JOE BIDEN HAS wrapped up a more than 50-year political career but promised that “we’re not leaving the fight” as he said farewell to the presidency and flew to California.

During his inauguration address, US president Donald Trump pledged to “completely and totally reverse” everything Biden did.

In farewell remarks to his staff at the Joint Andrews base yesterday, Biden referenced Trump’s inauguration speech and said: “We have a lot more to do, we heard the inaugural address today.

“We’ve got a lot more to do,” he added, before making the sign of the cross to laughs from those present.

“Folks, I know we couldn’t have done anything we did without you,” Biden told his staff.

“No president gets to choose the moment they enter history, but they get to choose the team they do it with, and we choose the best damn team in the world.

“I only hope you look back on these years with the same pride I have of all you’ve done, and I’m proud that you did it upholding the core values of honesty, decency, and integrity.

“I’m deeply moved by all we all did for this country.”

He encouraged his staff to “stay with it” and added: “My dad taught me that the measure of a person is how quickly they get back up when they get knocked down.

“That’s we have to do right now. We’ve always done our best in America, we never, never, never give up, never.

“We’re leaving office, but we’re not leaving the fight.

“You’re smart, you’re skilled, you’re passionate, the country needs you again so stay engaged in all the ways you can, we believe in you.”

He encouraged his staff to “take some time to decompress, reconnect with your friends, spend more time with your family, but most of all, take care of yourself and each other”.

“Mark my words, history is going to judge what you’ve done as one of the most significant contributions that’s been made by all of America,” said Biden.

He finished his farewell remarks by quoting from the Seamus Heaney poem The Cure at Troy and said: “Once in a lifetime, the longed-for tidal wave of justice will rise up and hope and history rhyme.”

Then, turning to his staff, Biden said: “You made it rhyme louder and it’s rhymed in a long time.

“I really mean it, we’re on the cusp of real change so let’s make hope and history rhyme.”

Biden departed the stage to chants of “Thank you Joe”.