Trump addresses US nation in farewell speech

US President Donald Trump bid farewell in a video address from the White House on Tuesday (January 19), saying "I took on the tough battles, the hardest fights, the most difficult choices because that's what you elected me to do."

Closing out his presidency, Trump leaves behind a polarized America, where thousands are dying daily from the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy is badly damaged and political violence has surged.

Trump's refusal to concede defeat to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden and his encouragement of his supporters to descend on the Capitol mean his term is ending amid a swirl of untruths that millions of Republicans have taken to heart, creating a serious challenge for the new administration to win their trust.

The disorderly transfer of power comes against the backdrop of the increased spread of a pandemic that Trump has downplayed, and mounting financial hardships from the deep recession spurred by it.

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