[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 12 (Thursday, January 21, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E60-E62]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              DEPARTING ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 21, 2021

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, as President Donald 
Trump left office, he presented an address the evening before his 
departure correctly reviewing his achievements. I have had the 
opportunity to see his success firsthand.
  Last January, I was in a bi-partisan delegation to Poland and Israel. 
In Krakow citizens were grateful to President Trump placing American 
troops in Poland deterring Russian aggression. At the World Holocaust 
Forum in Jerusalem, citizens were so appreciative of President Trump. 
Previously, I led a House delegation for the historic opening in May 
14, 2018, of the American Embassy in Jerusalem with President Trump 
fulfilling Promises Made Promises Kept.
  Last February, I accompanied Senator Tim Scott and his mother, 
Frances Scott, to his hometown of North Charleston on Air Force One 
with President Trump where he highlighted his heartfelt success for 
American families of the lowest unemployment seen ever for African 
Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans.
  The Address of January 19, 2021, can be cherished by the 62,984,828 
Trump supporters in 2016 carrying 86 percent of the nation's counties, 
and by the 74,216,722 Trump supporters in 2020 resulting in South 
Carolina having the largest Republican majorities in 140 years.

       ``My fellow Americans, four years ago we launched a great 
     national effort to rebuild our country, to renew its spirit, 
     and to restore the allegiance of this government to its 
     citizens. In short, we embarked on a mission to make America 
     great again for all Americans. As I conclude my term as the 
     45th President of the United States, I stand before you truly 
     proud of what we have achieved together. We did what we came 
     here to do, and so much more. This week we inaugurate a new 
     administration and pray for its success in keeping America 
     safe and prosperous. We extend our best wishes, and we also 
     want them to have luck, a very important word.
       ``I'd like to begin by thanking just a few of the amazing 
     people who made our remarkable journey possible. First, let 
     me express my overwhelming gratitude for the love and support 
     of our spectacular First Lady Melania. Let me also share my 
     deepest appreciation to my daughter, lvanka, my son-in-law 
     Jared, and to Baron, Don, Eric, Tiffany, and Lara. You fill 
     my world with light and with joy. I also want to thank Vice 
     President Mike Pence, his wonderful wife, Karen, and the 
     entire Pence family. Thank you as well to my chief of staff, 
     Mark Meadows, the dedicated members of the White House staff, 
     and the cabinet, and all of the incredible people across our 
     administration who poured out their heart and soul to fight 
     for America.
       ``I also want to take a moment to thank a truly exceptional 
     group of people, the United States Secret Service. My family 
     and I will forever be in your debt. My profound gratitude as 
     well to everyone in the White House military office, the 
     teams of Marine One and Air Force One, every member of the 
     armed forces, and state and local law enforcement all across 
     our country. Most of all, I want to thank the American 
     people. To serve as your president has been an honor beyond 
     description. Thank you for this extraordinary privilege. And 
     that's what it is, a great privilege and a great honor. We 
     must never forget that while Americans will always have our 
     disagreements, we are a nation of incredible, decent, 
     faithful, and peace-loving citizens who all want our country 
     to thrive and flourish and be very, very successful and good. 
     We are a truly magnificent nation.
       ``All Americans were horrified by the assault on our 
     capital. Political violence is an attack on everything we 
     cherish as Americans. It can never be tolerated. Now more 
     than ever, we must unify around our shared values and rise 
     above the partisan rancor and forge our common destiny. Four 
     years ago, I came to Washington as the only true outsider 
     ever to win the presidency. I had not spent my career as a 
     politician, but as a builder looking at open skylines and 
     imagining infinite possibilities. I ran for president because 
     I knew there were towering new summits for America just 
     waiting to be scaled. I knew the potential for our nation was 
     boundless as long as we put America first. So I left behind 
     my former life and stepped into a very difficult arena, but 
     an arena, nevertheless, with all sorts of potential if 
     properly done.
       ``America had given me so much and I wanted to give 
     something back. Together with millions of hardworking 
     Patriots across this land, we built the greatest political 
     movement in the history of our country. We also built the 
     greatest economy in the history of the world. It was about 
     America first because we all wanted to make America great 
     again. We restored the principle that a nation exists to 
     serve its citizens. Our agenda was not about right or left. 
     It wasn't about Republican or Democrat, but about the good of 
     a nation, and that means the whole nation. With the support 
     and prayers of the American people, we achieved more than 
     anyone thought possible. Nobody thought we could even come 
     close. We passed the largest package of tax cuts and reforms 
     in American history. We slashed more job-killing regulations 
     than any administration had ever done before.
       ``We fix our broken trade deals, withdrew from the horrible 
     Trans-Pacific Partnership and the impossible Paris Climate 
     Accord, renegotiated the one-sided South Korea deal.

[[Page E61]]

     And we replaced NAFTA with the groundbreaking USMCA, that's 
     Mexico and Canada, a deal that's worked out very, very well. 
     Also and very importantly, we imposed historic and monumental 
     tariffs on China, made a great new deal with China. But 
     before the ink was even dry, we and the whole world got hit 
     with the China virus.
       ``Our trade relationship was rapidly changing. Billions and 
     billions of dollars were pouring into the US but the virus 
     forced us to go in a different direction. The whole world 
     suffered, but America outperformed other countries 
     economically because of our incredible economy and the 
     economy that we built. Without the foundations and footings, 
     it wouldn't have worked out this way. We wouldn't have some 
     of the best numbers we've ever had. We also unlocked our 
     energy resources and became the world's number one producer 
     of oil and natural gas by far. Powered by these policies, we 
     built the greatest economy in the history of the world. We 
     reignited America's job creation and achieved record-low 
     unemployment for African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian 
     Americans, women, almost everyone. Income soared, wages 
     boomed. The American dream was restored and millions were 
     lifted from poverty in just a few short years. It was a 
     miracle.
       ``The stock market set one record after another, with 148 
     stock market highs during the short period of time, and 
     boosted the retirements and pensions of hardworking citizens 
     all across our nation. 401(k)s are at a level they've never 
     been at before. We've never seen numbers like we've seen, and 
     that's before the pandemic and after the pandemic. We rebuilt 
     the American manufacturing base, opened up thousands of new 
     factories, and brought back the beautiful phrase Made in the 
     USA. To make life better for working families, we doubled the 
     child tax credit and signed the largest-ever expansion of 
     funding for childcare and development. We joined with the 
     private sector to secure commitments to train more than 16 
     million American workers for the jobs of tomorrow.
       ``When our nation was hit with the terrible pandemic, we 
     produced not one, but two vaccines with record-breaking speed 
     and more will quickly follow. They said it couldn't be done, 
     but we did it. They called it a medical miracle. And that's 
     what they're calling it right now, a medical miracle. Another 
     administration would have taken three, four, five, maybe even 
     up to 10 years to develop a vaccine. We did it in nine 
     months. We grieve for every life lost and we pledge in their 
     memory to wipe out this horrible pandemic once and for all.
       ``When the virus took its brutal toll on the world's 
     economy, we launched the fastest economic recovery our 
     country has ever seen. We passed nearly $4 trillion in 
     economic relief, saved or supported over 50 million jobs, and 
     slashed the unemployment rate in half. These are numbers that 
     our country has never seen before. We created choice and 
     transparency in healthcare, stood up to big pharma in so many 
     ways, but especially in our effort to get favored nations 
     clauses added, which will give us the lowest prescription 
     drug prices anywhere in the world. We passed VA Choice, VA 
     Accountability, Right to Try, and landmark criminal justice 
     reform.
       ``We confirmed three new justices of the United States 
     Supreme Court. We appointed nearly 300 federal judges to 
     interpret our Constitution as written. For years, the 
     American people pleaded with Washington to finally secure the 
     nation's borders. I am pleased to say, we answered that plea 
     and achieved the most secure border in US history. We have 
     given our brave border agents and heroic ICE officers the 
     tools they need to do their jobs better than they have ever 
     done before and to enforce our laws and keep America safe. We 
     proudly leave the next administration with the strongest and 
     most robust border security measures ever put into place. 
     This includes historic agreements with Mexico, Guatemala, 
     Honduras, and El Salvador, along with more than 450 miles of 
     powerful new wall.
       ``We restored American strength at home and American 
     leadership abroad. The world respects us again. Please don't 
     lose that respect. We reclaimed our sovereignty by standing 
     up for America at the United Nations and withdrawing from the 
     one-sided global deals that never served our interests. And 
     NATO countries are now paying hundreds of billions of dollars 
     more than when I arrived just a few years ago. It was very 
     unfair. We were paying the cost for the world. Now the world 
     is helping us.
       ``And perhaps most importantly of all, with nearly $3 
     trillion, we fully rebuilt the American military, all made in 
     the USA. We launched the first new branch of the United 
     States Armed Forces in 75 years, the Space Force. And last 
     spring, I stood at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and 
     watched as American astronauts returned to space on American 
     rockets for the first time in many, many years.
       ``We revitalize our alliances and rallied the nations of 
     the world to stand up to China like never before. We 
     obliterated the ISIS caliphate and ended the wretched life of 
     its founder and leader alBaghdadi. We stood up to the 
     oppressive Iranian regime and killed the world's top 
     terrorist, Iranian butcher, Qassem Soleimani. We recognize 
     Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and recognized Israeli 
     sovereignty over the Golan Heights. As a result of our bold 
     diplomacy and principled realism, we achieved a series of 
     historic peace deals in the Middle East. Nobody believed it 
     could happen. The Abraham Accords opened the doors to a 
     future of peace and harmony, not violence and bloodshed. It 
     is the dawn of a new Middle East, and we are bringing our 
     soldiers home. I am especially proud to be the first 
     president in decades who has started no new wars.
       ``Above all, we have reasserted the sacred idea that in 
     America the government answers to the people. Our guiding 
     light, our North star, our unwavering conviction has been 
     that we are here to serve the noble everyday citizens of 
     America. Our allegiance is not to the special interests 
     corporations or global entities, it's to our children, our 
     citizens, and to our nation itself. As president my top 
     priority, my constant concern has always been the best 
     interests of American workers and American families. I did 
     not seek the easiest course. By far, it was actually the most 
     difficult. I did not seek the path that would get the least 
     criticism. I took on the tough battles, the hardest fights, 
     the most difficult choices because that's what you elected me 
     to do. Your needs were my first and last unyielding focus. 
     This, I hope, will be our greatest legacy.
       ``Together, we put the American people back in charge of 
     our country. We restored self-government. We restored the 
     idea that in America no one is forgotten because everyone 
     matters and everyone has a voice. We fought for the principle 
     that every citizen is entitled to equal dignity, equal 
     treatment, and equal rights because we are all made equal 
     by God. Everyone is entitled to be treated with respect, 
     to have their voice heard, and to have the government 
     listen. You are loyal to your country and my 
     administration was always loyal to you.
       ``We worked to build a country in which every citizen could 
     find a great job and support their wonderful families. We 
     fought for the communities where every American could be safe 
     and schools where every child could learn. We promoted a 
     culture where our laws would be upheld, our heroes honored, 
     our history preserved, and law-abiding citizens are never 
     taken for granted. Americans should take tremendous 
     satisfaction in all that we have achieved together. It's 
     incredible.
       ``Now, as I leave the white house, I have been reflecting 
     on the dangers that threaten the priceless inheritance we all 
     share. As the world's most powerful nation, America faces 
     constant threats and challenges from abroad. But the greatest 
     danger we face is a loss of confidence in ourselves, a loss 
     of confidence in our national greatness. A nation is only as 
     strong as its spirit. We are only as dynamic as our pride. We 
     are only as vibrant as the faith that beats in the hearts of 
     our people. No nation can long thrive that loses faith in its 
     own values, history, and heroes for these are the very 
     sources of our unity and our vitality.
       ``What has always allowed America to prevail and triumph 
     over the great challenges of the past has been an unyielding 
     and unashamed conviction in the nobility of our country and 
     its unique purpose in history. We must never lose this 
     conviction. We must never forsake our belief in America. The 
     key to national greatness lies in sustaining and instilling 
     our shared national identity. That means focusing on what we 
     have in common, the heritage that we all share. At the center 
     of this heritage is also a robust belief in free expression, 
     free speech, and open debate. Only if we forget who we are 
     and how we got here could we ever allow political censorship 
     and blacklisting to take place in America. It's not even 
     thinkable. Shutting down free and open debate violates our 
     core values and most enduring traditions.
       ``In America, we don't insist on absolute conformity or 
     enforce rigid orthodoxies and punitive speech codes. We just 
     don't do that. America is not a timid nation of tame souls 
     who need to be sheltered and protected from those with whom 
     we disagree. That's not who we are. It will never be who we 
     are. For nearly 250 years in the face of every challenge, 
     Americans have always summoned our unmatched courage, 
     confidence, and fierce independence. These are the miraculous 
     traits that once led millions of everyday citizens to set out 
     across a wild continent and carve out a new life in the great 
     West. It was the same profound love of our God-given freedom 
     that willed our soldiers into battle and our astronauts into 
     space.
       ``As I think back on the past four years, one image rises 
     in my mind above all others. Whenever I traveled all along 
     the motorcade route, there were thousands and thousands of 
     people. They came out with their families so that they could 
     stand as we passed and proudly wave our great American flag. 
     It never failed to deeply move me. I knew that they did not 
     just come out to show their support of me. They came out to 
     show me their support and love for our country. This is a 
     republic of proud citizens who are united by our common 
     conviction, that America is the greatest nation in all of 
     history.
       ``We are and must always be a land of hope, of light, and 
     of glory to all the world. This is the precious inheritance 
     that we must safeguard at every single turn. For the past 
     four years, I have worked to do just that. From a great hall 
     of Muslim leaders in Riyadh to a great square of Polish 
     people in Warsaw, from the floor of the Korean Assembly to 
     the podium at the United Nations General Assembly, and from 
     the forbidden city in Beijing to the shadow of Mount 
     Rushmore, I fought for you. I fought for your family. I 
     fought for our country. Above all, I fought for America and 
     all it stands for, and that is safe, strong, proud, and free.

[[Page E62]]

       ``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. There's never 
     been anything like it. The belief that a nation must serve 
     its citizens will not dwindle, but instead, only grows 
     stronger by the day. As long as the American people hold in 
     their hearts, deep and devoted love of country, then there is 
     nothing that this nation can not achieve. Our communities 
     will flourish. Our people will be prosperous. Our traditions 
     will be cherished. Our faith will be strong and our future 
     will be brighter than ever before. I go from this majestic 
     place with a loyal and joyful heart, an optimistic spirit, 
     and a supreme confidence that for our country and for our 
     children, the best is yet to come. Thank you and farewell. 
     God bless you. God bless the United States of America.''

                          ____________________