President Joe Biden delivered his farewell address to the nation from the Oval Office on Wednesday evening, calling for a Constitutional amendment ending presidential immunity.
“We need to amend the Constitution to make clear that no president is immune from crimes that he or she commits while in office,” Biden said.
Last year, the Supreme Court ruled that former presidents have some immunity from prosecution for “official acts,” after President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers filed an appeal in his federal election interference case arguing for total presidential immunity
Biden also warned of an “oligarchy” forming in the US.
“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedom and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead,” Biden said.
This remark comes as Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, serves as a close ally to Trump, whose net worth is projected to be more than $6 billion. Musk gave millions to the president-elect’s campaign last year through his America PAC and is now set to co-lead the new Department of Government Efficiency.
Biden is now leaving office with a low approval rating — though higher than his predecessor and successor did.
Key Points
- President Joe Biden calls for amendment to Constitution ending presidential immunity
- Biden leaves office with higher approval rating than Trump after first term, new poll shows
- Biden ends term with ceasefire deal — but it wasn’t soon enough to save Kamala Harris
- Pam Bondi refuses to say Trump lost 2020 election at confirmation hearing
Joe Biden warns of dangerous threat of new age of ‘robber barons’ in farewell presidential address
08:30
,
Joe Sommerlad
Good morning!
The outgoing US president Joe Biden warned in his farewell speech last night that a new gilded age of “robber barons” is in danger of eroding Americans’ hard-won freedoms unless the government takes steps to ensure that the ultra-wealthy pay a fair share in taxes and aren’t allowed to exercise “outsized” power.
In remarks deliberately tailored to echo Dwight Eisenhower’s warnings about the dangers of the military-industrial complex, Biden said he was just as concerned as Eisenhower had been about what he described as a “tech industrial complex that could pose real dangers for our country”.
That, combined with a dangerous “concentration of technology power and wealth,” he added, is forming a new “oligarchy” of “extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead”.
Andrew Feinberg reports.
Pam Bondi refuses to say Trump lost 2020 election
08:00
,
Oliver O'Connell
Pam Bondi, Donald Trump’s nominee for the next U.S. attorney general, repeatedly refused to explicitly state that the president-elect lost the 2020 presidential election while she was grilled under oath during her Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday.
Bondi evaded a direct answer when asked by Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Dick Durbin whether she can say Trump lost in 2020.
Alex Woodward watched her confirmation hearing.
Who is performing at Trump’s inauguration?
07:30
,
Katie Hawkinson
At the ceremony in Washington, D.C. on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance will take the oath of office and assume their positions in the White House.
However, the inauguration ceremony will be more than just a swearing-in — Trump’s team has just released the schedule of events, revealing those who will perform at the event, The Spectator World reports.
Here’s what you need to know about the line-up for Trump and Vances’ inauguration:
Jim Jordan backs idea Trump should move 2028 LA Olympics to red-run city
06:30
,
Oliver O'Connell
U.S. Representative Jim Jordan has expressed his support for President-elect Donald Trump to move the 2028 Olympics out of Los Angeles and relocate them to a city run by GOP lawmakers.
Jordan, a Republican who represents Ohio’s fourth congressional district, made the remarks while speaking on Newsmax on Tuesday.
Michelle Del Rey has the story.
Harris declines to invite Vance on tour of VP residence
05:30
,
Oliver O'Connell
Vice President Kamala Harris reportedly snubbed Vice President-elect JD Vance by not inviting him for a tour of the vice president’s residence before the inauguration.
While the tour for the incoming family has become a recent norm, Harris was never at the vice president’s residence before her inauguration amid the Covid-19 pandemic and President-elect Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
Cash-strapped MAGA ‘pillow guy’ now selling MyCross necklaces for $250 a pop
04:30
,
Oliver O'Connell
Admirers of the trademark cross that Mike Lindell wears around his neck are now in luck as the MAGA pillow entrepreneur is now offering MyCross necklaces “designed in the likeness” of his own personal Christian emblem.
And prospective buyers can get their own replica of Lindell’s necklace for the low price of $249.98 — or $179.98 with a promo code.
Justin Barangoa has the story.
Profile: Pam Bondi — Trump’s pick to be attorney general
03:30
,
Oliver O'Connell
The incoming Trump administration didn’t waste any time after Matt Gaetz said that he was dropping his bid to become attorney general. Soon afterward, it announced that Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, would seek the top position at the Justice Department instead.
Bondi, 59, who served as Florida’s attorney general from 2011 to 2019 and represented Donald Trump at his first impeachment trial in the Senate, is both an experienced public official and a long-time ally of the president-elect.
Gaetz reacted to the choice on X by calling her “a stellar selection” as well as “a proven litigator, an inspiring leader and a champion for all Americans.”
Here’s what you need to know about her:
Analysis: Democrats and Republicans spar over whether Biden or Trump deserves credit for the ceasefire
02:22
,
Eric Garcia
President Joe Biden had barely finished speaking about the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas when a reporter asked him whether he or Donald Trump, who will succeed him next week, deserved credit for the ceasefire.
Biden immediately turned around with a grin and asked: “Is that a joke?” — then walked away.
The president, who leaves office in five days, may have been grinning, but it’s a question everyone in Washington had to ask. Democrats and Republicans immediately jockeyed to pitch whether Biden or Donald Trump deserve the lion’s share of the credit.
Read more:
Full story: Biden warns of dangerous threat of new age of ‘robber barons’ in final presidential address
01:59
,
Katie Hawkinson
Check out the full recap of President Joe Biden’s farewell address from The Independent’s White House Correspondent Andrew Feinberg:
Biden ends decades of public service with thanks to family, VP Harris
01:41
,
Katie Hawkinson
President Joe Biden thanked Vice President Kamala Harris and his family as he ended the final public address of his presidency on Wednesday night.
“Let me close by stating my gratitude to so many people...Of course, to Kamala and her incredible partner. A historic vice president,” he said. “She and Doug have become like family. And to me, family is everything.”
“My deepest appreciation to our amazing First Lady, who is with me in the Oval today,” he added. “To our entire family: You’re the love of my life and the lives of my love.”
“After 50 years of public service, I give you my word that I still believe in the idea on which this nation stands.”
Biden slammed ‘dark money’ and calls for Supreme Court term limits in farewell speech
01:36
,
Katie Hawkinson
President Joe Biden criticized “dark money” and called for term limits for Supreme Court Justices in his farewell address, which ended moments ago.
“We need to get dark money, that’s that hidden funding behind too many campaign contributions, we need to get it out of our politics,” Biden said. “We need to enact an 18-year term limit, time in term...for the Supreme Court.”
Biden calls for amendment ending presidential immunity
01:27
,
Katie Hawkinson
President Joe Biden called for a new amendment to the Constitution to make it clear that “no president is immune from crimes that he or she commits while in office.”
The Supreme Court ruled this summer that former presidents have at least some immunity from prosecution for “official acts” carried out while in office.
“The system of separated powers designed by the Framers has always demanded an energetic, independent Executive,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote. “The President therefore may not be prosecuted for exercising his core constitutional powers, and he is entitled, at a minimum, to a presumptive immunity from prosecution for all his official acts.”
Biden warns ‘oligarchy is taking shape in America’
01:14
,
Katie Hawkinson
President Joe Biden warned an “oligarchy is taking shape in America” as he leaves office.
“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedom and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead,” Biden said.
“We see the consequences all across America, and we’ve seen it before, more than a century ago, but the American people stood up to the robber barons back then and busted the trust,” he added.
Biden calls himself president ‘for all Americans'
01:11
,
Katie Hawkinson
President Joe Biden is cementing his legacy as the 46th president of the United States in his final farewell address.
“In the past four years, our democracy has held strong, and every day I’ve kept my commitment to be president for all Americans for one of the toughest periods in our nation’s history,” Biden said from the Oval Office.
“I’ve had a great partner and vice president, Kamala Harris,” he added.
President Biden begins farewell address
01:04
,
Katie Hawkinson
President Joe Biden has begun his farewell address.
“This will be my final address to you, the American people, from the Oval Office, from this desk as president,” he said.
Watch live from the White House:
Ahead of farewell address, Biden declares nation is ‘stronger, more prosperous, and more secure’
00:50
,
Andrew Feinberg
As he prepares to deliver an Oval Office address for the last time after a single term in the White House and a full half-century of service in the federal government, President Joe Biden declared Tuesday that America now stands “stronger, more prosperous, and more secure” than it was when he entered office amid the tumult of the COVID-19 pandemic four years ago.
Read on:
How to watch Biden’s farewell address
00:35
,
Katie Hawkinson
President Joe Biden will give his farewell address from the White House at 8 p.m. Eastern Time this evening.
The White House will stream the event on YouTube, meaning anyone with a device can watch for free. You can also follow along here for live updates on Biden’s remarks from The Independent.
Major broadcast news networks including ABC, CBS, NBC and C-SPAN will also carry coverage of the speech this evening.
Trump voters will be ‘brutally scammed’ during his term, Nobel economist warns
00:33
,
Michelle Del Rey
A Nobel laureate is warning supporters of President-elect Donald Trump that they’ll feel as though they’ve been “scammed” once his second administration begins.
Continue reading:
Musk is being sued by the SEC over his Twitter takeover — what we know so far...
00:30
,
Oliver O’Connell
Elon Musk is being sued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over his 2022 Twitter takeover.
The agency alleges that the billionaire failed to disclose his ownership of Twitter stock in a timely manner, saving himself at least $150 million “at the expense of shareholders.”
Rhian Lubin reports.
Biden leaves office with ceasefire deal — but it wasn’t soon enough to save Kamala Harris
Wednesday 15 January 2025 23:40
,
Oliver O'Connell
John Bowden writes:
The news of a permanent ceasefire agreement being struck between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday resulted in a collective sigh of relief across the U.S. political spectrum.
Even many ardent supporters of Israel’s siege of Gaza had publicly fretted over the past year over what effects the conflict was having on the broader American public’s view of the Israeli state. Now, a new poll confirms that those fears were warranted — and validates warnings from the progressive left over the past year.
Continue reading...
Trump Transportation pick vows to buck any pressure to help Elon Musk
Wednesday 15 January 2025 23:20
,
AP
Donald Trump’s pick to head the Transportation Department promised Wednesday to scrutinize Boeing‘s safety issues, streamline regulations and not interfere in ongoing agency investigations into Elon Musk’s electric car company if confirmed as secretary.
Former Wisconsin congressman Sean Duffy said at his Senate confirmation hearing that he would “restore global confidence” in Boeing, hire more air traffic controllers and create federal rules for self-driving cars instead of leaving that to the states, something Musk’s Tesla has been pushing for to help speed development of the technology.
Continue reading...
Why is Michelle Obama skipping Trump’s inauguration?
Wednesday 15 January 2025 23:00
,
Oliver O'Connell
Former First Lady Michelle Obama is skipping Donald Trump’s inauguration next week, and her supposed reason seems entirely justified — especially given Donald and Melania Trump’s absence from Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Rhian Lubin reports.
Trump classified documents lays out schedule for Friday hearing on Jack Smith’s report
Wednesday 15 January 2025 22:55
,
Alex Woodward
Judge Aileen Cannon has written up a game plan ahead of Friday’s court hearing on whether Jack Smith’s Mar-a-Lago classified documents report will ever see the light of day:
- Before tomorrow, Trump must tell the court whether his legal team wants to present an argument
- The Department of Justice must provide the court with a copy of the report so parties can review it in the judge’s chambers
- The hearing will be public obviously “but any discussions of specified content in Volume II will be conducted in closed, sealed session to preserve Defendants’ fair trial rights and to fully respect protective orders previously entered in this case”
- The hearing is set for 2 p.m. ET on Friday
Obama hails ceasefire, hostage deal; praises Biden and negotiators
Wednesday 15 January 2025 22:50
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Oliver O'Connell
Former President Barack Obama has lauded the ceasefire and hostage release deal announced between Israel and Hamas, expressing gratitude to President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, and “all the leaders and diplomatic teams from around the world who have worked so hard to get this done.”
The ceasefire and hostage release deal announced between Israel and Hamas is good news – for the families of the hostages taken on October 7th, for the Palestinian civilians who have suffered for more than a year, and for everyone who has prayed for an end to this awful chapter.…
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 15, 2025
Here is the full statement from the 44th president:
The ceasefire and hostage release deal announced between Israel and Hamas is good news – for the families of the hostages taken on October 7th, for the Palestinian civilians who have suffered for more than a year, and for everyone who has prayed for an end to this awful chapter.
It’s important to recognize that no deal – including this one – can ease the pain of those who have lost loved ones, or resolve the longstanding conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. That work will be much harder, and take much longer. But it will put a stop to the bloodshed, allow people to return to their homes, and get much-needed aid to more than a million desperate, hungry people.
That’s something we should all support, and I’m grateful to President Biden, Secretary Blinken, and all the leaders and diplomatic teams from around the world who have worked so hard to get this done.
Watch: British politicians discuss help for rich Americans who want to flee Trump’s second term
Wednesday 15 January 2025 22:45
,
Oliver O'Connell
Pence’s organization comes out swinging against RFK Jr.
Wednesday 15 January 2025 22:38
,
Oliver O'Connell
The organization of former Vice President Mike Pence is pushing senators not to confirm Robert Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services because of his views on abortion.
Advancing American Freedom (AAF) outlines five questions for Kennedy to answer in a letter first obtained by The Daily Wire. The letter notes that Kennedy has previously said that a woman should have the right to an abortion “even if [the baby] is full term.”
That position is “completely out of step with the strong, pro-life record of the first Trump Administration,” AAF President Tim Chapman and Chairman of the Board Marc Short wrote in the letter.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
Trump team asks three US senior career diplomats to resign, sources say
Wednesday 15 January 2025 22:32
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Reuters
Aides to President-elect Donald Trump have asked three senior career diplomats who oversee the U.S. State Department's workforce and internal coordination to step down from their roles, two U.S. officials familiar with the matter said, in a possible signal of deeper changes ahead for the diplomatic corps.
The team overseeing the State Department's transition to the new administration, the Agency Review Team, has requested that Dereck Hogan, Marcia Bernicat and Alaina Teplitz leave their posts, the sources said.
While political appointees typically submit their resignations when a new president takes office, most career foreign service officers continue from one administration to the next. All three officials have worked in both Democratic and Republican administrations throughout the years, including as ambassadors.
Trump, who will be inaugurated Jan. 20, pledged during his presidential campaign to "clean out the deep state" by firing bureaucrats that he deems as disloyal.
"There's a little bit of a concern that this might be setting the stage for something worse," one of the U.S. officials familiar with the matter said.
In response to a request for comment, a spokesperson for Trump's transition team said: "It is entirely appropriate for the transition to seek officials who share President Trump's vision for putting our nation and America's working men and women first. We have a lot of failures to fix and that requires a committed team focused on the same goals."
A State Department spokesperson said the department has no personnel announcements to make. Hogan, Bernicat, Teplitz did not respond to requests for comment.
Reuters
New poll: Biden leaves office with higher approval rating than Trump after his first term
Wednesday 15 January 2025 22:20
,
Oliver O'Connell
President Joe Biden is leaving office with a slightly higher approval rating than Donald Trump after his first term, a new poll shows.
The outgoing president’s final approval rating is 36 percent compared to Trump, who had a rating of 34 percent when he left the White House in 2021, the CNN poll conducted by SSRS found.
However, Biden’s four years in office are regarded by Americans more as a failure (61 percent) than a success (38 percent), the poll found.
Rhian Lubin reports.
Key takeaways: Trump’s energy secretary pick sits for confirmation hearing
Wednesday 15 January 2025 22:00
,
AP
Chris Wright, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for energy secretary, told senators during his confirmation hearing Wednesday that he would promote all sources of American energy, while also acknowledging the burning of fossil fuels causes climate change.
Wright, a fossil fuel executive, has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He believes that more fossil fuel production can lift people out of poverty around the globe. His nomination went before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for a confirmation hearing. Protesters interrupted it multiple times.
Here are the most interesting moments:
What will a second term for Donald Trump mean for the Middle East?
Wednesday 15 January 2025 21:45
,
Oliver O'Connell
The Independent’s Richard Hall will be taking all your questions on what Donald Trump's presidency will mean for the Middle East.
After today’s ceasefire news, it feels more timely than ever...
What will a second term for Donald Trump mean for the Middle East?
— The Independent (@Independent) January 14, 2025
Join @_RichardHall, senior US correspondent, for a Reddit AMA starting at 12 pm EST/ 5 pm GMT
Link to AMA coming soon! pic.twitter.com/MMG1f8BaYb
US officials who resigned over Gaza war slam Biden’s inaction as Trump credited for ceasefire breakthrough
Wednesday 15 January 2025 21:30
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Oliver O'Connell
Richard Hall reports:
U.S. officials who resigned over the Biden administration’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza slammed the outgoing president for failing to broker a ceasefire sooner, after President-elect Donald Trump played a key role in securing an end to the devastating 15-month conflict.
“This is a deal that, in its basic form, has been on the table for many months, and it is an absolute travesty that the Biden administration never used any of the massive leverage it had to push it over the finish line,” Josh Paul, who resigned from the State Department’s in opposition to America’s policy of providing lethal arms to Israel for use in Gaza, said.
The agreement “demonstrates clearly that Biden could have achieved a ceasefire all along if his people were really serious about it,” Annelle Sheline, who resigned from the State Department in February 2024, told The Independent.
Read on...
Watch: Duckworth shares fond memory of Rubio during confirmation hearing
Wednesday 15 January 2025 21:15
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Oliver O'Connell
Tammy Duckworth to Rubio: "When I first got to Senate I was pregnant with my daughter and trying to change Senate rules so I could bring her onto the floor so I could do my job and vote...not accessible to wheelchairs...You came running down to me 'I'm with you! I support you!" pic.twitter.com/z7rdGGLOfS
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) January 15, 2025
After Trump takes credit, Biden pointedly notes that he ‘introduced’ Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal
Wednesday 15 January 2025 21:00
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Oliver O'Connell
Hamas and Israel have reached a ceasefire deal brokered by the United States with the aid of the Egyptian and Qatari governments, ending 15 months of violence that began with the October 7, 2023, terror attacks, President Joe Biden announced Wednesday afternoon.
Speaking from the White House not long after news of the agreement became public, Biden said it was “a very good afternoon” because he could announce the deal had finally been reached. The inking of a ceasefire deal brings to a halt more than a year of war in Gaza, during which the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says over 46,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 100,000 wounded.
The three-phase deal will begin with “a full and complete ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli forces from all the populated areas of Gaza, and the release of a number of hostages held by Hamas, including women and elderly and the wounded” over a period of six weeks, Biden explained. The second phase, which is still being negotiated, would see a “permanent end to the war,” he added.
Andrew Feinberg reports from the White House.
Watch: Rubio laughs as protester interrupts him in Spanish
Wednesday 15 January 2025 20:45
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Oliver O'Connell
“I get bilingual protesters,” says Senator Marco Rubio at his confirmation hearing to be Donald Trump’s secretary of state.
