In a deeply personal and emotional speech, President-elect Joe Biden delivered a final farewell to his hometown of Delaware on Tuesday before departing for the White House, thanking his supporters and the state he said helped raise him.
“It's kind of emotional for me,” the president said behind tears. “Look, you were with me my whole career, through the good times and the bad.”
“In our family, the values we share, the character we strive for, the way we view the world — it all comes from home,” he added. "It all comes from Delaware."
The president-elect, who was set to be sworn in on the footsteps of the US Capitol on Wednesday, recalled meeting his wife, soon-to-be First Lady Dr Jill Biden, in the state where he served as a US Senator. He also recounted how much his late son, former Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, loved their hometown.
“I only have one regret, that he’s not here,” Mr Biden said while referring to his late son, “because we should be introducing him as president.”
Before departing, he told the audience: “Excuse the emotion but when I die, Delaware will be written on my heart.”
There will be an unprecedented National Guard presence and enhanced security at Mr Biden’s inauguration following the deadly pro-Trump riots earlier this month.
Inauguration Day 2021 has been declared a special national security event, allowing city security officials to coordinate with federal agencies like the FBI and Secret Service.
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