The interlude is over: President Joseph Biden, who defeated Donald Trump in 2020 but failed to prevent his return in 2024, delivered his farewell address from the Oval Office, defending a legacy that his successor now vows to dismantle and that voters soundly rejected.

He began his presidency by seeking the counsel of historians, reportedly telling them in private “I am no FDR” but hinting that he would very much like to be remembered that way. Biden, instead, ends his time in the White House, as well as half a century in politics, among the ranks of one-term presidents such as the late Jimmy Carter.

“It will take time to feel the full impact of all we’ve done together,” said the president, who has made it clear that he feels he never got the credit he deserved, “but the seeds are planted, and they’ll grow, and they’ll bloom for decades to come.” Such germination will take time. At present, most Americans have little inclination for such a patient perspective. Biden said goodbye with nearly the lowest approval rating of his term.

It was not that his policies were unpopular, went the conventional wisdom of this White House, but that they needed to be packaged and presented differently. During his prime-time address, the normally loquacious president did not bother trying to make the sale. Instead, he reflected on his accomplishments only briefly, as if history and not the public would pass judgment at a later date. Nominees of the president-elect were busy, for the past two days, offering a detailed critique before the Senate, tearing into his legacy while hustling for confirmation.

Biden called it “the honor of my life” to lead a nation battling through “a once in a century pandemic.” Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon, had condemned........

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