NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Joe Biden is spending his final full day in office Sunday in South Carolina, a state that holds special meaning after his commanding win in the 2020 Democratic primary there set him up to achieve his life's goal of being elected president of the United States.
On the eve of Monday's inauguration of Republican President-elect Donald Trump, Biden is delivering a final farewell from the state that brought him to the dance, as he likes to say. And as hostages started to be released under a Middle East ceasefire that the U.S. helped broker, he weighed in on what the incoming administration should do to ensure its success.
Biden, accompanied by his wife, first lady Jill Biden, visited Royal Missionary Baptist Church in North Charleston to worship and speak on the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Monday is the federal holiday honoring the slain civil rights leader.
Before his remarks at the church, he said “the guns in Gaza have gone silent” under an Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement he had outlined in May and he noted that the three hostages released Sunday “appear to be in good health." He also offered some advice on maintaining the hard-won deal to Trump.
“Now it falls on the next administration to help implement this deal. I was pleased to have our team speak as one voice in the final days,” Biden said.
“Success is going to require persistence, and continuing support for our friends in the region and the belief in diplomacy backed by deterrence," Biden said.
After Biden spoke on the ceasefire, he and the first lady took their seats in the front pew.
At least several hundred congregants sang gospel songs, rising to their feet and swaying and clapping. A choir led the musical selections from behind the pulpit before the program later shifted to focus on King.
Biden was introduced by Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., a key ally who referred to the president as his “longtime friend." Clyburn cited a number of presidents who were underappreciated during their time in office but are now looked on more fondly with the passage of time. He added Biden to that list.
“So I want to say to you, good friend, very little appreciation has been shown recently but feint not. History will be very proud of you,” Clyburn said.
After the church, the Bidens will tour the International African American Museum. It was built on a waterfront site where tens of thousands of enslaved Africans were brought to the U.S. from the late 1760s through 1808, according to the museum's website.
The president delivered a televised farewell address to the nation on Wednesday.
Back in 2020, Biden saw his campaign flounder after he lost the opening contests in New Hampshire, Iowa and Nevada. But at the fourth stop, South Carolina — where Black voters make up a majority of the Democratic electorate — he was lifted to victory after Clyburn's endorsement.
“I know Joe. We know Joe. But most importantly, Joe knows us,” Clyburn said at the time.
After winning election and taking office, Biden pushed for South Carolina to move to the head of the line and be the state that opened the Democratic Party's nominating process for 2024, instead of New Hampshire. He easily won the state's primary that year.
“In 2020, it was the voters of South Carolina who proved the pundits wrong, breathed new life into our campaign, and set us on the path to winning the presidency,” Biden said in a statement after winning the primary for the second time. “Now in 2024, the people of South Carolina have spoken again and I have no doubt that you have set us on the path to winning the Presidency again — and making Donald Trump a loser — again.”
It didn't turn out that way. After faltering in a debate against Trump, Biden dropped out of the race under pressure from many Democrats, though Clyburn notably was not among them.
Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, who replaced him as the Democrats' nominee. She lost to Trump.
Clyburn said Biden told him he wanted to visit the African American history museum, which Clyburn helped start. They were planning to spend some time together there.
“This is his way of saying ‘thank you,’” Clyburn said.
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Santana reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Chris Megerian in Washington contributed to this report.
Darlene Superville And Rebecca Santana, The Associated Press
