President Joe Biden’s term in office has been marked with controversy and personal failures, but he nevertheless appeared to suffer one final humiliation before turning the White House over to President-elect Donald Trump.
During Biden’s final farewell address to the country last week, cameras caught him sitting on a pillow while seated at the Resolute Desk, as reported by the New York Post.
“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 outlet reported.
The oldest-serving U.S. president has frequently struggled with his balance, stamina, and mental clarity—whether it’s tripping on the stairs of Air Force One or making missteps in speeches, often accompanied by gaffes and coughing.
The images also reveal an emergency box of tissues and a glass of water placed to Biden’s right, out of view from the front-facing cameras that broadcast 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 Harris is said to have a strained relationship.
Also present in the room were Hunter Biden, the president’s son, and his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden.
Everyone was dressed in black for Biden’s eulogy of his presidential term, which he described as “one of the toughest years” in U.S. history. He also warned that “an oligarchy” was on the horizon, making a clear reference to Donald Trump ally Elon Musk, The Post reported.
“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 falsely claimed.
Biden warned of a “tech-industrial complex,” a reference to President Dwight Eisenhower’s farewell address and a pointed criticism of Musk.
The outgoing president also spoke out against “dark money” in politics and called on Congress to pass a ban on members trading stocks.
His remarks were quickly criticized as hypocritical by opponents.
“When he talks about dark money, does he not remember that just last week, he gave the Medal of Freedom award to George Soros?” Fox News host Dana Perino remarked.
Biden, who served as a senator from Delaware from 1973 to 2009, also advocated for 18-year term limits for Supreme Court justices, who currently hold lifetime appointments.
The Democratic president also took a swipe at Trump during his remarks. “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 claimed.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu brought new attention to his chilly relationship with Biden by praising Trump — not the current administration — for helping craft a peace deal between the Jewish state and Hamas.
The reported deal comes more than a year after Hamas fighters launched a deadly surprise attack on Israel that left more than 1,300 Israeli citizens dead and hundreds more captured.
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke this evening with US President-elect Donald Trump and thanked him for his assistance in advancing the release of the hostages and for helping Israel bring an end to the suffering of dozens of hostages and their families,” Netanyahu’s official account posted on X on Friday.
