Joe Biden’s farewell address may go down in history as a defining moment, not just for his presidency but for the state of American democracy. When he warned that “an oligarchy is taking shape” in the U.S., he wasn’t just raising alarms about the concentration of power in the hands of a few. He was also issuing a challenge to those who have long been complicit in this shift—namely, the Republican Party.
Biden’s remarks about the rise of the “tech-industrial complex” felt like a direct rebuke to the super-wealthy figures driving this trend—people like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos. These billionaires are not just benefitting from vast fortunes; they are also using their wealth to reshape the political landscape in their image. Musk and Zuckerberg have openly aligned themselves with Donald Trump, and Bezos, while more circumspect, remains a powerful figure whose media empire has significant sway over public opinion.
In his speech, Biden pointed out the dangers of a concentration of power that undermines democratic institutions, warning that the unchecked influence of these tech moguls, combined with political favoritism, was eroding the very fabric of American democracy. And yet, the reaction from Republicans to his speech couldn’t have been more telling. Instead of addressing these legitimate concerns, GOP lawmakers fell back on their usual playbook of denying, deflecting, and doubling down on the policies that continue to favor the super-wealthy.
Take Georgia Representative Andrew Clyde’s response, for example: “Joe Biden’s legacy in one word: Failure.” Clyde, like many in his party, continues to align himself with a vision that is all about protecting the wealth and power of a few, even at the expense of ordinary Americans. He wasn’t the only one. South Carolina Representative Nancy Mace criticized Biden for calling out the oligarchs, accusing the president of attacking “American citizens.” The irony is hard to miss. In attacking the president’s warning about oligarchy, Republicans only reinforced the very point he was making—that they are more interested in shielding the ultra-rich from accountability than defending the democratic principles they claim to champion.
Republicans’ allegiance to the super-wealthy and oligarchs has never been more evident. The party that once prided itself on championing the working class has increasingly become the party of billionaires, big corporations, and political elites. The GOP’s refusal to acknowledge the dangers posed by rising inequality, corporate power, and the influence of oligarchs only proves that they are more concerned with preserving their ties to the wealthy elite than in safeguarding democracy for all Americans.
This trend isn’t new, but it’s now on full display. Instead of engaging in a meaningful conversation about the growing concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a few, Republicans like Oklahoma Congressman Kevin Hern dismiss Biden’s presidency as a “failure” while turning a blind eye to the ways in which the super-rich are distorting the political process. Florida Senator Rick Scott, meanwhile, argued that Biden’s farewell speech “should have been a formal apology” for what he calls “inflation-fueling policies”—policies that in reality are largely a response to the widening gap between the rich and the rest of us.
Biden’s warning about a “crumbling” free press, the rise of disinformation, and dark money in politics should have been a moment of reflection for both parties. These are not partisan issues—they are fundamental threats to the health of any democracy. But once again, Republicans were quick to use the president’s words as fodder for partisan attacks, framing his concerns as just another left-wing talking point rather than a sober warning about the state of the nation.
And then there’s the matter of Trump’s looming return to office. As Biden made the case for greater presidential accountability, Republicans once again exposed their priorities. Instead of accepting the need for reforms to ensure that no president is above the law, the GOP has spent years defending Trump’s lawlessness, his disregard for democratic norms, and his willingness to align with the very oligarchs Biden warned about. Their response to Biden’s call for checks and balances? A refusal to engage, and instead a countdown to Trump’s return to power.
The Republicans’ reaction to Biden’s farewell speech highlights the stark reality of where American democracy stands today. The GOP has become increasingly aligned with the ultra-wealthy, the tech moguls, and corporate interests that are actively working to shape a system that favors the few at the expense of the many. In doing so, they are not only undermining the democratic principles they once claimed to protect—they are making it clear that they will prioritize the interests of the super-rich over the will of the people.
The dangerous truth is that Republicans, through their refusal to confront these growing threats to democracy, are actively enabling the rise of oligarchy in America. Their continued allegiance to the wealthiest Americans and their failure to acknowledge the need for real democratic reform prove that their vision for the future is one in which power and wealth are concentrated in the hands of a few, and the rest of the country is left to fend for itself.
Biden’s farewell speech was more than just a reflection on his time in office—it was a call to action for all Americans to recognize the fragility of democracy in this moment. Republicans’ immediate and predictable reactions only show how much work remains in defending the democratic values that so many Americans take for granted.
