President-elect Joe Biden has made a final emotional speech before setting off for Washington DC for tomorrow's inauguration.
Speaking at a send-off event in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, he began to tear up as he prepared to take the short flight to the nation's capital where he will be sworn in as the 46th president.
Choking up, Mr Biden said: “This is kind of emotional for me.
"You've been with me my whole career, through the good times and the bad. I want to thank you for everything.”
He spoke of his waiting to be picked up by Barack Obama from Wilmington train station, 12 years ago, before they were sworn in as president and vice president.
He continued: “And here we are today.
“My family and I about to return to Washington, to meet a Black woman of South Asian descent to be sworn in as president and vice president of the United States.”
Biden also shared that his only regret was that his late son, Beau Biden, wasn't there to witness the event.
An emotional Biden speaks as he prepares to depart Delaware ahead of his inauguration.
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) January 19, 2021
"Through the good times and the bad, I want to thank you for everything, to my fellow Delawareans…I want to express how much you mean to me and to every one of us" https://t.co/OBN37Fn3iW pic.twitter.com/o4p07PKvPK
He added: "Ladies and gentlemen, I only have one regret, that he's not here, because we should be introducing him as president."
The president-elect added he would “always be a proud son of Delaware.”
In another emotional moment, he recited words from Irish poet James Joyce.
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"When he dies, he said, ‘Dublin will be written on my heart.’ Well, excuse the emotion, but when I die, Delaware will be written on my heart."
Democratic Delaware Gov. John Carney was there to introduce Biden at the send-off, which was held at the Major Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III National Guard/Reserve Center, named in honour of Beau Biden, who passed away at age 46 from brain cancer.
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