US President George W Bush will deliver his farewell address to the nation on Thursday night, in which he is expected to defend his record, the White House has announced.
Bush's speech is expected to be of about 10-15 minutes. It would be telecast live on national television networks and would be delivered in front of a select audience in East Room of the White House, its spokesperson Dana Perino said.
The announcement came after Bush addressed his final press conference to the White House media corpse and addressed to a volley of questions ranging from current economic crisis to the war against terror, his experience at the White House and his views about the incoming President Barack Obama.
This would be the last scheduled public event before the president-elect arrives at the North Portico on Inauguration Day.
Perino said the President is expected to defend his record. Bush approval rating has been an all time low among US presidents in recent times.
"He (Bush) will reflect on his time in office and the ways our country has changed these past eight years. He will also uphold the tradition of presidents using farewell addresses to look forward, by sharing his thoughts on greatest challenges facing the country and on what it will take to meet them," Perino told White House reporters on Monday.
The scheduled farewell address is in tune with the tradition of US presidency, when the outgoing President addresses the nation before leaving the White House.
"He (Bush) will reflect on his time in office and the ways our country has changed these past eight years. He will also uphold the tradition of presidents using farewell addresses to look forward, by sharing his thoughts on greatest challenges facing the country and on what it will take to meet them," Perino told White House reporters on Monday.
The scheduled farewell address is in tune with the tradition of US presidency, when the outgoing President addresses the nation before leaving the White House.
Earlier the outgoing presidents delivered their address to the nation in newspapers, but it is delivered live through television news channels.