NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) 鈥� spent his final full day as president Sunday in South Carolina, urging Americans to 鈥渒eep the faith in a better day to come鈥� and reflecting on the influence of both the civil rights movement and the state itself in his political trajectory.
On the eve of Monday鈥檚 of Republican President-elect , Biden delivered a final farewell from a state that holds special meaning after his commanding win in its 2020 Democratic primary set him up to achieve his life鈥檚 goal of winning election as president.
Biden spoke to the congregation of Royal Missionary Baptist Church about why he entered public service 鈥� Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy were political heroes, he said. And in a nod to South Carolina Democrats, he said: 鈥淚 owe you big.鈥�
The day before the federal holiday honoring King, the slain civil rights leader, Biden struck a more hopeful tone for the future of the country than his televised last Wednesday, when he warned about an 鈥渙ligarchy鈥� of the ultrawealthy taking root and a 鈥渢ech-industrial complex鈥� impeding the future of democracy.
鈥淲e know the struggle to redeeming the soul of this nation is difficult and ongoing," Biden said Sunday. 鈥淲e must hold on to hope. We must stay engaged. We must always keep the faith in a better day to come."
He added: "I鈥檓 not going anywhere鈥� 鈥� and the congregation applauded.
Biden later toured the in Charleston which 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.
He spoke about efforts to ensure an administration 鈥渢hat looks like America,鈥� pointing to people like Lloyd Austin, who was Biden's secretary of defense and the first Black person in the job. Speaking of his nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, he leaned toward the microphone and said: 鈥淎nd by the way, she's smarter than those guys.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e proving that by remembering our history, we can make history,鈥� Biden said.
As he spoke, at a Trump rally back in Washington, speaker after speaker before the president-elect got on stage, previewing what was to come after Trump takes office.
Before the church service, as between Israel and Hamas that the U.S. helped broker, Biden said 鈥渢he guns in Gaza have gone silent." He noted that in May he had outlined the agreement to halt the fighting.
鈥淣ow 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,鈥� Biden said, before urging Trump to keep supporting regional allies and using diplomacy to maintain the hard-won deal.
Biden has been dogged by critics who oppose his administration for and say the U.S. didn鈥檛 push its ally hard enough to ease a . As his motorcade moved through Charleston, a group chanted 鈥淏iden is a war criminal鈥� and held a banner saying 鈥淏iden's legacy=genocide.鈥�
After commenting on the ceasefire, Biden and first lady Jill Biden took their seats in the front pew at the church. 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 at both stops by Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., a key ally who called the president his 鈥渓ongtime friend." Clyburn cited a number of presidents who were underappreciated in office but were later looked on more fondly. He added Biden to that list.
鈥淪o I want to say to you, good friend, very little appreciation has been shown recently but faint not. History will be very kind to you,鈥� Clyburn said.
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 鈥� where Black voters make up a majority of the Democratic electorate 鈥� he was lifted to victory after .
After taking office, Biden pushed for South Carolina to open the Democratic Party's nominating process for 2024, instead of New Hampshire. He the state's primary last year, but after faltering in a debate against Trump, Biden under pressure from many Democrats. Notably, Clyburn was not among them.
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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
