2021年1月19日下午，美国第45任总统唐纳德·川普（Donald Trump）发表离任之前的告别演讲，以下为全文翻译（英文版见后）。我的美国同胞们：四年前，我们发起了一场伟大的全国性的努力，来重建我们的国家，来重塑我们的精神，来重拾这个政府对公民的忠诚。简而言之，我们担负起了一场让美国再次伟大的使命——为所有的美国人。当我结束作为美国第45任总统的任期时，我真诚地站在你们面前，为我们共同取得的成就感到自豪。我们做到了我们想要来这里做的每一件事——甚至更多。本周，我们将举行新政府的就职典礼，并共同祈祷新政府在未来维护美国安全和繁荣方面取得成功。我们在这里表达最美好的祝愿，也衷心地希望他们好运-——这是一个非常重要的词。首先，我要感谢几位了不起的人，是他们让我们的这趟非凡之旅成为可能。首先，请允许我对了不起的第一夫人梅拉尼娅的爱和支持表示衷心的感谢。同时，也向我的女儿伊万卡，我的女婿贾里德，以及巴伦、唐、埃里克、蒂凡尼和劳拉，表达我最深切的谢意。是你们让我的世界充满光明和欢乐。我还要感谢副总统迈克·彭斯，以及他出色的妻子凯伦和整个彭斯家族。我还要感谢我的幕僚长马克·梅多斯、白宫工作人员、内阁中尽职尽责的成员们，以及我们政府中所有了不起的人们，他们全心全意地为美国而战。我还想花点时间感谢一群真正杰出的人：美国特勤局。我和我的家人永远都欠你们人情。我还要向白宫军事办公室里的每一个人、海军一号和空军一号的每一支队伍、武装部队的每一名成员，以及全国各地的州和地方执法部门表示深切的感谢。最重要的是，我要感谢美国人民。担任你们的总统，是一种无法用言语形容的荣耀。感谢你们赐予我这非凡的荣耀。这就是它的本质——一种极大的特权，同时也是一份极大的荣耀。我们绝不能忘记，虽然美国人总是有分歧，但我们是一个由难以置信的、体面的、忠实的、爱好和平的公民组成的国家，每个人都希望我们的国家繁荣昌盛，也都希望我们的国家繁荣昌盛、非常成功和美好。我们是一个真正伟大的国家。所有的美国人，都被我们的国会大厦袭击事件吓坏了。政治暴力，攻击的是我们作为美国人所珍视的一切。这是绝对不能容忍的。我们现在比以往任何时候，都必须更团结地守护我们共同的价值观，我们要放下党派仇恨，共同塑造我们的命运。四年前，我来到华盛顿，成为美国有史以来赢得总统职位的唯一一个“局外人”。我想说，我从未把这份职业看作是一名政治家，我把自己当做了一名建造者，我看着辽阔的天际，憧憬着无限的可能。我竞选总统是因为我知道，美国正等待着攀登一座崭新的高峰，等待着扩大规模；是因为我知道，只要我们把美国放在第一位，我们这个国家的潜能将是无限的。正因为如此，我抛弃了原来的生活，踏进了一个举步维艰的竞技场。但无论如何我相信，只要我做得足够好，美国就会创造出各种各样的潜能。美国曾经给与了我那么多，我想要付出回报。和全国数百万勤劳的爱国者一起，我们建立了我国历史上最伟大的政治运动。我们还建立了世界历史上最伟大的经济体系。这就是“美国第一”，因为我们都想让美国再次伟大。我们恢复了一个国家要为公民服务的原则。我们的议程不再关乎左右倾向，不再关乎是共和党还是民主党，而是看重整个国家的利益。在美国人民的支持和祈祷下，我们取得了前所未有的成就。没有人会觉得我们做得还不够。我们通过了美国历史上最大的减税和改革方案。我们削减了比以往任何一届政府都更多的裁员条例。我们修复了破裂的贸易协议，退出了可怕的跨太平洋伙伴关系和不可能达成的《巴黎气候协定》，并重新对单方面的韩国协议做出谈判，我们用开创性、非常成功的《美墨加协定》——即墨西哥和加拿大，取代了《北美自由贸易协定》。此外，也是非常重要的是，我们与*国达成了一项重大的新协议。但是，就在签字的墨水还未干之前，我们和全世界就都遭受了病毒的袭击。我们的贸易关系正在迅速变化，数十亿美元正源源不断地涌入美国，但病毒却迫使我们走向了不同的方向。整个世界都遭受了损失，但由于我们建立的了不起的经济体系，美国的经济表现明显优于其它国家。如果没有地基和基础，就不会有这样的效果。这已经是我们能创造的最好的数字了。我们还开放了能源资源，成为世界上最大的石油和天然气生产国。在这些政策的推动下，我们建立了世界历史上最伟大的经济体。我们重新创造了美国的就业机会，实现了非裔美国人、西班牙裔美国人、亚裔美国人，以及女性的创纪录的低失业率。国家繁荣、收入猛增，我们的“美国梦”得以恢复，数以百万计的人们在短短几年内就摆脱了贫困。这是个奇迹。股市也在这短短的几年时间里，创下了一个又一个的纪录，达到了股票市场的148高点，提振了全国各地勤劳公民的退休和养老金水平。401(K)s处于前所未有的水平。不论是在大流行之前还是之后，我们从未见过这样的数字。我们重建了美国的制造业基地，开设了数以千计的新工厂，并带回了一个美丽的词语：“美国制造”。为了改善工薪家庭的生活，我们将儿童税收抵免增加了一倍，并签署了有史以来最大规模的儿童保育和发展资金扩展协议。我们与私营企业一同承诺，为未来的工作培训1,600多万美国工人。当我们的国家遭受可怕的大流行病打击时，我们生产的疫苗——不是一种，而是两种新冠疫苗——都以破纪录的速度加快生产，更多的疫苗将很快问世。他们都说做不到，但是我们做到了。他们称之为“医学奇迹”。其它政府可能需要花费3、4、5，甚至10年的时间才能研制出疫苗。但我们在九个月的时间里就做到了。我们为失去的每一条生命感到悲痛，我们向他们保证将一劳永逸地永远消灭这一可怕的流行病。当病毒对世界经济造成残酷打击时，我们启动了有史以来最快速的经济复苏。我们通过了近4万亿美元的经济救助，挽救并支持了超过5,000万个就业机会，并将失业率降低了一半。这些数字在我们国家之前从未见过的。我们在医疗保健方面扩大了选择权和透明度，在许多方面与大型制药公司抗衡，特别是在我们努力争取加入优惠国家条款，这将使我们成为世界上处方药价格最低的国家。我们通过了《退伍军人选择法》、《退伍军人问责制》、审判权和具有里程碑意义的刑事司法改革。我们任命了美国最高法院的三名大法官。我们还任命了近300名联邦法官，来解释并拥护我们的宪法。多年以来，美国人民一直恳求华盛顿确保国家边界的安全。我很高兴地说，我们回应了这个请求，并建立了美国历史上最安全的边界。我们已经给我们勇敢的边防人员和海关官员，提供了比以往任何时候都做得更好的工具，来执行我们的法律、保障美国的安全。我们非常自豪地、给下届政府留下了有史以来最强有力的边境安全措施。这包括与墨西哥、危地马拉、洪都拉斯和萨尔瓦多的历史性协议，以及长达450多英里的强大新墙。我们恢复了美国在国内的实力，以及在海外的领导地位。全世界再一次尊重我们。请不要让这种尊重再次丢失。我们在联合国为美国挺身而出，退出那些从不符合我们利益的单边全球协议，从而恢复了我们的主权。北约国家比几年前我上任时，多支付给我们数千亿美元。原本这都是些非常不公平的协议。我们曾经为全世界的损失买单。而现在，全世界都在帮助我们。也许最重要的是，我们花费了近3万亿美元重建了美国军队——所有都是美国制造。我们发起了美国武装部队75年来的第一个新分支：美国太空军。去年春天，我站在佛罗里达州肯尼迪航天中心，看着美国宇航员多年来第一次乘坐美国火箭返回太空。我们重振同盟、团结世界各国。我们消灭了伊斯兰国的哈里发，结束了其创始人和领导人巴格达迪悲惨的生活。我们奋起反抗压迫性的伊朗政权，杀害了世界上最顶级的恐怖分子，伊朗屠夫Qasem Soleimani。我们承认耶路撒冷是以色列的首都，并承认以色列对戈兰高地的主权。由于我们大胆的外交和原则现实主义，我们在中东达成了一系列历史性的和平协议。以前没人相信这会发生。《亚伯拉罕协定》为和平与和谐的未来打开了大门，而再不是暴力和流血。这是一个新中东的曙光，我们正在把我们的士兵带回家。让我尤其感到自豪的是，我是几十年来第一位没有发动新战争的美国总统。最重要的是，我们重申了一个神圣的理念：在美国，政府必须对人民负责。我们的指引之光，我们的北极星，我们坚定的信念是，我们来到这里是为美国每一位高尚公民服务的。我们的忠诚不是对某个特殊利益集团、公司或全球实体的忠诚，而是对我们的孩子、我们的公民和我们国家本身的忠诚。作为总统，我的首要任务，也是我一直关注的问题，一直都是美国工人和美国家庭的最大利益。这并不容易，实际上这是一条最艰难的道路。我没有寻求一条能得到最少批评的道路。我参加了艰苦的战斗，最艰难的战斗，最艰难的选择，因为这就是人民选择我做总统所期望的。你们的需求，是我第一个也是最后一个要为止不屈不挠的奋斗点。我希望这成为我们最伟大的遗产：我们一起让美国人民重新掌管我们的国家。我们恢复了自治。我们重新认识到，在美国，没有人会被遗忘，因为每个人都很重要，每个人都有发言权。我们争取的原则是，每个公民都有权享有平等的尊严、平等的待遇和平等的权利，因为上帝使我们人人平等。每个人都有权得到尊重，倾听他们的声音，并让他们的政府听取他们的意见。你们忠于你们的国家，而我的政府将一直忠于你们。我们努力建设出一个每个公民都能找到一份好工作、支持他们美好家庭的国家。我们为向每个美国人提供安全的社区、为每个孩子提供学校而奋斗。我们提倡这样一种文化：我们的法律将得到维护，我们的英雄将受到尊重，我们的历史得以保存，守法的公民永远不会被认为是理所当然的。美国人民应该对我们共同取得的成就感到极大的满足。这太不可思议了。现在，我就要离开白宫了，我一直在思考这个无价遗产所面临的威胁。作为世界上最强大的国家，美国不断面临来自国外的威胁和挑战。但我们面临的最大威胁是对自己失去信心、对我们国家的伟大失去信心。一个民族只有精神强大，整个民族才会强大。我们只有骄傲自信，才能保持活力。只有人民心中永远都跳动着这份信念，我们才能永远充满活力。对自己的价值观、历史和英雄失去信心的国家，是不会长久繁荣昌盛的，因为这些才是我们团结和保持活力的源泉。美国之所以能够战胜过去那些巨大的挑战，是因为我们始终对我国的最贵地位、独特目标抱有不屈不挠、毫不羞耻的信念。我们绝不能失去这种信念。我们绝不能放弃对美国的信仰。一个国家伟大的关键，在于维持和灌输我们共同的民族认同感。这意味着我们要把注意力集中在我们的共同之处：我们共享的遗产。这一遗产的核心也是对言论自由和公开辩论的坚定信念。只有当我们忘记了自己是谁，以及我们是如何来到这里的，我们才会允许政治审查和黑名单这样的事情在美国发生。这是不可想象的。停止自由言论和公开的辩论，这显然违反了我们的核心价值观和最持久的传统。在美国，我们不坚持绝对一致，但也不执行僵化的正统观念和惩罚性的言论规范。我们不会这么做。美国不是一个胆小的国家，那种灵魂被驯服、需要得到庇护，并远离意见相左的国家。我们不是这样的人。我们永远不会。近250年来，面对每一个挑战，美国人总是鼓起我们无与伦比的勇气、信心和强烈的独立性。这些神奇的特质，曾经让数百万人穿越荒野的大陆，在伟大的西方开创了新的生活。正是这种出于对上帝所赐自由的深切的爱，我们的士兵才有了战斗的意志，我们的宇航员才进入了太空。回想过去的四年，我脑海中只浮现出一幅画面。就是每当我的车队前行时，路边总会有成千上万的人。他们和家人一起站在我们经过的地方，自豪地挥舞着我们伟大的美国国旗。每一次，这个画面都让我深深地为之感动。我知道他们不仅仅是为了表达对我的支持，而是为了向我展示他们对这个国家的支持和爱。这是一个由自豪的公民所组成的共和国，他们团结在我们的共同信念中，认为美国是历史上最伟大的国家。我们现在是，而且必须永远是一个充满希望、光明和荣耀的世界。这将是我们面对每一个历史转折点时，都必须维护的宝贵遗产。在过去的四年里，我一直在努力去做到这一点。从利雅得穆斯林领袖的大厅到华沙的波兰人民广场；从韩国议会的会场到联合国大会的讲台；从北京的紫禁城到拉什莫尔山的影子下：我为你们而战！我为你们的家庭而战！我为我们的国家而战！最重要的是，我为美国和它所代表的一切而战——安全、强大、自豪和自由的美国！现在，当我即将在周三中午将权力移交给新政府时，我想让你们知道，我们开启的运动才刚刚开始。这是从来没有过的事情。一个国家必须为其公民服务的信念不会减弱，而只会一天比一天更强大。只要美国人民对国家的热爱深入人心，那么就没有什么是这个国家不能实现的。我们的社区将蓬勃发展！我们的人民会繁荣昌盛！我们的传统将受到珍视！我们的信仰会更加强大！我们的未来，将比以往任何时候都更加光明！我将怀着一颗忠诚而快乐的心，一种乐观的精神，以及一种至高无上的信念，从这个庄严的地方出发。相信对我们的国家和我们的孩子来说，最好的还远远没有到来。谢谢你们，再见。愿上帝保佑你们。愿上帝保佑美利坚合众国。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 Ivanka, my son-in-law Jared, and to Barron, 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 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 Capitol. 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 fixed our broken trade deals, withdrew from the horrible Trans-Pacific Partnership and the impossible Paris Climate Accord, renegotiated the one-sided South Korea deal, 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 U.S., 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.Incomes 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 this 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 call it a “medical miracle,” and that’s what they’re calling it right now: a “medical miracle.”Another administration would have taken 3, 4, 5, maybe even up to 10 years to develop a vaccine. We did 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 U.S. 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 revitalized 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, al Baghdadi. We stood up to the oppressive Iranian regime and killed the world’s top terrorist, Iranian butcher Qasem Soleimani.We recognized 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 their 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.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 grow 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 cannot 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.
