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He needs all the support he can get.
President Biden sat on a pillow for an extra boost as he delivered his 18-minute farewell address to the nation from the Oval Office Wednesday night.
Photographs captured from outside the Oval Office reveal the 82-year-old president with a small cushion positioned between his backside and the seat of his apparently sturdy leather chair.
The most senior president in office in the United States has frequently faced challenges related to his stability, endurance, and mental sharpness — whether stumbling on the steps of Air Force One or making errors in presidential addresses, marked by regular slips and coughs.
Additionally, the pictures depict a box of tissues placed on Biden’s right side — unseen underneath his desk from the perspective of the forward-facing cameras that broadcasted his address 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 the veep reportedly has icy relations.
First son Hunter Biden and his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, were also in the room.
All were dramatically dressed in black for Biden’s eulogy on his presidential term, which he acknowledged was “one of the toughest years” in US history and claimed “an oligarchy” is on the horizon in a clear swipe at Trump ally Elon Musk.
“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 said.
Biden warned of a “tech-industrial complex” in what is both a reference to President Eisenhower’s farewell address and a jab at Musk.
The lame-duck president warned against “dark money” in politics and urged Congress to ban its members from trading stock.
His comments were quickly slammed as hypocritical by critics.
Fox New’s Dana Perino commented on air after the speech, “When he talks about dark money, does he not remember that just last week, he gave the Medal of Freedom award to George Soros?”
Biden, who served as a senator for Delaware from 1973 to 2009, also called for term limits of 18 years for Supreme Court Justices, who currently serve lifelong appointments.
The Democrat also took a glancing shot at incoming President Donald Trump.
“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 closed.