were quickly slammed as hypocritical by critics.
Fox New’s Dana Perino commented on air after the speech, “When he talks about dark money, does he not remember that just last week, he gave the Medal of Freedom award to George Soros?”
Biden, who served as a senator for Delaware from 1973 to 2009, also called for term limits of 18 years for Supreme Court Justices, who currently serve lifelong appointments.
The Democrat also took a glancing shot at incoming President Donald Trump.
“We need to amend the Constitution to make clear that no president, no president, is immune from crimes that he or she commits while in office,” a weary-voiced Biden said.
“I wish the incoming administration success because I want America to succeed,” Biden closed.