George Bush lamented in 1993 that “losing is never easy – believe me, I know” after losing to Bill Clinton. Gerald Ford considered the possibility of a political comeback in 1977 after being defeated by Jimmy Carter (“This report will be my last – perhaps.”) Four years ago, Donald J. Trump expressed defiance over defeat, declaring: “We will come back.” in some form.”

As early as the 18th century—when George Washington warned the young republic of the dangers of partisanship and called for national unity—presidents used their final days in office to reflect on their successes and achievements and urged the nation to build on their legacies future generations.

This farewell message has sometimes been complicated by the fact that the outgoing commander-in-chief has been replaced by a political rival – particularly if he has been excluded from a second term.

The challenge President Biden undertook on Wednesday night was similarly thorny, as he highlighted his successes and reflected on America’s future — even as he hands the reins of government to Mr. Trump, an opponent whom Mr. Biden declares a threat to democracy has vowed to reverse many of his policies.

Against this backdrop, Johnson delivered a final State of the Union address to Congress the week before Nixon’s inauguration. In a particularly emotional address to the joint session of Congress, Johnson spoke of his efforts to seek a negotiated end to the Vietnam War and reviewed an extensive list of legislative achievements he had overseen from the Oval Office that provided the framework for the company’s new programs as “promises to the American people” that must be kept.

“Failure to implement,” Johnson said of his legislative agenda, “would be a tragedy for our country.” Much of that legislation, which Johnson called the “Great Society,” remains in effect today.

Gerald R. Ford hoped for a political comeback.

President Gerald R. Ford holds a special place in the history of the American presidency, and his farewell address reflects his unique and abbreviated tenure in the Oval Office. He is the only person to hold the office of president without being elected president or vice president, as he was appointed vice president by Nixon. He also had the shortest term of any president in the last century – remaining in office for just two years and five months after Nixon resigned the presidency in the summer of 1974.

But even as Ford told lawmakers that “I look forward to private citizen status with joy and gratitude,” he made no secret of his hopes for political redemption and a return to the White House.

“This report may be my last,” Ford said, drawing laughter from the room as he deviated from his prepared remarks to provoke an eventual run for the presidency. Ford ultimately dropped out of the race in 1980 and supported Ronald Reagan.

George Bush warned against being “the world policeman.”

At his appearance at the US Military Academy at West Point two weeks before Bill Clinton’s inauguration, President George Bush made it clear that the defeat by Clinton had hurt him.

“Losing is never easy. Trust me, I know something about it,” Bush said to thousands of Army cadets who laughed — perhaps a little longer and louder than he expected. “But if you have to lose, this is the way to go: fight with everything you have. Do your best. And win or lose, learn from it and move on with life.”

But before moving on, Bush warned future military leaders about the state of global affairs. He had just presided over the end of the Cold War and the creation of nations and democratic governments in Eastern Europe when the Soviet Union and its sphere of influence fell apart during his presidency. He had also waged war in Iraq to counter an invasion of neighboring Kuwait.

Bush declared that the United States was the world’s only remaining superpower and called on the country to address global crises and “promote a democratic peace.” But he also called for restraint and action only with the support of allies.

“The United States should not try to be the world’s policeman,” Bush said. “There is no support, foreign or domestic, to play this role, nor should there be. We would exhaust ourselves and waste valuable resources needed to address the problems at home and abroad that we cannot ignore.”

The warning presaged the crises that would dominate American foreign policy. Mr. Clinton would lead massive military interventions in Haiti and the Balkans. President George W. Bush, Bush’s son, went even further after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001: He launched a second U.S. invasion of Iraq and waged a two-decade conflict in Afghanistan that cost thousands of American lives and Trillions of dollars in military spending.