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In Phil Donahue, our nation has lost a trailblazing television icon who held up a mirror to America and united us around the toughest issues of our time.

A son of a working-class, Irish-Catholic family from Cleveland, Phil first honed his craft as a radio station assistant in university, before rising to transform television and reshape the national conversation.

Over close to 30 years, nearly 7,000 episodes, and 20 Emmys, he pioneered the live daytime talk show, helping change hearts and minds through honest and open dialogue. He broadcast the power of personal stories in living rooms across the country, interviewing everyone from our greatest stars to our forgotten neighbors. Insatiably curious and accepting, Phil saw every guest as worthy of interest and worked to build understanding, helping us see each other not as enemies, but as fellow Americans.

Through his extraordinary career in television and through thousands of daily conversations, Phil Donahue steered the national discourse and spoke to our better angels. He will be sorely missed.

Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the Donahue family and keep them close in our hearts—including his beloved wife of 44 years, Marlo Thomas, and his sister, children, and grandchildren.

May God bless you, Phil.

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The post Statement from President Joe Biden on the Passing of Phil Donahue appeared first on The White House.

In Phil Donahue, our nation has lost a trailblazing television icon who held up a mirror to America and united us around the toughest issues of our time.

A son of a working-class, Irish-Catholic family from Cleveland, Phil first honed his craft as a radio station assistant in university, before rising to transform television and reshape the national conversation.

Over close to 30 years, nearly 7,000 episodes, and 20 Emmys, he pioneered the live daytime talk show, helping change hearts and minds through honest and open dialogue. He broadcast the power of personal stories in living rooms across the country, interviewing everyone from our greatest stars to our forgotten neighbors. Insatiably curious and accepting, Phil saw every guest as worthy of interest and worked to build understanding, helping us see each other not as enemies, but as fellow Americans.

Through his extraordinary career in television and through thousands of daily conversations, Phil Donahue steered the national discourse and spoke to our better angels. He will be sorely missed.

Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the Donahue family and keep them close in our hearts—including his beloved wife of 44 years, Marlo Thomas, and his sister, children, and grandchildren.

May God bless you, Phil.

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The post Statement from President Joe Biden on the Passing of Phil Donahue appeared first on The White House.

12:13 A.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT:  I wanted to come over.  You’ve been waiting a while.  What — what do you got?  Any questions?
    
Q    What did you think of that reception you got there tonight?

THE PRESIDENT:  Oh, it meant a lot to me.  Very nice.

Q    Are you angry at Nancy Pelosi?  Are you going to speak with her?

THE PRESIDENT:  No, I haven’t spoken to Nancy at all.  I mean, look, I made — no — no one influenced my decision.  No one knew it was coming.

What I decided to do was — I didn’t want to — to the extent that the party thought they’d lose Senate seats or House seats, it — that would have been the topic you would have had to cover the entire remainder of the campaign, and it wasn’t worth it.

Q    You teared up a little bit.  Was it emotional for you tonight?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, it was.  I mean, the reception was pretty overwhelming, and —

Q    Do you feel at peace with your choice, or do you think you still could have won?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, you know, you always think you could have won.  And if you go back and look at the numbers, we weren’t that far behind.  It was like we talked about how this was — we were getting blown out.  That’s not what we saw.  But it was — it would have been close.

What have happened though, if the discussion had been was I going to cost seats for Democrats, that would have been the whole subject matter for the remainder of the campaign.  You’d have to cover it, that would be the issue, and it would give him an advantage. 
 
Anyway —
    
Q    Mr. President, earlier, you said that Don- — you were asked a question about Donald Trump saying that you were taken out of this race because of a coup, and you said something about his stability.  Could you expand on that — your reaction to Donald Trump saying it was a coup to take you out of the race?

THE PRESIDENT:  (Laughs.)  I think he has a problem.  I mean, no one took me out of —

Q    On the ceasefire talks —

Q    Ceasefire talks —

Q    On the status of them today —

Q    Ga- — Gaza —
    
THE PRESIDENT:  It’s still in play.  But, you know —

Q    What?

THE PRESIDENT:  It’s still in play.

Q    Okay.

THE PRESIDENT:  But you can’t predict what —

So far, as of four hours ago — I’ve not spoken with my team in four hou- — well, probably six hours now — Israel says they can work it out.  They’re prepared.  But I was told Hamas was now backing off.  But it remains to be seen.  We’re going to keep pushing.

Q    Highlight — highlight — the highlight of the night for you, sir?  The highlight?

THE PRESIDENT:  My daughter’s introduction.

Thank you.

12:17 A.M. CDT

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12:13 A.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT:  I wanted to come over.  You’ve been waiting a while.  What — what do you got?  Any questions?
    
Q    What did you think of that reception you got there tonight?

THE PRESIDENT:  Oh, it meant a lot to me.  Very nice.

Q    Are you angry at Nancy Pelosi?  Are you going to speak with her?

THE PRESIDENT:  No, I haven’t spoken to Nancy at all.  I mean, look, I made — no — no one influenced my decision.  No one knew it was coming.

What I decided to do was — I didn’t want to — to the extent that the party thought they’d lose Senate seats or House seats, it — that would have been the topic you would have had to cover the entire remainder of the campaign, and it wasn’t worth it.

Q    You teared up a little bit.  Was it emotional for you tonight?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, it was.  I mean, the reception was pretty overwhelming, and —

Q    Do you feel at peace with your choice, or do you think you still could have won?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, you know, you always think you could have won.  And if you go back and look at the numbers, we weren’t that far behind.  It was like we talked about how this was — we were getting blown out.  That’s not what we saw.  But it was — it would have been close.

What have happened though, if the discussion had been was I going to cost seats for Democrats, that would have been the whole subject matter for the remainder of the campaign.  You’d have to cover it, that would be the issue, and it would give him an advantage. 
 
Anyway —
    
Q    Mr. President, earlier, you said that Don- — you were asked a question about Donald Trump saying that you were taken out of this race because of a coup, and you said something about his stability.  Could you expand on that — your reaction to Donald Trump saying it was a coup to take you out of the race?

THE PRESIDENT:  (Laughs.)  I think he has a problem.  I mean, no one took me out of —

Q    On the ceasefire talks —

Q    Ceasefire talks —

Q    On the status of them today —

Q    Ga- — Gaza —
    
THE PRESIDENT:  It’s still in play.  But, you know —

Q    What?

THE PRESIDENT:  It’s still in play.

Q    Okay.

THE PRESIDENT:  But you can’t predict what —

So far, as of four hours ago — I’ve not spoken with my team in four hou- — well, probably six hours now — Israel says they can work it out.  They’re prepared.  But I was told Hamas was now backing off.  But it remains to be seen.  We’re going to keep pushing.

Q    Highlight — highlight — the highlight of the night for you, sir?  The highlight?

THE PRESIDENT:  My daughter’s introduction.

Thank you.

12:17 A.M. CDT

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National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke today with Philippine National Security Advisor Eduardo M. Año.  Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Año discussed the continued historic momentum in the U.S.-Philippines Alliance, including the recent announcement of $500 million in U.S. Foreign Military Financing from the FY 2024 Indo-Pacific Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, which, working with the U.S. Congress, will help modernize the Philippine armed forces and coast guard.  Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Año discussed how this additional security assistance can bolster U.S.-Philippines cooperation in support of international maritime law in the South China Sea.  

Mr. Sullivan also condemned the People’s Republic of China’s deliberate collision with two Philippine Coast Guard vessels operating lawfully near Sabina Shoal in the Philippines ‘exclusive economic zone on August 19.  Mr. Sullivan reiterated the ironclad U.S. commitment to the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, which extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft—to include those of its Coast Guard—anywhere in the South China Sea. 

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The post Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Call with National Security Advisor Eduardo M. Año of the Philippines appeared first on The White House.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke today with Philippine National Security Advisor Eduardo M. Año.  Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Año discussed the continued historic momentum in the U.S.-Philippines Alliance, including the recent announcement of $500 million in U.S. Foreign Military Financing from the FY 2024 Indo-Pacific Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, which, working with the U.S. Congress, will help modernize the Philippine armed forces and coast guard.  Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Año discussed how this additional security assistance can bolster U.S.-Philippines cooperation in support of international maritime law in the South China Sea.  

Mr. Sullivan also condemned the People’s Republic of China’s deliberate collision with two Philippine Coast Guard vessels operating lawfully near Sabina Shoal in the Philippines ‘exclusive economic zone on August 19.  Mr. Sullivan reiterated the ironclad U.S. commitment to the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, which extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft—to include those of its Coast Guard—anywhere in the South China Sea. 

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10:27 P.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.) 

Thank you.  (Applause.)

Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  We love Joe!  We love Joe!  We love Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  We love Joe!  We love Joe!  We love Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)

Thank you.  (Applause.)

Thank you.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  And I love you!  (Applause.)  Thank you.

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  That was my daughter!  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, thank you.

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)

Thank you.  Thank you for — (applause) —

I tell you what — (applause) —

To my dearest daughter, Ashley, God love you.  You’re incredible.  Thank you for that introduction and for being my courageous heart, along with Hunter and our entire family, and especially our rock, Jill — (applause) — who — as those of you who know us, she still leaves me both breathless and speechless.  (Laughter.)  Everybody knows her — I love her more than she loves me.  (Laughter.)  She walks down the stairs and I still get that going “boom, boom, boom.”  (Laughter.)  You all who know me know I’m not kidding. 

Let’s give a special round of applause to our first lady, Jill Biden.  (Applause.)

My dad — my dad used to have an expression, for real.  He’d say, “Joey, family is the beginning, the middle, and the end.”  And I love you all.  (Applause.)

Folks — and, America, I love you.  (Applause.)

Folks, let me ask you —

AUDIENCE:  We love Joe!  We love Joe!  We love Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  Let me ask you: Are you ready to vote for freedom?  (Applause.)

Are you ready to vote for democracy and for America?  (Applause.)

Let me ask you: Are you ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz president and vice president of the United States?  (Applause.)

My fellow Democrats, my fellow Americans, nearly four years ago in winter, on the steps of the Capitol on a cold January day, I raised my right hand, and I swore an oath to you and to God to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and to faithfully execute the office of the president of the United States.  (Applause.) 

In front of me — in front of me was a city surrounded by the National Guard.  Behind me, a Capitol that just two weeks before had been overrun by a violent mob.  But I knew then, from the bottom of my heart, as I do now: There is no place in America for political violence.  None.  (Applause.) 

You cannot say you love your country only when you win.  (Applause.) 

In that moment, I wasn’t looking to the past.  I was looking to the future.  I spoke to the work at hand, the moment we had to meet.  It was, as I told you then, a “winter of peril and possibility” — “of peril and possibility.” 

We were in the grip of a once-in-a-century pandemic, historic joblessness, a call for racial justice long overdue — (applause) — clear and present threats to our very democracy.

AUDIENCE:  We love Joe!  We love Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.

AUDIENCE:  We love Joe!  We love Joe!  We love Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  And yet — and yet I believed then and I believe now that progress was and is possible.  Justice is achievable.  And our best days are not behind us; they’re before us.  (Applause.)

Now it’s summer.  The winter has passed.  And with a grateful heart, I stand before you now on this August night to report that democracy has prevailed.  (Applause.)  Democracy — democracy has delivered.  (Applause.)  And now democracy must be preserved.  (Applause.)

You’ve heard me say it before.  We’re facing an inflection point, one of those rare moments in history when the decisions we make now will determine the fate of our nation and the world for decades to come.  That’s not hyperbole.  I mean it literally.  We’re in a battle for the very soul of America. 

I ran for president in 2020 because of what I saw in Charlottesville in August of 2017: extremists coming out of the woods carrying torches, their veins bulging from their necks, carrying Nazi swastikas, and chanting the same exact antisemitic bile that was heard in Germany in the early ‘30s.  Neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and the Kl Klux Klan so emboldened by a president then in the White House that they saw as an ally, they didn’t even bother to wear their hoods. 

Hate was on the march in America — old ghosts in new garments stirring up the oldest divisions, stoking the oldest fears, giving oxygen to the oldest forces that they long sought to tear apart America. 

In the process, a young woman was killed.  When I contacted her mother, I asked about what happened.  She told me.  When the president was asked what he thought had happened, Donald Trump said, and I quote, there were “very fine people on both sides.”  My God.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  That’s what he said.  That is what he said and what he meant.  That’s when I realized — had to listen to the admonition of my dead son — I could not stay on the sidelines.  (Applause.)  So, I ran.

Because I had no intention of running again.  I’d just lost part of my soul. 

But I ran with a deep conviction in America I know and believe — in an America where honesty, dignity, decency still matter — (applause); an America where everyone has a fair shot and hate has no safe harbor — (applause); an America where the fundamental creed of this nation that all of us are created equal is still very much alive. 

And a broad coalition of Americans joined with me.  Eighty-one million voters voted for us — (applause) — more than any time in all of history.  Because of all of you in this room and others, we came together in 2020 to save democracy.  (Applause.) 

As your president, I’ve been determined to keep America moving forward, not going back; to stand against hate and violence in all its forms; to be a nation where we not only live with the — and — but thrive on diversity; demonizing no one; leaving no one behind; and becoming the nation that we profess to be.  (Applause.)

I also ran to rebuild the backbone of America: the middle class.  (Applause.) 

I made a commitment to you that I’d be a president for all Americans, whether you voted for me or not.  We have done that.  Studies show the major bills we have passed actually delivered more to red states than blue.  (Applause.)  Because the job of the president is to deliver to all of America.  (Applause.) 

And because of you — and I’m not exaggerating — because of you, we’ve had one of the most extraordinary four years of progress ever.  Period.  (Applause.)  When I say “we,” I mean Kamala and me.  (Applause.)

Just think about it.  COVID no longer controls our lives.  (Applause.)  We’ve gone from economic crisis to the strongest economy in the entire world.  (Applause.)  A record 16 million new jobs.  (Applause.)  Record small-business growth.  Record high stock market.  Record high 401(k)s.  Wages up.  And inflation down — way down — and continuing to go down.  (Applause.)  The smallest racial wealth gap in 20 years.  (Applause.) 

And, yes, we both know we have more to do, but we’re moving in the right direction.  More Americans have peace of mind that comes from having health insurance.  More Americans have health insurance today than ever before in American history.  (Applause.)  And after — as a young senator beginning to fight — beginning to fight for 50 years to give Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, we finally beat Big Pharma.  (Applause.)

And guess who cast the tie-breaking vote?  Vice President and soon-to-be President Kamala Harris.  (Applause.)

And now it’s the law of the land.  Instead of paying $400 a month for insulin, seniors with diabetes will pay $35 a month.  (Applause.)  The law we passed already includes, starting in January, every senior’s total prescription costs can be capped at $2,000, no matter how expensive the drugs they have.  (Applause.) 

And what we don’t focus on and our Republican friends don’t seem to understand: Our reforms don’t just save seniors money; they save the American taxpayers money.  (Applause.)  You know what we just passed saves?  It saved $160 billion over the next decade.  (Applause.)  That’s not hyperbole.  It’s because Medicare no longer has to pay those exorbitant prices to the Big Pharma. 

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  But, look — look —

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Kamala, too.

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  Look — folks, how can we have the strongest economy in the world without the best infrastructure in the world?  (Applause.)  Donald Trump promised “infrastructure week” every week for four years, and he never built a damn thing.  (Applause.) 

But now, because of what Kamala and I have done — remember we were told we couldn’t get it done?  Remember when we came into office, we couldn’t get anything passed?  But right now, we’re giving America an infrastructure decade, not week.  (Applause.)

We’re modernizing our roads, our bridges, our ports, our airports, our trains, our buses.  We’re removing every lead pipe from schools and homes so every child can drink clean water.  (Applause.)  We’re providing affordable high-speed Internet for every American, no matter where they live, unlike — not unlike what Roosevelt did with electricity — and so much more. 

We are uniting the country.  We’re growing our economy.  We’re improving our quality of life.  And we’re building a better America.  (Applause.)  Because that’s who we are.

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  How can we be the strongest nation in the world without leading the world in science and technology?  (Applause.)

After years of importing 90 percent of our semiconductor chips from abroad, which America invented that — those chips, our CHIPS and Science Act meant that private companies from around the world are now investing literally tens of billions of dollars to build new chip factories right here in America.  (Applause.)  And over that period, they’ll create tens of thousands of jobs and many of those jobs in the so-called fabs they’re building to make the chips that are being constructed now.  And guess what?  The average salary in those fabs the size of a football field will be over $100,000 a year, and you don’t need a college degree.  (Applause.) 

Because of you and so many electeds out there, American manufacturing is back.  Where the hell does it say we wouldn’t lead the world in manufacturing?  Eight hundred thousand new manufacturing jobs.  (Applause.)

Our Republican friends and others made sure they’d go abroad to get the cheapest labor.  We used to import products and export jobs.  Now we export American products and create American jobs — (applause) — right here in America, where jobs belong.

With every new job, with every new factory, pride and hope is being brought back to communities throughout the country that were left behind.  You know.  You’re from them, many of you.  You know what it’s like when that factory closed where your mother, your father, your grandmother or grandfather worked.  And now you’re back, providing once again — proving that Wall Street didn’t build America; the middle class-built America, and unions — unions built the middle class.  (Applause.)

It’s been my view since I came to the Senate.  And that’s why I’m proud to have been the first president to walk a picket line — (applause) — and be labeled the most pro-union president in history, and I accept it.  (Applause.)  It’s a fact.  Because when unions do well, we all do well.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Union Joe!  Union Joe!  Union Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  You got it, man.  You got it.

AUDIENCE:  Union Joe!  Union Joe!  Union Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  I agree.  I’m proud.

Look, remember we were told we couldn’t get anything done because this — the — we couldn’t get anything done in the Congress?  Well, with your support, we passed the most significant climate law in the history of mankind — (applause) — over $370 billion. 

Cutting carbon emissions in half by 2030.  Launching a Climate Corps similar to AmeriCorps and Peace Corps, creating tens of thousands of jobs for young people of the future who are going to make sure this continues.  (Applause.)  Creating hundreds of thousands of jobs in clean energy for American workers, including the IBEW installing 500,000 — 500,000 charging stations all across America — (applause) — and, in the process, reducing carbon emissions. 

And we’re seeing it — we’re seeing to it that the first beneficiaries of environmental initiatives are those fence-line communities that have been smothered by the legacy of pollution — in Louisiana and Delaware, Route 9 — all the factories — all those chemical factories are right next to the poorest neighborhoods.  They’re the ones we’re going to bring back.  (Applause.)

And how — how can we be the greatest nation in the world without the best education system in the world?  (Applause.)

Donald Trump and the Republican friends, they not only can’t think; they can’t read very well.  (Laughter.)  Seriously, think about it.  Look at their Project 2025.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  They want to do away with the Department of Education.

Well, during the pandemic, Kamala and I helped states and cities get back — their schools back open and we gave public school teachers a raise.  (Applause.)  We created apprenticeships with businesses in the communities, putting students on a path to good-paying jobs whether or not they go to college.  (Applause.) 

And, by the way, we’re making college a hell of a lot more affordable — (applause) — increasing Pell Grants by $900; over $15 billion to HBCUs — (applause) — minority-serving insti- — including Hispanic institutions and Tribal colleges.  (Applause.)

We kept our commitment to provide more student relief than ever by lifting the burden of [and] helping millions of families so they could get married, start a family, buy a home, and begin to build family wealth and contribute to the community and grow our economy.  (Applause.)

It’s not costing us.  It’s creating more wealth.

We’ve fundamentally transfored how our — transformed how our economy grows: from the middle out and the bottom up instead of the top down.  (Applause.) 

You know, my dad used to say, “There wasn’t a whole hell of a lot that dropped down on my kitchen table at the end of the month.”  I come from a basic middle-class family — three-bedroom house, four kids, a grandpop living with us; decent neighborhood, but never a penny to spare.

And, look, that top-down notion never worked.  A lot of Democrats didn’t think it worked — thought — thought it worked, but it doesn’t.

And when we did all that, what we’ve done, everybody can do well — everybody.  (Applause.)

Donald Trump calls America a failing nation. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  No, I’m seri- — thi- — but think about this.  Think about this.

He publicly says to the whole world — I’m going to say something outrageous.  I know more foreign leaders by their first names and know them well than anybody alive, just because I’m so damn old.  (Laughter and applause.)  But I’m not joking.

Think of the message he sends around the world when he talks about America being a failing nation.  He says we’re losing. 

He’s the loser.  He’s dead wrong.  (Applause.) 

Many of you are very successful people who travel the world.  Name me a country in the world that doesn’t think we’re the leading nation in the world.  Without America — not a joke.  Think about it.  I’m being literal.  Who could lead the world other than the United States of America?  (Applause.)

Well, guess what?  America is winning, and the world is better off for it.  (Applause.)  America is more prosperous. 

In America, they’re safer today than when we were under Donald Trump.  Trump continues to lie about crime in America, like everything else.

Guess what?  On his watch, the murder rate went up 30 percent — the biggest increase in history.

Meanwhile, we made the largest investment — Kamala and I — in public safety ever.  (Applause.)  Now the murder rate is falling faster than any time in history.  Violent crime has dropped to the lowest level in more than 50 years, and crime will keep coming down when we put a prosecutor in the Oval Office instead of a convicted felon.  (Applause.)

And, folks, the distinguished senator from — deceased senator from California and I passed the first ban on assault weapons.  (Applause.)  And guess what?  It worked.

If we care about public safety, we need to prevent gun violence.  (Applause.) 

And what makes me ashamed when I travel the world, which I do: More children in America are killed by a gunshot than any other cause in the United States.  More die from a bullet than cancer, accidents, or anything else in the United States of America.  My God. 

That’s why Kamala and I are proud.  We beat the NRA when we passed the first major bipartisan gun safety law in 30 years.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  I’m serious.  (Touches hand over his heart.)  And that comes from here.

And now it’s time to ban assault weapons again — (applause) — and demand universal background checks.  (Applause.)

It’s hard.  I never thought I’d stand before a crowd of Democrats and refer to a president as a liar so many times.  (Laughter.)  No, I’m not trying to be funny.  It’s sad.

Trump continues to lie about the border.  Here’s what he won’t tell you: Trump killed the strongest bipartisan border deal in the history of the United States —

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  — that we negotiated with the Senate Republicans.  It took four mon- — four weeks. 

Once it passed and everybody acknowledged it was the most expansive border change in American history, he called senators to say, “Don’t support the bipartisan bill,” because he said it would help me politically and hurt him politically. 

My God.  No, I’m serious.  Think about it.  Not a joke.  Ask even the press who doesn’t like me; they’ll tell you that’s true.  (Laughter.)

Typically Trump — once again putting himself first and America last. 

Then I had to take executive action.  The result of the executive action I took: Border encounters have dropped over 50 percent.  In fact, there are fewer border crossings today than when Donald Trump left office.  (Applause.)

And unlike Trump, we will not demonize immigrants, saying they’re the — “poison the blood of America” — (applause) — “poison the blood of our country.” 

Kamala and I are committed to strengthening legal immigration, including protecting DREAMers and more.  (Applause.)

And here’s what else I believe in: protecting your freedom. 

Your freedom to vote.  (Applause.)

Your freedom to love who you love.  (Applause.)

And your freedom to choose.  (Applause.)

In its d- — in its decision overturning Roe v. Wade, as you heard earlier tonight, the United States Supreme Court majority wrote the following.  Quote, “Women are now without electrical — with no- — not allowed” — (inaudible) — “not without electoral — electoral” — (laughter) — “or political power.”  (Applause.)  No kidding. 

MAGA Republicans found out the power of women in 2022.  (Applause.)  And Donald Trump is going to find out the power of women in 2024.  Watch.  (Applause.) 

And where Trump and his MAGA Republican right-wingers seek to erase history, we Democrats continue to write history and make more history.  (Applause.)

I’m proud — I’m proud to have kept my commitment to appoint the first Black woman to the United States Supreme Court — (applause) — Ketanji Brown Jackson — (applause) — the symbol for every young woman in America that you can do anything.

I’m proud that I’ve kept my commitment to have an administration that looks like America — (applause) — and that taps in to the full talent of our nation; the most diverse Cabinet in history, including the first Black woman of South Asian descent to serve as vice president — (applause) — and who will soon serve as the 47th president of the United States.  (Applause.)

She is good.

Look —

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Kamala.

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  Folks, I’ve long said we have many obligations as a nation.  But I got in trouble years ago for saying — and I make no apologies — we have only one truly sacred obligation: to prepare and equip those we send to war and care for them and their families when they come home and when they don’t.  (Applause.)

That’s why I’m so proud to have written and signed the PACT Act — (applause) — one of the most significant laws ever helping veterans and their families exposed to toxic materials, like burn pits and Agent Orange. 

I was around during the Vietnam war.  It’s hard when no one was able to prove that their illness was a consequence of Agent Orange.  And no one was able to prove initially that because they lived in burn pits, like my son n- — lived next to in Iraq for a year, that it was the cause of their illness.

But because of the PACT Act, a surviving spouse with two children is now eligible for a stipend of about $3,000 a month. (Applause.)  And those children who lost their — a parent are eligible for tuition benefits to go to college and to get job training.  (Applause.)

It’s already helping over 1 million veterans and their families just so far.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I love them.  And I’m — I’m so proud of my son’s service.  (Applause.)

We get it.  But guess who doesn’t get it and doesn’t respect our veterans? 

We know from his own chief of staff, a four-star general, John Kelley, that Trump, when in Europe, would not go to the gravesites — one of the — in France — the brave servicemembers who gave their lives to this country.  He called them “suckers” and “losers.” 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  Who in the hell does he think he is?  Who does he think he is? 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  There’s no words for a person — they are not the words of a person not worthy of being commander in chief, period.  Not then, not now, and not ever.  (Applause.) 

I mean that.  I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

Just as no commander in chief should ever bow down to a bic- — a dictator the way Trump bows down to Putin.  I never have, and, I promise you, Kamala Harris will never do it — will never bow down.  (Applause.)

When Trump left office, Europe and NATO was in tatters.  Not a joke.  “America First” doctrine changed our whole image in the world.

Well, I’ve spent — they gave the hours — about 190 hours sum total meeting with my counterparts or heads of state in Europe to strengthen NATO.  We did.  We united Europe like it hasn’t been united for years, adding Finland and Sweden to NATO.  (Applause.)

Ten days before he died, Henry Kissinger called and said not since — not since Napoleon has Europe not looked over their should at Russia with dread until now — until now.  (Applause.)

Well, guess what?  Putin thought he’d take Kyiv in three days.  Three years later, Ukraine is still free.  (Applause.)

When I came to office, the conventional wisdom was that China would inevitably surpass the United States.  If you haven’t noticed, no one is saying that now.  (Applause.)

And we’ll keep working to bring hostages home and end the war in Gaza and bring peace and security to the Middle East. (Applause.) 

As you know, I wrote a peace treaty for Gaza.  A few days ago, I put forward a proposal that has brought us closer to doing that than we’ve done since October 7th.  We’re working around the clock — my secretary of state — to prevent a wider war and reunite hostages with their families and surge humanitarian health and food assistance into Gaza now — (applause) — to end the civilian suffering of the Palestinian people and finally, finally, finally deliver a ceasefire and end this war.  (Applause.)

Those pro- — those protesters out in the street, they have a point.  A lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides.  (Applause.)

Just as we worked around the clock to bring home wrongfully detained Americans and others from Russia in one of the most complicated swaps in history — but they’re home — (applause) — Kamala and I are going to keep working to bring all Americans wrongfully detained around the world home.  (Applause.)  I mean it.

Folks, I’ve got five months left in my presidency, and I’ve got a lot to do.  (Applause.)  I intend to get it done.  (Applause.)

It’s the — it’s been the honor of my lifetime to serve as your president.  I love the job, but I love my country more.  (Applause.)  I love my country more.

And all this talk about how I’m angry at all those people who said I should step down, it’s not true.

AUDIENCE:  We love Joe!  We love Joe!  We love Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.

AUDIENCE:  We love Joe!  We love Joe!  We love Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  I love my country more, and we need to preserve our democracy.  In 2024, we need you to vote.  (Applause.)  We need you to keep the Senate.  (Applause.)  We need you to win back the House of Representatives.  (Applause.) 

And above all, we need you to beat Donald Trump — (applause) — and elect Kamala and Tim president and vice president of the United States of America.  (Applause.) 

Look, they’ll continue to lead America forward, creating more jobs, standing up for workers, growing the economy, lowering the costs for American families so they just have a little more breathing room. 

We’ve made incredible process — progress, but we have more work to do.  And Kamala and Tim will continue to take on corporate greed and bring down the cost of food.  (Applause.) 

They’ll keep taking on Big Pharma, making insulin $35 a month not just for seniors but for everyone in America — (applause) — and capping prescription drug costs at a total of $2,000 not just for seniors but for everyone.  (Applause.)  And, folks, that’s going to save America, again, tens of billions of dollars.  (Applause.) 

Folks, they’ll make housing more affordable, building 3 million new homes, providing $25,000 down payment assistance for the first-time homebuyer.  (Applause.)  More than the 10 we approved.

Donald Trump wants a new tax on imported goods — food, gas, clothing, and more.  You know what that will cost the average family, according to the experts?  Three thousand nine hundred dollars a year in a tax.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  No, I — it’s a fact.

Kamala and Tim will make the Childcare Tax Credit permanent — (applause) — lifting millions of children out of poverty and helping millions of families get ahead. 

But you know what Trump has?  He put the cu- — he created the largest debt any president had in four years with his $2 trillion dollar tax cut for the wealthy.

Well, Trump has a new plan.  He wants to provide a $5 billion tax cut for corporations and the very wealthy to put u- —

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  — read it — to put us further in debt. 

And, folks, you know we have a thousand trillion — bil- — we have a thousand billionaires in America.  You know what their average tax rate they pay?  8.2 percent.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  If we just increase their taxes we proposed to 25 percent, which isn’t the highest tax rate even, it would raise $500 billion new dollars over 10 years — (applause) — and they’d still be very wealthy.

Look, Kamala and Tim are going to make them pay their fair share.  (Applause.) 

They’ll protect Social Security and Medicare.  (Applause.)  Trump wants to cut Social Security and Medicare. 

Kamala and Tim will protect your freedom.  They’ll protect your vote to right — your right to vote.  They’ll protect your civil rights.  (Applause.)

And you know Trump will do everything to ban abortion nationwide.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  Oh, he will.

You know Kamala and Tim will do everything they possibly can — that’s why you have to elect the Senate and the House — to restore Roe v. Wade.  (Applause.)

The ancient Greeks taught us that character is destiny.  Character is destiny.  For me and Jill, we know Kamala and Doug are people of character.  It’s been our honor to serve alongside them.  And we know Tim and Gwen Walz are also people of great character.  (Applause.)

Selecting Kamala was the very first decision I made before I became — when I became our nominee.  And it was the best decision I made my whole career.  (Applause.)

We’ve not only gotten to know each other, we’ve become close friends.  She’s tough, she’s experienced, and she has enormous integrity — enormous integrity.  (Applause.)

Her story represents the best American story.  And like many of our best presidents, she was also vice president.  That’s a joke.  (Laughter and applause.) 

But she’ll be a president our children could look up to.  She’ll be a president respected by world leaders, because she already is.  She’ll be a president we can all be proud of.  And she will be a historic president who puts her stamp on America’s future.  (Applause.)

This will be the first presidential election since January 6th.  On that day, we almost lost everything about who we are as a country.  And that threat — this is not hyperbole — that threat is still very much alive. 

Donald Trump says he will refuse to accept the election result if he loses again. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  Think about that.  He means it.  Think about that.

He’s promising a “bloodbath” if he loses, in his words, and that he’ll be a dictator on “day one,” in his own words. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  By the way, this sucker means it.  (Laughter.)  No, I’m not joking.  Think about it.

If anybody else said that in the past, you’d think he was cra- — he is crazy, but you’d think it was an exaggeration.  But he means it.

We can’t let that happen. 

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  Folks, all of us carry a special obligation — independents, Republicans, Democrats.  We saved democracy in 2020, and now we must save it again in 2024.  (Applause.)

The vote each of us casts this year will determine whether democracy and freedom will prevail.  It’s that simple.  It’s that serious.  And the power is literally in your hands.  History is in your hands.  Not hyperbole.  It’s in your hands.  America’s future is in your hands. 

Let me close with this.  Nowhere else in the world could a kid with a stutter and modest beginnings in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Claymont, Delaware, grow up to sit behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office.  (Applause.)

That — that’s because America is and always has been a nation of possibilities.  Possibilities.  (Applause.)  We must never lose that — never.

Kamala and Tim understand that this nation must continue to be a place of possibilities not just for the few of us but for all of us. 

Join me in promising your whole heart to this effort.  And where my heart will be: I promise I’ll be the best volunteer Harris and Walz, this cam- — have ever seen.  (Applause.)

Each of us has a part in the American story.  For me and my family, there’s a song that means a lot to us that captures the best of who we are as a nation.  The song is called “American Anthem.”  There’s one verse that stands out, and I can’t sing worth a damn, so I’m not going to try.  (Laughter.)  I’ll just quote it. 

“The work and prayers of centuries have brought us to this day.  What shall our legac- — our legacy be?  What will our children say?  Let me know in my heart when my days are through.  America, America, I gave my best to you.”  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  We love Joe!  We love Joe!  We love Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  I made — I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you.  For 50 years, like many of you, I’ve given my heart and soul to our nation.  And I have been blessed a million times in return with the support of the American people. 

I’ve either been the — too young to be in the Senate because I wasn’t 30 yet and too old to stay as president.  (Laughter.)  But I hope you know how grateful I am to all of you. 

I can honestly say — and I mean this from the bottom — give you my word as a Biden — I can honestly say I’m more optimistic about the future than I was when I was elected as a 29-year-old United States senator.  I mean it.  (Applause.)

Folks, we just have to remember who we are.  We’re the United States of America.  (Applause.)  And there is nothing we cannot do when we do it together.  (Applause.)

God bless you all.  And may God protect our troops.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

11:19 P.M. CDT

The post Remarks by President Biden During Keynote Address at the Democratic National Committee Convention | Chicago, IL appeared first on The White House.

10:27 P.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.) 

Thank you.  (Applause.)

Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  We love Joe!  We love Joe!  We love Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  We love Joe!  We love Joe!  We love Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)

Thank you.  (Applause.)

Thank you.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  And I love you!  (Applause.)  Thank you.

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  That was my daughter!  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, thank you.

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)

Thank you.  Thank you for — (applause) —

I tell you what — (applause) —

To my dearest daughter, Ashley, God love you.  You’re incredible.  Thank you for that introduction and for being my courageous heart, along with Hunter and our entire family, and especially our rock, Jill — (applause) — who — as those of you who know us, she still leaves me both breathless and speechless.  (Laughter.)  Everybody knows her — I love her more than she loves me.  (Laughter.)  She walks down the stairs and I still get that going “boom, boom, boom.”  (Laughter.)  You all who know me know I’m not kidding. 

Let’s give a special round of applause to our first lady, Jill Biden.  (Applause.)

My dad — my dad used to have an expression, for real.  He’d say, “Joey, family is the beginning, the middle, and the end.”  And I love you all.  (Applause.)

Folks — and, America, I love you.  (Applause.)

Folks, let me ask you —

AUDIENCE:  We love Joe!  We love Joe!  We love Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  Let me ask you: Are you ready to vote for freedom?  (Applause.)

Are you ready to vote for democracy and for America?  (Applause.)

Let me ask you: Are you ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz president and vice president of the United States?  (Applause.)

My fellow Democrats, my fellow Americans, nearly four years ago in winter, on the steps of the Capitol on a cold January day, I raised my right hand, and I swore an oath to you and to God to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and to faithfully execute the office of the president of the United States.  (Applause.) 

In front of me — in front of me was a city surrounded by the National Guard.  Behind me, a Capitol that just two weeks before had been overrun by a violent mob.  But I knew then, from the bottom of my heart, as I do now: There is no place in America for political violence.  None.  (Applause.) 

You cannot say you love your country only when you win.  (Applause.) 

In that moment, I wasn’t looking to the past.  I was looking to the future.  I spoke to the work at hand, the moment we had to meet.  It was, as I told you then, a “winter of peril and possibility” — “of peril and possibility.” 

We were in the grip of a once-in-a-century pandemic, historic joblessness, a call for racial justice long overdue — (applause) — clear and present threats to our very democracy.

AUDIENCE:  We love Joe!  We love Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.

AUDIENCE:  We love Joe!  We love Joe!  We love Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  And yet — and yet I believed then and I believe now that progress was and is possible.  Justice is achievable.  And our best days are not behind us; they’re before us.  (Applause.)

Now it’s summer.  The winter has passed.  And with a grateful heart, I stand before you now on this August night to report that democracy has prevailed.  (Applause.)  Democracy — democracy has delivered.  (Applause.)  And now democracy must be preserved.  (Applause.)

You’ve heard me say it before.  We’re facing an inflection point, one of those rare moments in history when the decisions we make now will determine the fate of our nation and the world for decades to come.  That’s not hyperbole.  I mean it literally.  We’re in a battle for the very soul of America. 

I ran for president in 2020 because of what I saw in Charlottesville in August of 2017: extremists coming out of the woods carrying torches, their veins bulging from their necks, carrying Nazi swastikas, and chanting the same exact antisemitic bile that was heard in Germany in the early ‘30s.  Neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and the Kl Klux Klan so emboldened by a president then in the White House that they saw as an ally, they didn’t even bother to wear their hoods. 

Hate was on the march in America — old ghosts in new garments stirring up the oldest divisions, stoking the oldest fears, giving oxygen to the oldest forces that they long sought to tear apart America. 

In the process, a young woman was killed.  When I contacted her mother, I asked about what happened.  She told me.  When the president was asked what he thought had happened, Donald Trump said, and I quote, there were “very fine people on both sides.”  My God.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  That’s what he said.  That is what he said and what he meant.  That’s when I realized — had to listen to the admonition of my dead son — I could not stay on the sidelines.  (Applause.)  So, I ran.

Because I had no intention of running again.  I’d just lost part of my soul. 

But I ran with a deep conviction in America I know and believe — in an America where honesty, dignity, decency still matter — (applause); an America where everyone has a fair shot and hate has no safe harbor — (applause); an America where the fundamental creed of this nation that all of us are created equal is still very much alive. 

And a broad coalition of Americans joined with me.  Eighty-one million voters voted for us — (applause) — more than any time in all of history.  Because of all of you in this room and others, we came together in 2020 to save democracy.  (Applause.) 

As your president, I’ve been determined to keep America moving forward, not going back; to stand against hate and violence in all its forms; to be a nation where we not only live with the — and — but thrive on diversity; demonizing no one; leaving no one behind; and becoming the nation that we profess to be.  (Applause.)

I also ran to rebuild the backbone of America: the middle class.  (Applause.) 

I made a commitment to you that I’d be a president for all Americans, whether you voted for me or not.  We have done that.  Studies show the major bills we have passed actually delivered more to red states than blue.  (Applause.)  Because the job of the president is to deliver to all of America.  (Applause.) 

And because of you — and I’m not exaggerating — because of you, we’ve had one of the most extraordinary four years of progress ever.  Period.  (Applause.)  When I say “we,” I mean Kamala and me.  (Applause.)

Just think about it.  COVID no longer controls our lives.  (Applause.)  We’ve gone from economic crisis to the strongest economy in the entire world.  (Applause.)  A record 16 million new jobs.  (Applause.)  Record small-business growth.  Record high stock market.  Record high 401(k)s.  Wages up.  And inflation down — way down — and continuing to go down.  (Applause.)  The smallest racial wealth gap in 20 years.  (Applause.) 

And, yes, we both know we have more to do, but we’re moving in the right direction.  More Americans have peace of mind that comes from having health insurance.  More Americans have health insurance today than ever before in American history.  (Applause.)  And after — as a young senator beginning to fight — beginning to fight for 50 years to give Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, we finally beat Big Pharma.  (Applause.)

And guess who cast the tie-breaking vote?  Vice President and soon-to-be President Kamala Harris.  (Applause.)

And now it’s the law of the land.  Instead of paying $400 a month for insulin, seniors with diabetes will pay $35 a month.  (Applause.)  The law we passed already includes, starting in January, every senior’s total prescription costs can be capped at $2,000, no matter how expensive the drugs they have.  (Applause.) 

And what we don’t focus on and our Republican friends don’t seem to understand: Our reforms don’t just save seniors money; they save the American taxpayers money.  (Applause.)  You know what we just passed saves?  It saved $160 billion over the next decade.  (Applause.)  That’s not hyperbole.  It’s because Medicare no longer has to pay those exorbitant prices to the Big Pharma. 

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  But, look — look —

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Kamala, too.

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  Look — folks, how can we have the strongest economy in the world without the best infrastructure in the world?  (Applause.)  Donald Trump promised “infrastructure week” every week for four years, and he never built a damn thing.  (Applause.) 

But now, because of what Kamala and I have done — remember we were told we couldn’t get it done?  Remember when we came into office, we couldn’t get anything passed?  But right now, we’re giving America an infrastructure decade, not week.  (Applause.)

We’re modernizing our roads, our bridges, our ports, our airports, our trains, our buses.  We’re removing every lead pipe from schools and homes so every child can drink clean water.  (Applause.)  We’re providing affordable high-speed Internet for every American, no matter where they live, unlike — not unlike what Roosevelt did with electricity — and so much more. 

We are uniting the country.  We’re growing our economy.  We’re improving our quality of life.  And we’re building a better America.  (Applause.)  Because that’s who we are.

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  How can we be the strongest nation in the world without leading the world in science and technology?  (Applause.)

After years of importing 90 percent of our semiconductor chips from abroad, which America invented that — those chips, our CHIPS and Science Act meant that private companies from around the world are now investing literally tens of billions of dollars to build new chip factories right here in America.  (Applause.)  And over that period, they’ll create tens of thousands of jobs and many of those jobs in the so-called fabs they’re building to make the chips that are being constructed now.  And guess what?  The average salary in those fabs the size of a football field will be over $100,000 a year, and you don’t need a college degree.  (Applause.) 

Because of you and so many electeds out there, American manufacturing is back.  Where the hell does it say we wouldn’t lead the world in manufacturing?  Eight hundred thousand new manufacturing jobs.  (Applause.)

Our Republican friends and others made sure they’d go abroad to get the cheapest labor.  We used to import products and export jobs.  Now we export American products and create American jobs — (applause) — right here in America, where jobs belong.

With every new job, with every new factory, pride and hope is being brought back to communities throughout the country that were left behind.  You know.  You’re from them, many of you.  You know what it’s like when that factory closed where your mother, your father, your grandmother or grandfather worked.  And now you’re back, providing once again — proving that Wall Street didn’t build America; the middle class-built America, and unions — unions built the middle class.  (Applause.)

It’s been my view since I came to the Senate.  And that’s why I’m proud to have been the first president to walk a picket line — (applause) — and be labeled the most pro-union president in history, and I accept it.  (Applause.)  It’s a fact.  Because when unions do well, we all do well.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Union Joe!  Union Joe!  Union Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  You got it, man.  You got it.

AUDIENCE:  Union Joe!  Union Joe!  Union Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  I agree.  I’m proud.

Look, remember we were told we couldn’t get anything done because this — the — we couldn’t get anything done in the Congress?  Well, with your support, we passed the most significant climate law in the history of mankind — (applause) — over $370 billion. 

Cutting carbon emissions in half by 2030.  Launching a Climate Corps similar to AmeriCorps and Peace Corps, creating tens of thousands of jobs for young people of the future who are going to make sure this continues.  (Applause.)  Creating hundreds of thousands of jobs in clean energy for American workers, including the IBEW installing 500,000 — 500,000 charging stations all across America — (applause) — and, in the process, reducing carbon emissions. 

And we’re seeing it — we’re seeing to it that the first beneficiaries of environmental initiatives are those fence-line communities that have been smothered by the legacy of pollution — in Louisiana and Delaware, Route 9 — all the factories — all those chemical factories are right next to the poorest neighborhoods.  They’re the ones we’re going to bring back.  (Applause.)

And how — how can we be the greatest nation in the world without the best education system in the world?  (Applause.)

Donald Trump and the Republican friends, they not only can’t think; they can’t read very well.  (Laughter.)  Seriously, think about it.  Look at their Project 2025.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  They want to do away with the Department of Education.

Well, during the pandemic, Kamala and I helped states and cities get back — their schools back open and we gave public school teachers a raise.  (Applause.)  We created apprenticeships with businesses in the communities, putting students on a path to good-paying jobs whether or not they go to college.  (Applause.) 

And, by the way, we’re making college a hell of a lot more affordable — (applause) — increasing Pell Grants by $900; over $15 billion to HBCUs — (applause) — minority-serving insti- — including Hispanic institutions and Tribal colleges.  (Applause.)

We kept our commitment to provide more student relief than ever by lifting the burden of [and] helping millions of families so they could get married, start a family, buy a home, and begin to build family wealth and contribute to the community and grow our economy.  (Applause.)

It’s not costing us.  It’s creating more wealth.

We’ve fundamentally transfored how our — transformed how our economy grows: from the middle out and the bottom up instead of the top down.  (Applause.) 

You know, my dad used to say, “There wasn’t a whole hell of a lot that dropped down on my kitchen table at the end of the month.”  I come from a basic middle-class family — three-bedroom house, four kids, a grandpop living with us; decent neighborhood, but never a penny to spare.

And, look, that top-down notion never worked.  A lot of Democrats didn’t think it worked — thought — thought it worked, but it doesn’t.

And when we did all that, what we’ve done, everybody can do well — everybody.  (Applause.)

Donald Trump calls America a failing nation. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  No, I’m seri- — thi- — but think about this.  Think about this.

He publicly says to the whole world — I’m going to say something outrageous.  I know more foreign leaders by their first names and know them well than anybody alive, just because I’m so damn old.  (Laughter and applause.)  But I’m not joking.

Think of the message he sends around the world when he talks about America being a failing nation.  He says we’re losing. 

He’s the loser.  He’s dead wrong.  (Applause.) 

Many of you are very successful people who travel the world.  Name me a country in the world that doesn’t think we’re the leading nation in the world.  Without America — not a joke.  Think about it.  I’m being literal.  Who could lead the world other than the United States of America?  (Applause.)

Well, guess what?  America is winning, and the world is better off for it.  (Applause.)  America is more prosperous. 

In America, they’re safer today than when we were under Donald Trump.  Trump continues to lie about crime in America, like everything else.

Guess what?  On his watch, the murder rate went up 30 percent — the biggest increase in history.

Meanwhile, we made the largest investment — Kamala and I — in public safety ever.  (Applause.)  Now the murder rate is falling faster than any time in history.  Violent crime has dropped to the lowest level in more than 50 years, and crime will keep coming down when we put a prosecutor in the Oval Office instead of a convicted felon.  (Applause.)

And, folks, the distinguished senator from — deceased senator from California and I passed the first ban on assault weapons.  (Applause.)  And guess what?  It worked.

If we care about public safety, we need to prevent gun violence.  (Applause.) 

And what makes me ashamed when I travel the world, which I do: More children in America are killed by a gunshot than any other cause in the United States.  More die from a bullet than cancer, accidents, or anything else in the United States of America.  My God. 

That’s why Kamala and I are proud.  We beat the NRA when we passed the first major bipartisan gun safety law in 30 years.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  I’m serious.  (Touches hand over his heart.)  And that comes from here.

And now it’s time to ban assault weapons again — (applause) — and demand universal background checks.  (Applause.)

It’s hard.  I never thought I’d stand before a crowd of Democrats and refer to a president as a liar so many times.  (Laughter.)  No, I’m not trying to be funny.  It’s sad.

Trump continues to lie about the border.  Here’s what he won’t tell you: Trump killed the strongest bipartisan border deal in the history of the United States —

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  — that we negotiated with the Senate Republicans.  It took four mon- — four weeks. 

Once it passed and everybody acknowledged it was the most expansive border change in American history, he called senators to say, “Don’t support the bipartisan bill,” because he said it would help me politically and hurt him politically. 

My God.  No, I’m serious.  Think about it.  Not a joke.  Ask even the press who doesn’t like me; they’ll tell you that’s true.  (Laughter.)

Typically Trump — once again putting himself first and America last. 

Then I had to take executive action.  The result of the executive action I took: Border encounters have dropped over 50 percent.  In fact, there are fewer border crossings today than when Donald Trump left office.  (Applause.)

And unlike Trump, we will not demonize immigrants, saying they’re the — “poison the blood of America” — (applause) — “poison the blood of our country.” 

Kamala and I are committed to strengthening legal immigration, including protecting DREAMers and more.  (Applause.)

And here’s what else I believe in: protecting your freedom. 

Your freedom to vote.  (Applause.)

Your freedom to love who you love.  (Applause.)

And your freedom to choose.  (Applause.)

In its d- — in its decision overturning Roe v. Wade, as you heard earlier tonight, the United States Supreme Court majority wrote the following.  Quote, “Women are now without electrical — with no- — not allowed” — (inaudible) — “not without electoral — electoral” — (laughter) — “or political power.”  (Applause.)  No kidding. 

MAGA Republicans found out the power of women in 2022.  (Applause.)  And Donald Trump is going to find out the power of women in 2024.  Watch.  (Applause.) 

And where Trump and his MAGA Republican right-wingers seek to erase history, we Democrats continue to write history and make more history.  (Applause.)

I’m proud — I’m proud to have kept my commitment to appoint the first Black woman to the United States Supreme Court — (applause) — Ketanji Brown Jackson — (applause) — the symbol for every young woman in America that you can do anything.

I’m proud that I’ve kept my commitment to have an administration that looks like America — (applause) — and that taps in to the full talent of our nation; the most diverse Cabinet in history, including the first Black woman of South Asian descent to serve as vice president — (applause) — and who will soon serve as the 47th president of the United States.  (Applause.)

She is good.

Look —

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Kamala.

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  Folks, I’ve long said we have many obligations as a nation.  But I got in trouble years ago for saying — and I make no apologies — we have only one truly sacred obligation: to prepare and equip those we send to war and care for them and their families when they come home and when they don’t.  (Applause.)

That’s why I’m so proud to have written and signed the PACT Act — (applause) — one of the most significant laws ever helping veterans and their families exposed to toxic materials, like burn pits and Agent Orange. 

I was around during the Vietnam war.  It’s hard when no one was able to prove that their illness was a consequence of Agent Orange.  And no one was able to prove initially that because they lived in burn pits, like my son n- — lived next to in Iraq for a year, that it was the cause of their illness.

But because of the PACT Act, a surviving spouse with two children is now eligible for a stipend of about $3,000 a month. (Applause.)  And those children who lost their — a parent are eligible for tuition benefits to go to college and to get job training.  (Applause.)

It’s already helping over 1 million veterans and their families just so far.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I love them.  And I’m — I’m so proud of my son’s service.  (Applause.)

We get it.  But guess who doesn’t get it and doesn’t respect our veterans? 

We know from his own chief of staff, a four-star general, John Kelley, that Trump, when in Europe, would not go to the gravesites — one of the — in France — the brave servicemembers who gave their lives to this country.  He called them “suckers” and “losers.” 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  Who in the hell does he think he is?  Who does he think he is? 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  There’s no words for a person — they are not the words of a person not worthy of being commander in chief, period.  Not then, not now, and not ever.  (Applause.) 

I mean that.  I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

Just as no commander in chief should ever bow down to a bic- — a dictator the way Trump bows down to Putin.  I never have, and, I promise you, Kamala Harris will never do it — will never bow down.  (Applause.)

When Trump left office, Europe and NATO was in tatters.  Not a joke.  “America First” doctrine changed our whole image in the world.

Well, I’ve spent — they gave the hours — about 190 hours sum total meeting with my counterparts or heads of state in Europe to strengthen NATO.  We did.  We united Europe like it hasn’t been united for years, adding Finland and Sweden to NATO.  (Applause.)

Ten days before he died, Henry Kissinger called and said not since — not since Napoleon has Europe not looked over their should at Russia with dread until now — until now.  (Applause.)

Well, guess what?  Putin thought he’d take Kyiv in three days.  Three years later, Ukraine is still free.  (Applause.)

When I came to office, the conventional wisdom was that China would inevitably surpass the United States.  If you haven’t noticed, no one is saying that now.  (Applause.)

And we’ll keep working to bring hostages home and end the war in Gaza and bring peace and security to the Middle East. (Applause.) 

As you know, I wrote a peace treaty for Gaza.  A few days ago, I put forward a proposal that has brought us closer to doing that than we’ve done since October 7th.  We’re working around the clock — my secretary of state — to prevent a wider war and reunite hostages with their families and surge humanitarian health and food assistance into Gaza now — (applause) — to end the civilian suffering of the Palestinian people and finally, finally, finally deliver a ceasefire and end this war.  (Applause.)

Those pro- — those protesters out in the street, they have a point.  A lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides.  (Applause.)

Just as we worked around the clock to bring home wrongfully detained Americans and others from Russia in one of the most complicated swaps in history — but they’re home — (applause) — Kamala and I are going to keep working to bring all Americans wrongfully detained around the world home.  (Applause.)  I mean it.

Folks, I’ve got five months left in my presidency, and I’ve got a lot to do.  (Applause.)  I intend to get it done.  (Applause.)

It’s the — it’s been the honor of my lifetime to serve as your president.  I love the job, but I love my country more.  (Applause.)  I love my country more.

And all this talk about how I’m angry at all those people who said I should step down, it’s not true.

AUDIENCE:  We love Joe!  We love Joe!  We love Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.

AUDIENCE:  We love Joe!  We love Joe!  We love Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  I love my country more, and we need to preserve our democracy.  In 2024, we need you to vote.  (Applause.)  We need you to keep the Senate.  (Applause.)  We need you to win back the House of Representatives.  (Applause.) 

And above all, we need you to beat Donald Trump — (applause) — and elect Kamala and Tim president and vice president of the United States of America.  (Applause.) 

Look, they’ll continue to lead America forward, creating more jobs, standing up for workers, growing the economy, lowering the costs for American families so they just have a little more breathing room. 

We’ve made incredible process — progress, but we have more work to do.  And Kamala and Tim will continue to take on corporate greed and bring down the cost of food.  (Applause.) 

They’ll keep taking on Big Pharma, making insulin $35 a month not just for seniors but for everyone in America — (applause) — and capping prescription drug costs at a total of $2,000 not just for seniors but for everyone.  (Applause.)  And, folks, that’s going to save America, again, tens of billions of dollars.  (Applause.) 

Folks, they’ll make housing more affordable, building 3 million new homes, providing $25,000 down payment assistance for the first-time homebuyer.  (Applause.)  More than the 10 we approved.

Donald Trump wants a new tax on imported goods — food, gas, clothing, and more.  You know what that will cost the average family, according to the experts?  Three thousand nine hundred dollars a year in a tax.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  No, I — it’s a fact.

Kamala and Tim will make the Childcare Tax Credit permanent — (applause) — lifting millions of children out of poverty and helping millions of families get ahead. 

But you know what Trump has?  He put the cu- — he created the largest debt any president had in four years with his $2 trillion dollar tax cut for the wealthy.

Well, Trump has a new plan.  He wants to provide a $5 billion tax cut for corporations and the very wealthy to put u- —

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  — read it — to put us further in debt. 

And, folks, you know we have a thousand trillion — bil- — we have a thousand billionaires in America.  You know what their average tax rate they pay?  8.2 percent.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  If we just increase their taxes we proposed to 25 percent, which isn’t the highest tax rate even, it would raise $500 billion new dollars over 10 years — (applause) — and they’d still be very wealthy.

Look, Kamala and Tim are going to make them pay their fair share.  (Applause.) 

They’ll protect Social Security and Medicare.  (Applause.)  Trump wants to cut Social Security and Medicare. 

Kamala and Tim will protect your freedom.  They’ll protect your vote to right — your right to vote.  They’ll protect your civil rights.  (Applause.)

And you know Trump will do everything to ban abortion nationwide.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  Oh, he will.

You know Kamala and Tim will do everything they possibly can — that’s why you have to elect the Senate and the House — to restore Roe v. Wade.  (Applause.)

The ancient Greeks taught us that character is destiny.  Character is destiny.  For me and Jill, we know Kamala and Doug are people of character.  It’s been our honor to serve alongside them.  And we know Tim and Gwen Walz are also people of great character.  (Applause.)

Selecting Kamala was the very first decision I made before I became — when I became our nominee.  And it was the best decision I made my whole career.  (Applause.)

We’ve not only gotten to know each other, we’ve become close friends.  She’s tough, she’s experienced, and she has enormous integrity — enormous integrity.  (Applause.)

Her story represents the best American story.  And like many of our best presidents, she was also vice president.  That’s a joke.  (Laughter and applause.) 

But she’ll be a president our children could look up to.  She’ll be a president respected by world leaders, because she already is.  She’ll be a president we can all be proud of.  And she will be a historic president who puts her stamp on America’s future.  (Applause.)

This will be the first presidential election since January 6th.  On that day, we almost lost everything about who we are as a country.  And that threat — this is not hyperbole — that threat is still very much alive. 

Donald Trump says he will refuse to accept the election result if he loses again. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  Think about that.  He means it.  Think about that.

He’s promising a “bloodbath” if he loses, in his words, and that he’ll be a dictator on “day one,” in his own words. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  By the way, this sucker means it.  (Laughter.)  No, I’m not joking.  Think about it.

If anybody else said that in the past, you’d think he was cra- — he is crazy, but you’d think it was an exaggeration.  But he means it.

We can’t let that happen. 

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  Folks, all of us carry a special obligation — independents, Republicans, Democrats.  We saved democracy in 2020, and now we must save it again in 2024.  (Applause.)

The vote each of us casts this year will determine whether democracy and freedom will prevail.  It’s that simple.  It’s that serious.  And the power is literally in your hands.  History is in your hands.  Not hyperbole.  It’s in your hands.  America’s future is in your hands. 

Let me close with this.  Nowhere else in the world could a kid with a stutter and modest beginnings in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Claymont, Delaware, grow up to sit behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office.  (Applause.)

That — that’s because America is and always has been a nation of possibilities.  Possibilities.  (Applause.)  We must never lose that — never.

Kamala and Tim understand that this nation must continue to be a place of possibilities not just for the few of us but for all of us. 

Join me in promising your whole heart to this effort.  And where my heart will be: I promise I’ll be the best volunteer Harris and Walz, this cam- — have ever seen.  (Applause.)

Each of us has a part in the American story.  For me and my family, there’s a song that means a lot to us that captures the best of who we are as a nation.  The song is called “American Anthem.”  There’s one verse that stands out, and I can’t sing worth a damn, so I’m not going to try.  (Laughter.)  I’ll just quote it. 

“The work and prayers of centuries have brought us to this day.  What shall our legac- — our legacy be?  What will our children say?  Let me know in my heart when my days are through.  America, America, I gave my best to you.”  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  We love Joe!  We love Joe!  We love Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  I made — I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you.  For 50 years, like many of you, I’ve given my heart and soul to our nation.  And I have been blessed a million times in return with the support of the American people. 

I’ve either been the — too young to be in the Senate because I wasn’t 30 yet and too old to stay as president.  (Laughter.)  But I hope you know how grateful I am to all of you. 

I can honestly say — and I mean this from the bottom — give you my word as a Biden — I can honestly say I’m more optimistic about the future than I was when I was elected as a 29-year-old United States senator.  I mean it.  (Applause.)

Folks, we just have to remember who we are.  We’re the United States of America.  (Applause.)  And there is nothing we cannot do when we do it together.  (Applause.)

God bless you all.  And may God protect our troops.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

11:19 P.M. CDT

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United Center
Chicago, Illinois

 9:11 P.M. CDT

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good evening, everyone.  (Applause.)  G- — (laughs) — (applause).  Good evening, good evening.  It is so good to be with everyone this evening in this hall and everyone at home.

This is going to be a great week — (applause) — and I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible president, Joe Biden — (applause) — who will be speaking later tonight.

Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you will continue to do.  We are forever grateful to you.  (Applause.)  Thank you, Joe.

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And looking out — looking out at everyone tonight, I see the beauty of our great nation.  People from every corner of our country and every walk of life are here, united by our shared vision for the future of our country. 

And this November, we will come together and declare with one voice, as one people: We are moving forward — (applause) — with optimism, hope, and faith.

So, guided by our love of country, knowing we all have so much more in common than what separates us, let us fight for the ideals we hold dear.  And let us always remember, when we fight —

AUDIENCE:  We win!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — we win.  (Applause.)

God bless you.  God bless the United States of America.  Good night, everyone.  (Applause.)

END                9:13 P.M. CDT

# # #

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United Center
Chicago, Illinois

 9:11 P.M. CDT

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good evening, everyone.  (Applause.)  G- — (laughs) — (applause).  Good evening, good evening.  It is so good to be with everyone this evening in this hall and everyone at home.

This is going to be a great week — (applause) — and I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible president, Joe Biden — (applause) — who will be speaking later tonight.

Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you will continue to do.  We are forever grateful to you.  (Applause.)  Thank you, Joe.

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And looking out — looking out at everyone tonight, I see the beauty of our great nation.  People from every corner of our country and every walk of life are here, united by our shared vision for the future of our country. 

And this November, we will come together and declare with one voice, as one people: We are moving forward — (applause) — with optimism, hope, and faith.

So, guided by our love of country, knowing we all have so much more in common than what separates us, let us fight for the ideals we hold dear.  And let us always remember, when we fight —

AUDIENCE:  We win!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — we win.  (Applause.)

God bless you.  God bless the United States of America.  Good night, everyone.  (Applause.)

END                9:13 P.M. CDT

# # #

The post Remarks by Vice President Harris at the Opening Night of the Democratic National Committee Convention appeared first on The White House.

Aboard Air Force One
En Route Chicago, Illinois

2:44 P.M. EDT

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Jen, welcome back.

Q    Hi.  Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  What!  It’s good to see you.

Q    You too.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  It’s like full circle now.  (Laughs.)

All right.  So, we’re on our way to Chicago, where President Biden will deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. 

Since this is a campaign event, I would refer to you — refer you all to them for more details, but I will say more broadly that the president looks forward to addressing his party and the nation. 

This is a fulfilling moment for him.  He is eager to talk about the historic results he has delivered for the country alongside Vice President Harris.

You can expect President Biden to continue to talk about his — this administration’s accomplishments for working families and about the difference between an agenda that would move the for- — the country forward and one that would move it backward.

With that, go ahead, Aamer.  Good to see you as well.

Q    Yeah, it’s good to see you.

So, just one quick question.  I know you can’t say much on the speech, but is he do- —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    Is — is it done?  (Laughter.)  Is he done writing it?  Are they still working on it up there or —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, look — yeah.  Look, the president is certainly going to continue to fine-tune the speech, if you will.  He had an opportunity to work on it this past weekend with Mike Donilon and — and Vinay Reddy.  And so, he’s very much looking forward to this moment. 

As I just said, it is a fulfilling moment for him, and he’s excited.  He’s excited. 

Q    Can you say anything else about what he’s going to do in Chicago?  Is he going to meet with other party leaders, Vice President Harris?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, he’s going to spend time continuing to prep for a big night.  It’s a big night, as you all know.  I don’t have anything beyond that. 

The first lady, obviously, is traveling with him, with some family members.  It’s a big night.  He’s looking forward to it.  He’s looking forward to addressing the Democratic Party and — and obviously the nation.  It’s a big night. 

Q    Can you say what family members are traveling with?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I — I will not say what family members are traveling, but obviously he — the first lady and the family  — family are — are going to be joining him tonight.  And so, it’s a big night. 

He’s very — he’s very excited.  He’s looking forward to it.  As I stated, he’s going to talk about his vision for the country, what he’s done the last couple of years, and how — you know, how he sees the country moving backward, his policy, his agenda for moving back- — for moving forward and not backwards. 

Q    How long a speech will it be?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  It’s a surprise.  It’s a surprise.  (Laughter.)

Q    Why?  It’s a surprise?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Tune in, tune in.  It’s a surprise.  It’s a surprise.

Q    What — what do you know about — what do you know about the Gaza ceasefire talks?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, let’s see.  A couple of things.

As you — I don’t know if you guys got to see Secretary Blinken took a couple of questions.  Here’s what I’ll say.  There’s always a lot of public posturing in negotiations, and I’m not going to — to weigh in on that, just like I am not going to discuss the details of the negotiations, obviously, not from in the air on Air Force One.

As the president said last week, teams continue to techni- — to technical work, and senior officials will convene again in Cairo before the end of the week.

As — and as you’ve seen, as I just mentioned, Secretary Blinken is in the region to reaffirm our ironclad commitment to Israel’s security and also to continue our intensive efforts to conclude this agreement. 

He took some questions today, so certainly I would refer you to — to his comments. 

Q    What would the president’s message to Hamas be about accepting the — the terms of the ceasefire?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, a couple of things.  I’d point out that — and this is not about the remarks.  This is more so more broadly.  I’d point out that built into this deal is extraordinary and immediate relief for the people of Gaza, the fighting stops, humanitarian aid surges in and throughout Gaza, rubble is removed, essential services restored. 

Hamas saying it wants to deprive the Gazans of the relief so it can continue to hold hostages is not an acceptable position, including for our fellows — our fellow mediators. 

So, we will continue to work on this, working our way toward a deal, and tune out some of the public noise that’s out there.  It’s time for this deal to be closed, and what’s on the table now is aimed to get there. 

Q    Karine — Karine —

Q    And if there is a deal, will he come back to D.C. to discuss that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, right now, we’re working to get this deal.  That’s our — that’s our commitment.  That’s our focus.  We’ve been doing that — his team — the president’s team has been doing that for 24/7 around the clock, leaning in. 

I don’t have any schedule updates to share with you.  As you know, though, the president has been very much engaged talking to leaders of the region — whether it’s Egypt, whether it’s Jordan and — and others — trying to get this done.  He spoke to some of our European partners, as you know, and allies recently.  And his team is on — there’s members of his team that are on the ground wanting to get this done. 

This is about ending — ending the war, getting to a ceasefire, getting that humanitarian aid in.  And let’s not forget, there are — there are hostages there, but also American hostages, and he wants to get them home to their loved ones.

Q    Karine — Karine, what (inaudible) with foreign leaders today anticipating any —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I don’t — so, I don’t have any — any — any readout for you on any conversations.  If there is one, certainly we’ll do what we’ve been doing the past several weeks, several months — is read out those conversations.  I don’t have anything for you today. 

Q    Karine, what would be the president’s message to the thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters that are gathering in Chicago to protest his speech?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, look, a couple things.  And you’ve heard us say this.  We certainly support peaceful protests.  We understand this is a difficult time for many, many different communities out there.  And so, it is — it is everyone’s right to peacefully protest. 

We will condemn any violence.  That’s not what we want to see. 

But this goes into what I just said.  You have a president, you have an administration — his administration, you have partners in the region who are coming together trying to get to a ceasefire deal, trying to end this war.  And that’s what we want to see.  That’s what we want to see moving forward.  This is about moving forward, not backwards. 

And so, we want to get to that.  We want to get hostages home.  We want to get humanitarian aid — continue humanitarian aid into — into Gaza.  And, you know, it is — it is important to end this war, as the president has said over and over and again. 

And that’s our policy.  And that’s what you’re going to continue to hear from the Biden-Harris administra- —

Q    (Inaudible.)  Does the president think that the uncommitted group should get any type of speaking slot at the convention?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Look, I — I’m not going to get into that.  That’s a — certainly a DNC political campaign.  I just can’t get into that. 

What we will say is peacefully protest.  Obviously, people have the right to do that.  And we will certainly condemn any form of violence. 

And what we want to see is what — our focus right now is this hostage deal.  It is imperative.  It’s important to get that done.  And that’s what you’ve seen from this president and this administration over the past — certainly, in — over the past several weeks, but it’s been some time.  We’ve been focused on doing just that.

Q    Why is he spending so little time in Chicago?  Is this an intention to sort of just get out of the way of Vice President Harris?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I mean, look, he’s looking forward to — to tonight.  He’s looking forward to fulfilling that commitment.  Right?  The — he’s in a — in a great mood.  He’s excited to do this — address not just the Democratic Party and the nation — and he’s also going to pass that torch — right? — to Vice President for the week, and that’s what you’re — you’ve heard him say that for the past several weeks. 

And so, that’s what you’re going to see him do: Pass that — pass over the convention to her.  And so, he’s looking forward to tonight.  It’s going to be a great night. 

(Cross-talk.)

Q    I’m sorry.  Just briefly.  He’s going to California to vacation after this.  There’s al- — obviously always a lot going on, but there’s a lot of foreign policy issues.  Is he just trying to lay low for the vice president?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So — well, look, I — I mean, look, number one, he’s going to spend time with his family.  I think that’s important for any families to do.  Presidents are never on vacation.  He’s a president wherever he is.  He’s certainly going to continue to be doing the work, going to be very much focused and getting updates — for example, what’s happening in the Middle East; foreign policy, more bradly — more broadly, and also domestic.  

So, he’ll continue to get those updates.  He’s ver- — very much continuing to be the president, the commander in chief.  And so, that’s what you can expect.

Q    On the speech.  How closely has he consulted with the vice president on what he’s going to say, on what she wants him to say — that kind of thing?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I honestly don’t have anything more to share beyond saying that he worked on this speech with Mike Donilon, Vinay Reddy, who are folks who — who work with him on his remarks.  He’s going to continue to — to prep.  He’s going to continue to fine-tune the speech.  I just don’t have anything beyond that. 

Q    And then, what are you guys looking for not just what he’s doing this coming week but in the fall?  Campaigning for her — will he be on the campaign trail?  Will he be traveling?   What’s — what does — does he have anything on his bucket list he wants to get done?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, look, I know you guys ask me about his legacy all the time, but I think if you look at the last two weeks, you see what he’s been able to get done. 

When you talk about the — the medication under Medicare — 10 of them — talked about lowering those — those costs.  You saw the president and the vice president in Maryland, in Prince George’s, talk about that. 

You saw him bringing hostages home, which is something that he’s been very committed to the American people.  You see him talking — ta- — trying to get that — that hostage deal in the Middle East. 

There’s so much more and work to be done.  We talk about how he wants to continue to get — to continue to — to lower costs for the American people. 

So, what I can ex- — say to you post — certainly, post his time spending with the family, he’ll — he’ll expect — you can expect aggressive implementation of historic legislation; actions, as I just mentioned, to lower costs; and a packed foreign policy agenda. 

In the months ahead, the president will have an extensive domestic travel, traveling across the country, crisscrossing the country.  As I’ve said before, and I think you’ve seen this from him, he loves talking directly to the American people, and you can see — you’ll — you can expect the president to be out there in a robust way over the next several months.

Q    Karine, is he wistful at all that it’s not him accepting the nomination this week?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  No.  Come — no, not at all.  Look, it’s a great — it’s going to be a great night.  This is an important moment for him.  It is going to be an important moment for the country, not just the Democratic nation — I mean Democratic Party, sorry — the nation, not just the Democratic Party. 

And he has always talked about being a transition president.  You heard him say that in the Oval Office.  You heard him kind of write that down in a letter to the American people after he decided to step aside.  And so, this is a continuation of that, and he’s going to make the case of the moment that we’re in.

I’m not going to get ahead of the president, but this is going to be a great night.  He’s looking forward to it.  He’s in great spirits, and — and I think what you’ll see is a president who has put his — kind of his personal agenda aside in putting the country first.  And that’s who he’s always been throughout his career, more than 50 years.

And so, I think — I think the American people are going to be very much looking forward, obviously, to what he’s going to say and, I think, continuing to be proud of this president, as we all are.

Q    Karine, would you say that — that what he’s doing tonight is going to set the tone for what’s ahead, where he is going to be visible but not too visible, not getting in the way too much, you know? 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  (Laughs.)  I mean, I just said — I just said after the — you know, after — going into September, he’s going to be crisscrossing the country, doing domestic events.  I talked about a foreign policy agenda.  So, you’re going to see him.  I — I mean, obviously, y- — he’s speaking tonight.  He’s going to pass the convention over to the vice president.  And certainly that sets the tone first night, day one.  So, obviously, his remarks is going to set the tone for the week.

And — but you’re going to see him.  I mean, he’s going to be out there.  He’s going to be out there —

Q    More than he has been for the past month?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I — I — yes, I could — definitely expect that.  And, as I said, he’s going to be doing extensive

domestic travel.  The American people are going to see their president and continue to see their president.  And it doesn’t matter if it’s a red state, blue state.  He’s out there, a president for everyone.  And he’s going to make the case — going to continue to make the case.

Q    Karine, just on Russia and Ukraine. 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    What’s the current thinking in the administration as — as far as the gamble that Ukraine has taken?  While they’ve seized a bunch of land, picked up POWs that Zelenskyy says could be used for future trades, they’re also losing territory in the east.  Can they — can they hold the — can they hold the land that they’ve kept?  And i- — do you — does the administration believe this is the right gamble to take?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, look, I’m not going to get into — and this is something that we’ve been very consistent.  I’m not going to get into the military operations of the Ukrainians.  It’s not something I’m going to do from here.  We’ve been consistent in that.  And so, I’m going to let them speak — speak to — speak to their operations — their military operations.

What I’ve s- — I’m going to say what I’ve said before — is that we are not engaged in any aspect of the planning or preparation of this operation.  That is something, again, for them to speak to.

What you have seen from this administration, this president, and also more than 50 countries that this president has been able to galvanize b- — behind the Ukrainians is to make sure that they can continue to bravely defend their democracy, defend their sovereign territory.  And that is what we’re going to continue to — to make sure that they’re able to do.

And, look, we say this all the time and I think the bottom line is this war can end if Mr. Putin would stop.  He’s the — he’s the aggressor here.  He’s the one that went into Ukraine, a sovereign territory.  A- — this — this war could end today if Mr. Putin would just do that.

Q    Karine.  (Inaudible.)

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  (Inaudible.)

Q    Sorry.  Given Ukraine’s incursion into Russia, and — has the administration given any more thought to allowing U.S.-provided weapons to strike deeper into Russia, given that this incursion by Ukraine is — is —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I don’t have anything to share about — about their military operation.  I — I just don’t have anything else to share about that.

Q    (Inaudible.)

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  What I can say — wh- — hold on.  Well, it is their military operation.  It is that.  It is.  But it is their military operation.  And so — and they are defending their sovereign territory and aggression from Russia that we have seen for more than two years now.

What I will say is that our policy has not changed.  I just don’t have anything else to add to that.

Q    Republicans for Harris is going to have s- — a bit of a presence at the DNC.  Is this the kind of coalition that the White House has been hoping for?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I’m not going to speak to that.  That is a campaign — certainly a campaign event, so I would let the campaign speak directly to that.

What I will say is this is a president who has always talked about bringing people together.  He’s always said that he’s the president — and I kind of just stated that moments ago — it doesn’t matter if you voted for him or if you didn’t, he is your president.  And he — and I said this, again, momen- — just to add to what I’ve said before moments ago — repeat, actually — which is he’s a president — it doesn’t matter if you live in a red state or a — a blue state, if you live in rural America, suburban America, urban America.  He is your — he is your president.

And I think — I think that’s important to note.  And that’s how he sees — how — how he sees the country moving forward.

Q    On that theme of togetherness.  Has the president expressed any desire to talk with Nancy Pelosi about just how things went down the last month?  I don’t think that they’ve talked since then.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  No, but I feel like every gaggle, every — every briefing —

Q    Well, (inaudible) —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  No, no, no —

Q    — she’s talking —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  No, no.  I’ve answered this question many — no, no.  No.  No, it j- — it comes up every time.

Look, he respects and appreciates his friendship with the former speaker.  And I think they both mutually have admiration for each other.  She has said that, and he has said that.  I don’t have any conversations to — to read out.

But they have known each other for decades at this point and, again, have great admiration for each other.  I just don’t have anything beyond — beyond what I’ve stated many times before and what I’m saying right now. 

And she would have to speak for herself, obviously, as she has been.

All right, guys.

Q    Where — where are they staying in Santa Ynez?  And is it — is it a donor’s home?  Or is this —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  We’ll have more to share upon arrival.  We’ll have more to — more to share.  I don’t have anything right now, but we’ll have more to share.

All right, people.

Q    Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  All right, friends.

Q    Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Jen, welcome back. 

Q    Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Welcome back to this side of things.

Q    Yeah. 

Q    She’s back.

Q    It’s good to be here, in some ways; not in others.  But —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  It’s exciting.  It’s exciting.

Q    Yeah.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  It’s going to be a great night.

Q    Yeah, no, I mean, I’m glad to — to be a part of the circus again.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  What?  Circus?  (Laughter.)  What do you mean?  This is —

Q    The traveling —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  — exciting times.

Q    I mean, it’s like a traveling caravan.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I mean, it is so much fun.  Air Force One, baby.  Air Force One.

Q    Yeah.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  All right.

Q    Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  All right.  Thanks, everybody.  See you on the ground.

Q    If he does have meetings with anyone in Chicago, if people come to the hotel room, could we just get, like, a readout of —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  We’ll do our best.  We’ll do our best.

Q    I know it’ll be chaotic, but it —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.  We’ll do our best.

Q    — if people stop by to say hi.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  We’ll do our best.

Q    You know, like a pool spray with President Obama, Vice President Harris —

Q    Pelosi —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I mean, you know he came back here one time?  Forty-four.

Q    Yeah.

Q    Are you — are you here until the end?  Until January?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Do you guys not want me here?

Q    No, I want to know!  (Laughter.)

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I mean —

Q    I want to know.  I want to know.  I want the inside scoop on this.

Q    I kind of have a guess where you’re not going.  (Laughter.)

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.  No, I’m here.  I’m here.  I’m here.  And I say this all the time: It’s a privilege and an honor to serve in this role.  And I would not be in this role if it wasn’t for President Biden and the first lady.  And so, I will continue to stay with them until the end.

All right, guys.

Q    Thanks, Karine.

3:02 P.M. EDT

The post Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre En Route Chicago, IL appeared first on The White House.

Aboard Air Force One
En Route Chicago, Illinois

2:44 P.M. EDT

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Jen, welcome back.

Q    Hi.  Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  What!  It’s good to see you.

Q    You too.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  It’s like full circle now.  (Laughs.)

All right.  So, we’re on our way to Chicago, where President Biden will deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. 

Since this is a campaign event, I would refer to you — refer you all to them for more details, but I will say more broadly that the president looks forward to addressing his party and the nation. 

This is a fulfilling moment for him.  He is eager to talk about the historic results he has delivered for the country alongside Vice President Harris.

You can expect President Biden to continue to talk about his — this administration’s accomplishments for working families and about the difference between an agenda that would move the for- — the country forward and one that would move it backward.

With that, go ahead, Aamer.  Good to see you as well.

Q    Yeah, it’s good to see you.

So, just one quick question.  I know you can’t say much on the speech, but is he do- —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    Is — is it done?  (Laughter.)  Is he done writing it?  Are they still working on it up there or —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, look — yeah.  Look, the president is certainly going to continue to fine-tune the speech, if you will.  He had an opportunity to work on it this past weekend with Mike Donilon and — and Vinay Reddy.  And so, he’s very much looking forward to this moment. 

As I just said, it is a fulfilling moment for him, and he’s excited.  He’s excited. 

Q    Can you say anything else about what he’s going to do in Chicago?  Is he going to meet with other party leaders, Vice President Harris?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, he’s going to spend time continuing to prep for a big night.  It’s a big night, as you all know.  I don’t have anything beyond that. 

The first lady, obviously, is traveling with him, with some family members.  It’s a big night.  He’s looking forward to it.  He’s looking forward to addressing the Democratic Party and — and obviously the nation.  It’s a big night. 

Q    Can you say what family members are traveling with?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I — I will not say what family members are traveling, but obviously he — the first lady and the family  — family are — are going to be joining him tonight.  And so, it’s a big night. 

He’s very — he’s very excited.  He’s looking forward to it.  As I stated, he’s going to talk about his vision for the country, what he’s done the last couple of years, and how — you know, how he sees the country moving backward, his policy, his agenda for moving back- — for moving forward and not backwards. 

Q    How long a speech will it be?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  It’s a surprise.  It’s a surprise.  (Laughter.)

Q    Why?  It’s a surprise?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Tune in, tune in.  It’s a surprise.  It’s a surprise.

Q    What — what do you know about — what do you know about the Gaza ceasefire talks?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, let’s see.  A couple of things.

As you — I don’t know if you guys got to see Secretary Blinken took a couple of questions.  Here’s what I’ll say.  There’s always a lot of public posturing in negotiations, and I’m not going to — to weigh in on that, just like I am not going to discuss the details of the negotiations, obviously, not from in the air on Air Force One.

As the president said last week, teams continue to techni- — to technical work, and senior officials will convene again in Cairo before the end of the week.

As — and as you’ve seen, as I just mentioned, Secretary Blinken is in the region to reaffirm our ironclad commitment to Israel’s security and also to continue our intensive efforts to conclude this agreement. 

He took some questions today, so certainly I would refer you to — to his comments. 

Q    What would the president’s message to Hamas be about accepting the — the terms of the ceasefire?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, a couple of things.  I’d point out that — and this is not about the remarks.  This is more so more broadly.  I’d point out that built into this deal is extraordinary and immediate relief for the people of Gaza, the fighting stops, humanitarian aid surges in and throughout Gaza, rubble is removed, essential services restored. 

Hamas saying it wants to deprive the Gazans of the relief so it can continue to hold hostages is not an acceptable position, including for our fellows — our fellow mediators. 

So, we will continue to work on this, working our way toward a deal, and tune out some of the public noise that’s out there.  It’s time for this deal to be closed, and what’s on the table now is aimed to get there. 

Q    Karine — Karine —

Q    And if there is a deal, will he come back to D.C. to discuss that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, right now, we’re working to get this deal.  That’s our — that’s our commitment.  That’s our focus.  We’ve been doing that — his team — the president’s team has been doing that for 24/7 around the clock, leaning in. 

I don’t have any schedule updates to share with you.  As you know, though, the president has been very much engaged talking to leaders of the region — whether it’s Egypt, whether it’s Jordan and — and others — trying to get this done.  He spoke to some of our European partners, as you know, and allies recently.  And his team is on — there’s members of his team that are on the ground wanting to get this done. 

This is about ending — ending the war, getting to a ceasefire, getting that humanitarian aid in.  And let’s not forget, there are — there are hostages there, but also American hostages, and he wants to get them home to their loved ones.

Q    Karine — Karine, what (inaudible) with foreign leaders today anticipating any —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I don’t — so, I don’t have any — any — any readout for you on any conversations.  If there is one, certainly we’ll do what we’ve been doing the past several weeks, several months — is read out those conversations.  I don’t have anything for you today. 

Q    Karine, what would be the president’s message to the thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters that are gathering in Chicago to protest his speech?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, look, a couple things.  And you’ve heard us say this.  We certainly support peaceful protests.  We understand this is a difficult time for many, many different communities out there.  And so, it is — it is everyone’s right to peacefully protest. 

We will condemn any violence.  That’s not what we want to see. 

But this goes into what I just said.  You have a president, you have an administration — his administration, you have partners in the region who are coming together trying to get to a ceasefire deal, trying to end this war.  And that’s what we want to see.  That’s what we want to see moving forward.  This is about moving forward, not backwards. 

And so, we want to get to that.  We want to get hostages home.  We want to get humanitarian aid — continue humanitarian aid into — into Gaza.  And, you know, it is — it is important to end this war, as the president has said over and over and again. 

And that’s our policy.  And that’s what you’re going to continue to hear from the Biden-Harris administra- —

Q    (Inaudible.)  Does the president think that the uncommitted group should get any type of speaking slot at the convention?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Look, I — I’m not going to get into that.  That’s a — certainly a DNC political campaign.  I just can’t get into that. 

What we will say is peacefully protest.  Obviously, people have the right to do that.  And we will certainly condemn any form of violence. 

And what we want to see is what — our focus right now is this hostage deal.  It is imperative.  It’s important to get that done.  And that’s what you’ve seen from this president and this administration over the past — certainly, in — over the past several weeks, but it’s been some time.  We’ve been focused on doing just that.

Q    Why is he spending so little time in Chicago?  Is this an intention to sort of just get out of the way of Vice President Harris?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I mean, look, he’s looking forward to — to tonight.  He’s looking forward to fulfilling that commitment.  Right?  The — he’s in a — in a great mood.  He’s excited to do this — address not just the Democratic Party and the nation — and he’s also going to pass that torch — right? — to Vice President for the week, and that’s what you’re — you’ve heard him say that for the past several weeks. 

And so, that’s what you’re going to see him do: Pass that — pass over the convention to her.  And so, he’s looking forward to tonight.  It’s going to be a great night. 

(Cross-talk.)

Q    I’m sorry.  Just briefly.  He’s going to California to vacation after this.  There’s al- — obviously always a lot going on, but there’s a lot of foreign policy issues.  Is he just trying to lay low for the vice president?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So — well, look, I — I mean, look, number one, he’s going to spend time with his family.  I think that’s important for any families to do.  Presidents are never on vacation.  He’s a president wherever he is.  He’s certainly going to continue to be doing the work, going to be very much focused and getting updates — for example, what’s happening in the Middle East; foreign policy, more bradly — more broadly, and also domestic.  

So, he’ll continue to get those updates.  He’s ver- — very much continuing to be the president, the commander in chief.  And so, that’s what you can expect.

Q    On the speech.  How closely has he consulted with the vice president on what he’s going to say, on what she wants him to say — that kind of thing?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I honestly don’t have anything more to share beyond saying that he worked on this speech with Mike Donilon, Vinay Reddy, who are folks who — who work with him on his remarks.  He’s going to continue to — to prep.  He’s going to continue to fine-tune the speech.  I just don’t have anything beyond that. 

Q    And then, what are you guys looking for not just what he’s doing this coming week but in the fall?  Campaigning for her — will he be on the campaign trail?  Will he be traveling?   What’s — what does — does he have anything on his bucket list he wants to get done?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, look, I know you guys ask me about his legacy all the time, but I think if you look at the last two weeks, you see what he’s been able to get done. 

When you talk about the — the medication under Medicare — 10 of them — talked about lowering those — those costs.  You saw the president and the vice president in Maryland, in Prince George’s, talk about that. 

You saw him bringing hostages home, which is something that he’s been very committed to the American people.  You see him talking — ta- — trying to get that — that hostage deal in the Middle East. 

There’s so much more and work to be done.  We talk about how he wants to continue to get — to continue to — to lower costs for the American people. 

So, what I can ex- — say to you post — certainly, post his time spending with the family, he’ll — he’ll expect — you can expect aggressive implementation of historic legislation; actions, as I just mentioned, to lower costs; and a packed foreign policy agenda. 

In the months ahead, the president will have an extensive domestic travel, traveling across the country, crisscrossing the country.  As I’ve said before, and I think you’ve seen this from him, he loves talking directly to the American people, and you can see — you’ll — you can expect the president to be out there in a robust way over the next several months.

Q    Karine, is he wistful at all that it’s not him accepting the nomination this week?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  No.  Come — no, not at all.  Look, it’s a great — it’s going to be a great night.  This is an important moment for him.  It is going to be an important moment for the country, not just the Democratic nation — I mean Democratic Party, sorry — the nation, not just the Democratic Party. 

And he has always talked about being a transition president.  You heard him say that in the Oval Office.  You heard him kind of write that down in a letter to the American people after he decided to step aside.  And so, this is a continuation of that, and he’s going to make the case of the moment that we’re in.

I’m not going to get ahead of the president, but this is going to be a great night.  He’s looking forward to it.  He’s in great spirits, and — and I think what you’ll see is a president who has put his — kind of his personal agenda aside in putting the country first.  And that’s who he’s always been throughout his career, more than 50 years.

And so, I think — I think the American people are going to be very much looking forward, obviously, to what he’s going to say and, I think, continuing to be proud of this president, as we all are.

Q    Karine, would you say that — that what he’s doing tonight is going to set the tone for what’s ahead, where he is going to be visible but not too visible, not getting in the way too much, you know? 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  (Laughs.)  I mean, I just said — I just said after the — you know, after — going into September, he’s going to be crisscrossing the country, doing domestic events.  I talked about a foreign policy agenda.  So, you’re going to see him.  I — I mean, obviously, y- — he’s speaking tonight.  He’s going to pass the convention over to the vice president.  And certainly that sets the tone first night, day one.  So, obviously, his remarks is going to set the tone for the week.

And — but you’re going to see him.  I mean, he’s going to be out there.  He’s going to be out there —

Q    More than he has been for the past month?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I — I — yes, I could — definitely expect that.  And, as I said, he’s going to be doing extensive

domestic travel.  The American people are going to see their president and continue to see their president.  And it doesn’t matter if it’s a red state, blue state.  He’s out there, a president for everyone.  And he’s going to make the case — going to continue to make the case.

Q    Karine, just on Russia and Ukraine. 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    What’s the current thinking in the administration as — as far as the gamble that Ukraine has taken?  While they’ve seized a bunch of land, picked up POWs that Zelenskyy says could be used for future trades, they’re also losing territory in the east.  Can they — can they hold the — can they hold the land that they’ve kept?  And i- — do you — does the administration believe this is the right gamble to take?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, look, I’m not going to get into — and this is something that we’ve been very consistent.  I’m not going to get into the military operations of the Ukrainians.  It’s not something I’m going to do from here.  We’ve been consistent in that.  And so, I’m going to let them speak — speak to — speak to their operations — their military operations.

What I’ve s- — I’m going to say what I’ve said before — is that we are not engaged in any aspect of the planning or preparation of this operation.  That is something, again, for them to speak to.

What you have seen from this administration, this president, and also more than 50 countries that this president has been able to galvanize b- — behind the Ukrainians is to make sure that they can continue to bravely defend their democracy, defend their sovereign territory.  And that is what we’re going to continue to — to make sure that they’re able to do.

And, look, we say this all the time and I think the bottom line is this war can end if Mr. Putin would stop.  He’s the — he’s the aggressor here.  He’s the one that went into Ukraine, a sovereign territory.  A- — this — this war could end today if Mr. Putin would just do that.

Q    Karine.  (Inaudible.)

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  (Inaudible.)

Q    Sorry.  Given Ukraine’s incursion into Russia, and — has the administration given any more thought to allowing U.S.-provided weapons to strike deeper into Russia, given that this incursion by Ukraine is — is —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I don’t have anything to share about — about their military operation.  I — I just don’t have anything else to share about that.

Q    (Inaudible.)

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  What I can say — wh- — hold on.  Well, it is their military operation.  It is that.  It is.  But it is their military operation.  And so — and they are defending their sovereign territory and aggression from Russia that we have seen for more than two years now.

What I will say is that our policy has not changed.  I just don’t have anything else to add to that.

Q    Republicans for Harris is going to have s- — a bit of a presence at the DNC.  Is this the kind of coalition that the White House has been hoping for?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I’m not going to speak to that.  That is a campaign — certainly a campaign event, so I would let the campaign speak directly to that.

What I will say is this is a president who has always talked about bringing people together.  He’s always said that he’s the president — and I kind of just stated that moments ago — it doesn’t matter if you voted for him or if you didn’t, he is your president.  And he — and I said this, again, momen- — just to add to what I’ve said before moments ago — repeat, actually — which is he’s a president — it doesn’t matter if you live in a red state or a — a blue state, if you live in rural America, suburban America, urban America.  He is your — he is your president.

And I think — I think that’s important to note.  And that’s how he sees — how — how he sees the country moving forward.

Q    On that theme of togetherness.  Has the president expressed any desire to talk with Nancy Pelosi about just how things went down the last month?  I don’t think that they’ve talked since then.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  No, but I feel like every gaggle, every — every briefing —

Q    Well, (inaudible) —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  No, no, no —

Q    — she’s talking —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  No, no.  I’ve answered this question many — no, no.  No.  No, it j- — it comes up every time.

Look, he respects and appreciates his friendship with the former speaker.  And I think they both mutually have admiration for each other.  She has said that, and he has said that.  I don’t have any conversations to — to read out.

But they have known each other for decades at this point and, again, have great admiration for each other.  I just don’t have anything beyond — beyond what I’ve stated many times before and what I’m saying right now. 

And she would have to speak for herself, obviously, as she has been.

All right, guys.

Q    Where — where are they staying in Santa Ynez?  And is it — is it a donor’s home?  Or is this —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  We’ll have more to share upon arrival.  We’ll have more to — more to share.  I don’t have anything right now, but we’ll have more to share.

All right, people.

Q    Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  All right, friends.

Q    Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Jen, welcome back. 

Q    Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Welcome back to this side of things.

Q    Yeah. 

Q    She’s back.

Q    It’s good to be here, in some ways; not in others.  But —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  It’s exciting.  It’s exciting.

Q    Yeah.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  It’s going to be a great night.

Q    Yeah, no, I mean, I’m glad to — to be a part of the circus again.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  What?  Circus?  (Laughter.)  What do you mean?  This is —

Q    The traveling —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  — exciting times.

Q    I mean, it’s like a traveling caravan.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I mean, it is so much fun.  Air Force One, baby.  Air Force One.

Q    Yeah.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  All right.

Q    Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  All right.  Thanks, everybody.  See you on the ground.

Q    If he does have meetings with anyone in Chicago, if people come to the hotel room, could we just get, like, a readout of —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  We’ll do our best.  We’ll do our best.

Q    I know it’ll be chaotic, but it —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.  We’ll do our best.

Q    — if people stop by to say hi.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  We’ll do our best.

Q    You know, like a pool spray with President Obama, Vice President Harris —

Q    Pelosi —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I mean, you know he came back here one time?  Forty-four.

Q    Yeah.

Q    Are you — are you here until the end?  Until January?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Do you guys not want me here?

Q    No, I want to know!  (Laughter.)

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I mean —

Q    I want to know.  I want to know.  I want the inside scoop on this.

Q    I kind of have a guess where you’re not going.  (Laughter.)

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.  No, I’m here.  I’m here.  I’m here.  And I say this all the time: It’s a privilege and an honor to serve in this role.  And I would not be in this role if it wasn’t for President Biden and the first lady.  And so, I will continue to stay with them until the end.

All right, guys.

Q    Thanks, Karine.

3:02 P.M. EDT

The post Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre En Route Chicago, IL appeared first on The White House.

Today, we mark World Humanitarian Day and honor the brave humanitarian workers around the world who put themselves in harm’s way to help the most vulnerable. From crises in Sudan, Gaza, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and elsewhere, these humanitarian workers often operate in the most challenging circumstances, including active conflicts, to ensure that life-saving assistance reaches those who need it most. Their actions support communities in their most dire moments of need, and contribute to a safer, more secure world. Today, and every day, we owe humanitarian workers our gratitude for their service and our commitment to continue advocating for their critical work and their safety in the face of the world’s most challenging circumstances. 

The United States is committed to continuing to stand alongside humanitarian workers and dedicate critical resources to save lives and alleviate suffering worldwide. That’s why in 2023, we provided nearly $15 billion in humanitarian aid and, in 2024, we have stepped up to address the unprecedented level of need around the world. As nearly 300 million people now require humanitarian assistance and protection, we reaffirm our steadfast commitment to this work and continue to urge international partners to join us in stepping up their contributions to address growing humanitarian needs around the world. Working together, we can make meaningful life-saving change in countless lives.  

On this World Humanitarian Day, and every day, we stand in solidarity with aid workers and honor their tireless efforts to save lives, alleviate suffering, and preserve human dignity. 

###

The post Statement from NSC Spokesperson Sean Savett on World Humanitarian Day appeared first on The White House.

Today, we mark World Humanitarian Day and honor the brave humanitarian workers around the world who put themselves in harm’s way to help the most vulnerable. From crises in Sudan, Gaza, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and elsewhere, these humanitarian workers often operate in the most challenging circumstances, including active conflicts, to ensure that life-saving assistance reaches those who need it most. Their actions support communities in their most dire moments of need, and contribute to a safer, more secure world. Today, and every day, we owe humanitarian workers our gratitude for their service and our commitment to continue advocating for their critical work and their safety in the face of the world’s most challenging circumstances. 

The United States is committed to continuing to stand alongside humanitarian workers and dedicate critical resources to save lives and alleviate suffering worldwide. That’s why in 2023, we provided nearly $15 billion in humanitarian aid and, in 2024, we have stepped up to address the unprecedented level of need around the world. As nearly 300 million people now require humanitarian assistance and protection, we reaffirm our steadfast commitment to this work and continue to urge international partners to join us in stepping up their contributions to address growing humanitarian needs around the world. Working together, we can make meaningful life-saving change in countless lives.  

On this World Humanitarian Day, and every day, we stand in solidarity with aid workers and honor their tireless efforts to save lives, alleviate suffering, and preserve human dignity. 

###

The post Statement from NSC Spokesperson Sean Savett on World Humanitarian Day appeared first on The White House.

Primanti Bros. Restaurant and Bar
Moon Township, Pennsylvania

6:26 P.M. EDT

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Okay.  Hi, guys.

     Q    Madam Vice President.

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hi.  Hi.  What you got?

     Q    Can you (inaudible) —

     AIDE:  Go ahead.  Right here.  Go ahead.

     Q    Hi.  Thank you.  Could you tell us how you’re preparing for your speech on Thursday night?

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Yeah, it’s almost done.  I mean, I’m — there’s some little tweaks, and I’m going to, you know, work on it, probably starting tomorrow, for the next couple of days.  But it’s coming along.  I feel good about it. 

I mean, essentially, it’s much of what you’ve probably heard me talk about before in terms of just what I believe to be the promise of America and the fact that we’re all in this and
there’s obviously a lot at stake, but there’s also a lot to feel good about in terms of the future of our country.

So, there will be a lot that is about what I believe is a way forward — a new way forward and bringing everyone along in that.

(Cross-talk.)

AIDE:  Right here, ma’am.

Q    Madam Vice President, you unveiled your — some economic policies last week.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.

Q    Can you explain how you’re going to pay for those?  And can you give us a sense of what other policies you want to unveil going forward?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Sure.  Well, I mean, you just look at it in terms of what we are talking about, for example, around children and the Child Tax Credit and extending the EITC that — it’s — at $6,000 for the first year of a — a child’s life.  The return on that investment in terms of what that will do and what it will pay for will be tremendous. 

We’ve seen it when we did it in the first year of our administration: reduced — we reduced child poverty by over 50 percent.  So, that’s a lot of the work. 

And then what we’re doing in terms of the tax credits — we know that there’s a great return on that investment.  When we increase homeownership in America, what that means in terms of increasing the tax base — not to mention property tax base — what that does to fund schools.  Again, return on investment. 

I think it’s a mistake for any person who talks about public policy to not critically evaluate how you measure the return on the investment.  When you are strengthening neighborhoods, strengthening communities, and, in particular, the economy of those communities and investing in a broad-based economy, everybody benefits, and it pays for itself in that way.

Q    Madam Vice President —

Q    Madam Vice President, CBS News has a new poll, shows that you’re three points up nationally.  What’s your response to this?  Do you still consider yourself the underdog here?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I very much consider us the underdog.  We have a lot of work to do to earn the vote of the American people.  That’s why we’re on this bus tour today.  And we’re going to be traveling this country, as we’ve been, and talking with folks, listening to folks, and hopefully earning their votes over the next 79 days.

Q    This is your second time in —

     AIDE:  Darlene, one more.  Last one, Darlene.

Q    — Pennsylvania since you became the Democratic nominee.  Do you feel like you have ground to make up here?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I feel like we need to earn everyone’s vote.  And that means being on the road; being in communities where people are, where they live — whether it be a high school football team and being there at their public school while they’re there at practice and talking to their coaches; whether it means going to the local fire station and talking with our incredible firefighters about what they need and what they have a right to expect, such as that we are going to pay attention to how they give up so much to keep communities safe, what they do to preserve what we want in terms of a quality of life — and we need to give it back to them in terms of better equipment — and the work they do every day. 

So, I’m going to be out here with Tim, with the second gentleman, with Mrs. Walz, and we’re going to be working on earning every vote between now —

     Q    Do —

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — and November. 

Q    Sorry.  Do you think —

AIDE:  Darlene, last question.

Q    Do you think Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is ready to — to agree to a ceasefire deal?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I will not speak for him, but I will tell you that these conversations are ongoing and we are not giving up.  And we are going to continue to work very hard on this.  We got to get a ceasefire, and we got to get those hostages out.

Okay.

END                 6:30 P.M. EDT

# # #

The post Remarks by Vice President Harris in Press Gaggle in Moon Township, PA appeared first on The White House.

Primanti Bros. Restaurant and Bar
Moon Township, Pennsylvania

6:26 P.M. EDT

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Okay.  Hi, guys.

     Q    Madam Vice President.

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hi.  Hi.  What you got?

     Q    Can you (inaudible) —

     AIDE:  Go ahead.  Right here.  Go ahead.

     Q    Hi.  Thank you.  Could you tell us how you’re preparing for your speech on Thursday night?

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Yeah, it’s almost done.  I mean, I’m — there’s some little tweaks, and I’m going to, you know, work on it, probably starting tomorrow, for the next couple of days.  But it’s coming along.  I feel good about it. 

I mean, essentially, it’s much of what you’ve probably heard me talk about before in terms of just what I believe to be the promise of America and the fact that we’re all in this and
there’s obviously a lot at stake, but there’s also a lot to feel good about in terms of the future of our country.

So, there will be a lot that is about what I believe is a way forward — a new way forward and bringing everyone along in that.

(Cross-talk.)

AIDE:  Right here, ma’am.

Q    Madam Vice President, you unveiled your — some economic policies last week.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.

Q    Can you explain how you’re going to pay for those?  And can you give us a sense of what other policies you want to unveil going forward?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Sure.  Well, I mean, you just look at it in terms of what we are talking about, for example, around children and the Child Tax Credit and extending the EITC that — it’s — at $6,000 for the first year of a — a child’s life.  The return on that investment in terms of what that will do and what it will pay for will be tremendous. 

We’ve seen it when we did it in the first year of our administration: reduced — we reduced child poverty by over 50 percent.  So, that’s a lot of the work. 

And then what we’re doing in terms of the tax credits — we know that there’s a great return on that investment.  When we increase homeownership in America, what that means in terms of increasing the tax base — not to mention property tax base — what that does to fund schools.  Again, return on investment. 

I think it’s a mistake for any person who talks about public policy to not critically evaluate how you measure the return on the investment.  When you are strengthening neighborhoods, strengthening communities, and, in particular, the economy of those communities and investing in a broad-based economy, everybody benefits, and it pays for itself in that way.

Q    Madam Vice President —

Q    Madam Vice President, CBS News has a new poll, shows that you’re three points up nationally.  What’s your response to this?  Do you still consider yourself the underdog here?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I very much consider us the underdog.  We have a lot of work to do to earn the vote of the American people.  That’s why we’re on this bus tour today.  And we’re going to be traveling this country, as we’ve been, and talking with folks, listening to folks, and hopefully earning their votes over the next 79 days.

Q    This is your second time in —

     AIDE:  Darlene, one more.  Last one, Darlene.

Q    — Pennsylvania since you became the Democratic nominee.  Do you feel like you have ground to make up here?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I feel like we need to earn everyone’s vote.  And that means being on the road; being in communities where people are, where they live — whether it be a high school football team and being there at their public school while they’re there at practice and talking to their coaches; whether it means going to the local fire station and talking with our incredible firefighters about what they need and what they have a right to expect, such as that we are going to pay attention to how they give up so much to keep communities safe, what they do to preserve what we want in terms of a quality of life — and we need to give it back to them in terms of better equipment — and the work they do every day. 

So, I’m going to be out here with Tim, with the second gentleman, with Mrs. Walz, and we’re going to be working on earning every vote between now —

     Q    Do —

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — and November. 

Q    Sorry.  Do you think —

AIDE:  Darlene, last question.

Q    Do you think Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is ready to — to agree to a ceasefire deal?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I will not speak for him, but I will tell you that these conversations are ongoing and we are not giving up.  And we are going to continue to work very hard on this.  We got to get a ceasefire, and we got to get those hostages out.

Okay.

END                 6:30 P.M. EDT

# # #

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Aliquippa High School
Aliquippa, Pennsylvania

4:53 P.M. EDT

     GOVERNOR WALZ:  First of all, Coach, thank you.  To each of you, thanks.  I know we’re interrupting your practice.  The busy part and the important part is out there on the field, but thank you for having us on this. 

     MR. PATRICK:  Appreciate it.  Thank you for coming.

GOVERNOR WALZ:  This is a — this is pretty sacred ground.  Folks in Minnesota know about this place.  We know about this team.  We know the people you produce — not just FN- — NFL players but — but men of a character that come out of this program, because, as Doug said — I’m privileged to be on this team — I’m the current governor of Minnesota, but for 20 years, this was the time of year I looked forward to most.  I was a defensive coordinator at Mankato West High School and coached football and — and taught school. 

Public schools are the foundation of our country.  And I don’t have to tell you, anybody who tells you that it’s just a game — this is more than just a game.  This is about building character.  It’s about doing something bigger than yourself.  It’s about trusting the person that’s standing on each side of you, and, on Friday night, you know they’ll be there.  And if you look around here, the moments that you’re living right now, these guys will be around your whole life.  You’ll remember them.  You’ll remember these plays. 

I can still remember every single call during that state — first state championship, how it went.  It’s that important.  I’ve told people, and they think I’m joking about it, it was harder to win that state football championship than it was to become governor, so — (laughter) — it’s tough work.  You got to count on a lot of things.  You got to do a lot of things. 

And on our team, we ran a 4-4 defense.  (Addressing Jerome Bettis.)  I wouldn’t have wanted to go against this guy, I can tell you that, but — (laughter).  There’s no stopping that run. 

But the kids played hard and — and they understood that it was something bigger than themselves.  And I’ll have to tell you, being out here with — with Vice President Harris, I know it’d be easy — especially now, our politics has been pretty ugly.  Our politics has seemed pretty negative.  Our politics is something that I know what I fear most is, is that young people turn away from it rather than turning into it. 

Politics isn’t that much different than this.  It’s about something bigger than themselves.  It’s about setting a future goal and trying to reach it.  It’s about doing it with dignity and hard work.  It’s about doing it with humility.  And when you lose, you walk across the field and you shake hands with the other team and know they played hard too.  But we’re all in it together to try and make it better. 

And things like investing in this public school and having — I can’t imagine what this place looks like when it’s filled with folks and the lights are on and the leaves are turning and that game is in the fourth quarter and somebody has to make that play, somebody has to step up, and you look to each side of you and you know, “I trust them.  I trust them to make that play.”

Our country’s not that different.  Our neighbors want to be with you.  Our neighbors want to do what’s right.  And the more we figure out that we’re in this thing together and we have more in common than we have separated, we’re going to do a heck of a lot better. 

So, I have to tell you, thanks for taking some time.  Thanks for giving us the privilege to stand on this field, because you earned the right to be on this field.  You earn it with a lot of sweat.  You earn it with a lot of time in the weight room.  You earn it with the folks who came before you and know that they care how you conduct yourselves on this, and we feel the same way. 

We have a responsibility to the American public to conduct ourselves with dignity, conduct ourselves with a vision, and to conduct ourselves and all of this — when football’s done right, it is just fun as heck to play the game.  And that’s the way things can be. 

So, I have to tell you, I am just honored to be with this leader.  I’m honored with someone who’s showing us that.  I’m honored with someone who’s out doing politics with a smile on her face and with a sense of that everybody matters. 

And we’re here in this space to say — it’s not just a cliché — our future is with you, and we have a responsibility to deliver it to you in good shape, to make sure that we’re doing the right things to give you a good shot at the future. 

And so, for me, it’s a privilege to be on this team.  It’s a privilege to see this leader do it with such joy.  And it’s a privilege for me to get to introduce to you — and this is, like, some of the first times I’m getting to do this — the next president of the United States, Kamala Harris.  (Applause.)

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  So, I’ve been reading about you all and hearing about you and your excellence and how you work as a team. 

And we’ve got 79 days to go until the election, but we wanted to stop by and I wanted to stop by so I could tell you all in person, looking at each of you in your eyes, that our nation is counting on you and your excellence.  We applaud your ambition.  You want to compete.  You want to win.  And I will tell you that we, as a country, deserve to give you every opportunity that you have to achieve your excellence that you were born with, that is God-given, and that is going to be laying the path to the future of our nation. 

You all are the future of our country.  And you all have known from the day you were born, we’re all born leaders, and it’s just a matter of when people decide to turn that on. 

The fact that you’re on this field today tells me you decided to turn it on at an early stage of your life — to be a leader and to be a role model. 

And, you know, it’s not easy being a role model.  Welcome to the role model club — (laughter) — right? 

     Being a role model, Pete, means that members of your family, people you know in the neighborhood, others, your classmates, they watch you to see what you do.  What goes into that kind of excellence?  What goes into being a winning team?

And you all have taken it upon yourselves to take on that responsibility of being role models and to inspire people you may not even know are watching you to see how you can achieve success.  And by doing that and all that that requires — which is the hard work; the practice; working as a team; knowing that you will be undefeated, even if you don’t win every game, but no circumstance or event or moment will defeat your spirit and your fight and your preparedness to win and excel, that nothing will dampen your spirit of excellence — that’s what I’m counting on from each of you and that’s what makes our nation strong.

So, you keep doing what you’re doing and know that there are so many people you may not see at any one moment who are cheering you on.  When they’re in the stands, when you’re in your classroom, when you are living your life on a daily basis, know that we are applauding you in everything that you are and do — on this field when you are playing and off this field when you are just being the leaders that I know you are. 

You wouldn’t be able to be such a successful team if you weren’t leaders in every way. 

And the last point I’ll make is this.  One of the other things that we really are counting on for your leadership is to remind folks that we are a team, right?  Everybody has a li- — little bit that’s different about them.  But within the vast majority of us who have seemingly differences, the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us.  And you guys know that.  You know that in the way you operate as one team.

So, take that spirit with you in everything that you do.  I’m counting on your leadership.  Our nation is counting on you guys. 

And go out and win some games.  And I’ll see you later.  (Laughter.)     

Okay.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

END                     5:01 P.M.

# # #

The post Remarks by Vice President Harris and Governor Tim WalzAfter Greeting the Aliquippa High School Football Team appeared first on The White House.

Aliquippa High School
Aliquippa, Pennsylvania

4:53 P.M. EDT

     GOVERNOR WALZ:  First of all, Coach, thank you.  To each of you, thanks.  I know we’re interrupting your practice.  The busy part and the important part is out there on the field, but thank you for having us on this. 

     MR. PATRICK:  Appreciate it.  Thank you for coming.

GOVERNOR WALZ:  This is a — this is pretty sacred ground.  Folks in Minnesota know about this place.  We know about this team.  We know the people you produce — not just FN- — NFL players but — but men of a character that come out of this program, because, as Doug said — I’m privileged to be on this team — I’m the current governor of Minnesota, but for 20 years, this was the time of year I looked forward to most.  I was a defensive coordinator at Mankato West High School and coached football and — and taught school. 

Public schools are the foundation of our country.  And I don’t have to tell you, anybody who tells you that it’s just a game — this is more than just a game.  This is about building character.  It’s about doing something bigger than yourself.  It’s about trusting the person that’s standing on each side of you, and, on Friday night, you know they’ll be there.  And if you look around here, the moments that you’re living right now, these guys will be around your whole life.  You’ll remember them.  You’ll remember these plays. 

I can still remember every single call during that state — first state championship, how it went.  It’s that important.  I’ve told people, and they think I’m joking about it, it was harder to win that state football championship than it was to become governor, so — (laughter) — it’s tough work.  You got to count on a lot of things.  You got to do a lot of things. 

And on our team, we ran a 4-4 defense.  (Addressing Jerome Bettis.)  I wouldn’t have wanted to go against this guy, I can tell you that, but — (laughter).  There’s no stopping that run. 

But the kids played hard and — and they understood that it was something bigger than themselves.  And I’ll have to tell you, being out here with — with Vice President Harris, I know it’d be easy — especially now, our politics has been pretty ugly.  Our politics has seemed pretty negative.  Our politics is something that I know what I fear most is, is that young people turn away from it rather than turning into it. 

Politics isn’t that much different than this.  It’s about something bigger than themselves.  It’s about setting a future goal and trying to reach it.  It’s about doing it with dignity and hard work.  It’s about doing it with humility.  And when you lose, you walk across the field and you shake hands with the other team and know they played hard too.  But we’re all in it together to try and make it better. 

And things like investing in this public school and having — I can’t imagine what this place looks like when it’s filled with folks and the lights are on and the leaves are turning and that game is in the fourth quarter and somebody has to make that play, somebody has to step up, and you look to each side of you and you know, “I trust them.  I trust them to make that play.”

Our country’s not that different.  Our neighbors want to be with you.  Our neighbors want to do what’s right.  And the more we figure out that we’re in this thing together and we have more in common than we have separated, we’re going to do a heck of a lot better. 

So, I have to tell you, thanks for taking some time.  Thanks for giving us the privilege to stand on this field, because you earned the right to be on this field.  You earn it with a lot of sweat.  You earn it with a lot of time in the weight room.  You earn it with the folks who came before you and know that they care how you conduct yourselves on this, and we feel the same way. 

We have a responsibility to the American public to conduct ourselves with dignity, conduct ourselves with a vision, and to conduct ourselves and all of this — when football’s done right, it is just fun as heck to play the game.  And that’s the way things can be. 

So, I have to tell you, I am just honored to be with this leader.  I’m honored with someone who’s showing us that.  I’m honored with someone who’s out doing politics with a smile on her face and with a sense of that everybody matters. 

And we’re here in this space to say — it’s not just a cliché — our future is with you, and we have a responsibility to deliver it to you in good shape, to make sure that we’re doing the right things to give you a good shot at the future. 

And so, for me, it’s a privilege to be on this team.  It’s a privilege to see this leader do it with such joy.  And it’s a privilege for me to get to introduce to you — and this is, like, some of the first times I’m getting to do this — the next president of the United States, Kamala Harris.  (Applause.)

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  So, I’ve been reading about you all and hearing about you and your excellence and how you work as a team. 

And we’ve got 79 days to go until the election, but we wanted to stop by and I wanted to stop by so I could tell you all in person, looking at each of you in your eyes, that our nation is counting on you and your excellence.  We applaud your ambition.  You want to compete.  You want to win.  And I will tell you that we, as a country, deserve to give you every opportunity that you have to achieve your excellence that you were born with, that is God-given, and that is going to be laying the path to the future of our nation. 

You all are the future of our country.  And you all have known from the day you were born, we’re all born leaders, and it’s just a matter of when people decide to turn that on. 

The fact that you’re on this field today tells me you decided to turn it on at an early stage of your life — to be a leader and to be a role model. 

And, you know, it’s not easy being a role model.  Welcome to the role model club — (laughter) — right? 

     Being a role model, Pete, means that members of your family, people you know in the neighborhood, others, your classmates, they watch you to see what you do.  What goes into that kind of excellence?  What goes into being a winning team?

And you all have taken it upon yourselves to take on that responsibility of being role models and to inspire people you may not even know are watching you to see how you can achieve success.  And by doing that and all that that requires — which is the hard work; the practice; working as a team; knowing that you will be undefeated, even if you don’t win every game, but no circumstance or event or moment will defeat your spirit and your fight and your preparedness to win and excel, that nothing will dampen your spirit of excellence — that’s what I’m counting on from each of you and that’s what makes our nation strong.

So, you keep doing what you’re doing and know that there are so many people you may not see at any one moment who are cheering you on.  When they’re in the stands, when you’re in your classroom, when you are living your life on a daily basis, know that we are applauding you in everything that you are and do — on this field when you are playing and off this field when you are just being the leaders that I know you are. 

You wouldn’t be able to be such a successful team if you weren’t leaders in every way. 

And the last point I’ll make is this.  One of the other things that we really are counting on for your leadership is to remind folks that we are a team, right?  Everybody has a li- — little bit that’s different about them.  But within the vast majority of us who have seemingly differences, the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us.  And you guys know that.  You know that in the way you operate as one team.

So, take that spirit with you in everything that you do.  I’m counting on your leadership.  Our nation is counting on you guys. 

And go out and win some games.  And I’ll see you later.  (Laughter.)     

Okay.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

END                     5:01 P.M.

# # #

The post Remarks by Vice President Harris and Governor Tim WalzAfter Greeting the Aliquippa High School Football Team appeared first on The White House.

Beaver Field Office
Rochester, Pennsylvania

3:01 P.M. EDT

     GOVERNOR WALZ:  Oh, man — (applause) — it is.

     Doug gets the bro hugs.  He brings it, so — (laughter).  Well, thank you, and it’s true. 

And — and to Gwen and Doug, both, I — all of you — none of us do this alone.  We’re all in this together. 

I think this is a room that knows this campaign will be won in rooms just like this all across the country.  (Applause.) 

It will be run with people sitting on the phone banks in there, dialing numbers, and people picking up the phone on a Sunday and having somebody say, “Do you have a minute to talk about the future of our country?”  That’s a pretty big step to pick up that phone and talk.  But listening to these folks in here, people are doing it.  They’re doing it.

And the thing I can tell you what Kamala Harris has brought to this for so many things — from experience as a prosecutor to an attorney general to a United States senator to a vice president to the next President of the United States — (applause) — th- — there’s that resume, which is out — without question, but the reason they’re picking up the phone and the reason that they’re standing thousand deep in 109 degree heat in Las Vegas is: She’s bringing out the joy in the hearts of Americans.  She’s bringing out — (applause) — she’s bringing out the kindness that ties us together, the decency, the vision of a better tomorrow.

And these — (applause) — each of these volunteers and the people who put it on, they all said it.  They said it is so much better to be for for something rather than against something — to be for the future, not going back.  Those — (applause) –that’s what people know.

And we — some of us who have less hair and are old enough — can remember when you could go to Thanksgiving, watch a Steelers game with your relatives, and not complain about politics the whole time, not be on each other’s neck — (applause) — because you shared a commitment to democracy, a commitment to personal freedoms, a commitment to public education, a commitment to infrastructure.  (Applause.)

We don’t call each other names.  We don’t do it.  And we don’t use the least fortunate amongst us as punchlines for our jokes because they’re our neighbors.  They’re our neighbors.  And so, you’re getting an opportunity to see the best side of America. 

And for the young people here, they maybe haven’t seen a campaign like this because of COVID, because of things that’s happening.  This is a chance to bring out that joy, turn the page, and look to the future, this idea of going forward, so — (applause).

Doug — Doug is right.  He told you my kids were backstage in awe.  He didn’t tell you they were probably in awe because they could not believe that I got through that thing and through that speech — (laughter) — that that was amazing to them.  But I’ll tell you what, they have felt part of this family, because they can feel the decency radiating off these people.  They can see the commitment.  They know that children matter.  They know that family matters.  They know that individuals matter.

And this leader knows that it’s not any of government’s business to be in your health care decisions.  Those are your decisions.  (Applause.)

And this is a leader who celebrates love in all forms that it comes by — (applause) — that we love each other.

And for the young people, you hear somebody talking about this: We have the right to send our children to school to be free from being shot dead in their classrooms.  That’s what it is.  (Applause.)

And this is a nation — can ensure clean water, clean air, and a bright future for our children.

So, I have to tell you, we’ve got 79 days.  And you’ll hear me say this — Doug is going to correct me on this — I say, “That’s easy.  We can sleep when we’re dead.”  He s- — (laughter) — Doug said we can sleep on November 6th after this election is over, so he may be right.  (Applause.)

But, look, coming into football country and being an old football coach, there’s an old saying, “You — you don’t hope you’re going to win.  You prepare to win.  And you give it the best you’ve got.  And you know when that game’s over, you want to know you left it all on the field.” 

And that’s all we’re asking.  Let’s leave it all on the field.  Let’s get this thing done, because — (applause) — because when my grandkids and your grandkids ask you about this — because on Nomber — November 6th, you were there: first time when you got to welcome madam president of the United States, Kamala Harris.  (Applause.)

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Tim Walz!  (Applause.)

Hey, everybody.  (Laughs.)  We’re back, and we’re going to keep coming back and we’re going to keep coming back.  (Applause.)

I want to thank — I want to thank everybody. 

I want to start with Tim Walz.  Isn’t he fantastic?  (Applause.)  I like to call him Coach Walz, and, you know, he is — he’s done so much for our country, and he’s going to make an extraordinary vice president of the United States.

Gwen, I mean, girl, just — you just killed it, I’m telling you.  (Laughs.)  I mean, you know, there’s something — I don’t know — my first-grade teacher, Mrs. Frances Wilson attended my law school graduation.  I just love teachers.  I think anyone who decides to become a teacher, it’s just — it’s — it’s one of the greatest gifts that one has that they give.  And I thank you, Gwen, for doing all that you have done.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

And my husband is — Doug, you are doing so much and you’ve been traveling all over our country, and I want to thank you.  And you are going to, yet again, make history as the first gentleman of the United States.  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)

There are a lot of incredible leaders here.  I want to just, for a moment, mention my friend Bob Casey.  (Applause.)  You — we have got to send him back to the United States Senate.  For the time that I was in the United States Senate and worked with Bob — I’m going to tell you something.  You know, we had these — we would have these meetings where all of the Democratic senators would get together for lunch, no cameras in the room.  Bob, to- — almost every time, was one of the ones who would stand up in that room with all the other senators from around the country talking about the working people of Pennsylvania and why we needed to have you in our mind when we were thinking about national policy every single day.  That’s who Bob Casey is.  Let’s send him back to the United States Senate.  (Applause.)

Chris Deluzio, we want to thank you.  (Applause.)  What he is doing in the halls of Congress — again, I mean, you send some fighters to D.C., Pennsylvania.  You sent some fighters to D.C. 

Your next attorney general — DePasquale, where are you?  (Applause.)  I’ve done that work, I know what it requires, and you’re going to be outstanding. 

So, you’ve got a lot of work, Pennsylvania, on your shoulders right now that you’re carrying and you who are here volunteering to do this work.  And it’s —

AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And we’re going to get it done.  (Applause.)

And Malcolm Kenyatta knows exactly what I’m talking about.  I see him almost every time I come into the state. 

So, I want to just address you all right now, as the volunteers.  You know, Tim said it: This campaign for us is really born out of love of country.  We all here, we love our country, and we know our country is going to be as strong as our willingness to fight for it and to fight for what we stand for.  (Applause.)

You know, when you know what you stand for, you know what to fight for.  When you stand for working people, you fight for working people.  When you stand for freedom, whether it be to make decisions about your own body or love who you love, you fight for those things.  (Applause.)  When you believe in ending child poverty, you fight for that.  When you believe in what we need to do to lift up the middle class, you fight for the middle class.  (Applause.)

These are the things we stand for, and these, therefore, are the things we fight for.  And that’s what our election is about. 

Our election is about understanding the importance of this beautiful country of ours in terms of what we stand for around the globe as a democracy — as a democracy.

We know there’s a duality to the nature of democracy.  On the one hand, incredible strength when it is intact; what it does for its people to protect and defend their rights, their liberty, and their freedom — incredibly strong.  And incredibly fragile.  It is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it.

And that’s what this campaign is about.  This campaign is about a recognition that, frankly, over the last several years, there’s been this kind of perversion that has taken place, I think, which is to suggest —

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — which is to suggest that the measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down when.  When what we know is the real and true measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you lift up.  (Applause.) 

That’s what we see as strength.  We know what strength looks like.  That’s what strength looks like.  (Applause.)  Anybody who’s about beating down other people is a coward.  (Applause.)  This is what strength looks like.

So, we know what we are about.  We know what we stand for.

And one of the beautiful things about these next 79 days is what the people in this room have already been doing and know.  Let’s build community.  Let’s reinforce community. 

You all, as volunteers, what you know — and we’re going to spread the word — is how you can look at the face of a perfect stranger and see in their face a neighbor; that we see in each other our connection, our interdependence — what we see in each other — which fortifies and reinforces that the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us.  That’s what this campaign is about. 

Yes, it is about winning, and we will win — and we will win — and we will win — (applause) — God willing.

And through these next 79 days, we will continue to build community, build coalitions, and remind each other we are all in this together. 

So, I thank you all so very much for what you are doing.  (Applause.)

Now, let’s get back to work, shall we?  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)

END                 3:12 P.M. EDT

# # #

The post Remarks by Vice President Harris and Governor Tim Walz at a Campaign Event in Rochester, PA appeared first on The White House.

Beaver Field Office
Rochester, Pennsylvania

3:01 P.M. EDT

     GOVERNOR WALZ:  Oh, man — (applause) — it is.

     Doug gets the bro hugs.  He brings it, so — (laughter).  Well, thank you, and it’s true. 

And — and to Gwen and Doug, both, I — all of you — none of us do this alone.  We’re all in this together. 

I think this is a room that knows this campaign will be won in rooms just like this all across the country.  (Applause.) 

It will be run with people sitting on the phone banks in there, dialing numbers, and people picking up the phone on a Sunday and having somebody say, “Do you have a minute to talk about the future of our country?”  That’s a pretty big step to pick up that phone and talk.  But listening to these folks in here, people are doing it.  They’re doing it.

And the thing I can tell you what Kamala Harris has brought to this for so many things — from experience as a prosecutor to an attorney general to a United States senator to a vice president to the next President of the United States — (applause) — th- — there’s that resume, which is out — without question, but the reason they’re picking up the phone and the reason that they’re standing thousand deep in 109 degree heat in Las Vegas is: She’s bringing out the joy in the hearts of Americans.  She’s bringing out — (applause) — she’s bringing out the kindness that ties us together, the decency, the vision of a better tomorrow.

And these — (applause) — each of these volunteers and the people who put it on, they all said it.  They said it is so much better to be for for something rather than against something — to be for the future, not going back.  Those — (applause) –that’s what people know.

And we — some of us who have less hair and are old enough — can remember when you could go to Thanksgiving, watch a Steelers game with your relatives, and not complain about politics the whole time, not be on each other’s neck — (applause) — because you shared a commitment to democracy, a commitment to personal freedoms, a commitment to public education, a commitment to infrastructure.  (Applause.)

We don’t call each other names.  We don’t do it.  And we don’t use the least fortunate amongst us as punchlines for our jokes because they’re our neighbors.  They’re our neighbors.  And so, you’re getting an opportunity to see the best side of America. 

And for the young people here, they maybe haven’t seen a campaign like this because of COVID, because of things that’s happening.  This is a chance to bring out that joy, turn the page, and look to the future, this idea of going forward, so — (applause).

Doug — Doug is right.  He told you my kids were backstage in awe.  He didn’t tell you they were probably in awe because they could not believe that I got through that thing and through that speech — (laughter) — that that was amazing to them.  But I’ll tell you what, they have felt part of this family, because they can feel the decency radiating off these people.  They can see the commitment.  They know that children matter.  They know that family matters.  They know that individuals matter.

And this leader knows that it’s not any of government’s business to be in your health care decisions.  Those are your decisions.  (Applause.)

And this is a leader who celebrates love in all forms that it comes by — (applause) — that we love each other.

And for the young people, you hear somebody talking about this: We have the right to send our children to school to be free from being shot dead in their classrooms.  That’s what it is.  (Applause.)

And this is a nation — can ensure clean water, clean air, and a bright future for our children.

So, I have to tell you, we’ve got 79 days.  And you’ll hear me say this — Doug is going to correct me on this — I say, “That’s easy.  We can sleep when we’re dead.”  He s- — (laughter) — Doug said we can sleep on November 6th after this election is over, so he may be right.  (Applause.)

But, look, coming into football country and being an old football coach, there’s an old saying, “You — you don’t hope you’re going to win.  You prepare to win.  And you give it the best you’ve got.  And you know when that game’s over, you want to know you left it all on the field.” 

And that’s all we’re asking.  Let’s leave it all on the field.  Let’s get this thing done, because — (applause) — because when my grandkids and your grandkids ask you about this — because on Nomber — November 6th, you were there: first time when you got to welcome madam president of the United States, Kamala Harris.  (Applause.)

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Tim Walz!  (Applause.)

Hey, everybody.  (Laughs.)  We’re back, and we’re going to keep coming back and we’re going to keep coming back.  (Applause.)

I want to thank — I want to thank everybody. 

I want to start with Tim Walz.  Isn’t he fantastic?  (Applause.)  I like to call him Coach Walz, and, you know, he is — he’s done so much for our country, and he’s going to make an extraordinary vice president of the United States.

Gwen, I mean, girl, just — you just killed it, I’m telling you.  (Laughs.)  I mean, you know, there’s something — I don’t know — my first-grade teacher, Mrs. Frances Wilson attended my law school graduation.  I just love teachers.  I think anyone who decides to become a teacher, it’s just — it’s — it’s one of the greatest gifts that one has that they give.  And I thank you, Gwen, for doing all that you have done.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

And my husband is — Doug, you are doing so much and you’ve been traveling all over our country, and I want to thank you.  And you are going to, yet again, make history as the first gentleman of the United States.  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)

There are a lot of incredible leaders here.  I want to just, for a moment, mention my friend Bob Casey.  (Applause.)  You — we have got to send him back to the United States Senate.  For the time that I was in the United States Senate and worked with Bob — I’m going to tell you something.  You know, we had these — we would have these meetings where all of the Democratic senators would get together for lunch, no cameras in the room.  Bob, to- — almost every time, was one of the ones who would stand up in that room with all the other senators from around the country talking about the working people of Pennsylvania and why we needed to have you in our mind when we were thinking about national policy every single day.  That’s who Bob Casey is.  Let’s send him back to the United States Senate.  (Applause.)

Chris Deluzio, we want to thank you.  (Applause.)  What he is doing in the halls of Congress — again, I mean, you send some fighters to D.C., Pennsylvania.  You sent some fighters to D.C. 

Your next attorney general — DePasquale, where are you?  (Applause.)  I’ve done that work, I know what it requires, and you’re going to be outstanding. 

So, you’ve got a lot of work, Pennsylvania, on your shoulders right now that you’re carrying and you who are here volunteering to do this work.  And it’s —

AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And we’re going to get it done.  (Applause.)

And Malcolm Kenyatta knows exactly what I’m talking about.  I see him almost every time I come into the state. 

So, I want to just address you all right now, as the volunteers.  You know, Tim said it: This campaign for us is really born out of love of country.  We all here, we love our country, and we know our country is going to be as strong as our willingness to fight for it and to fight for what we stand for.  (Applause.)

You know, when you know what you stand for, you know what to fight for.  When you stand for working people, you fight for working people.  When you stand for freedom, whether it be to make decisions about your own body or love who you love, you fight for those things.  (Applause.)  When you believe in ending child poverty, you fight for that.  When you believe in what we need to do to lift up the middle class, you fight for the middle class.  (Applause.)

These are the things we stand for, and these, therefore, are the things we fight for.  And that’s what our election is about. 

Our election is about understanding the importance of this beautiful country of ours in terms of what we stand for around the globe as a democracy — as a democracy.

We know there’s a duality to the nature of democracy.  On the one hand, incredible strength when it is intact; what it does for its people to protect and defend their rights, their liberty, and their freedom — incredibly strong.  And incredibly fragile.  It is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it.

And that’s what this campaign is about.  This campaign is about a recognition that, frankly, over the last several years, there’s been this kind of perversion that has taken place, I think, which is to suggest —

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — which is to suggest that the measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down when.  When what we know is the real and true measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you lift up.  (Applause.) 

That’s what we see as strength.  We know what strength looks like.  That’s what strength looks like.  (Applause.)  Anybody who’s about beating down other people is a coward.  (Applause.)  This is what strength looks like.

So, we know what we are about.  We know what we stand for.

And one of the beautiful things about these next 79 days is what the people in this room have already been doing and know.  Let’s build community.  Let’s reinforce community. 

You all, as volunteers, what you know — and we’re going to spread the word — is how you can look at the face of a perfect stranger and see in their face a neighbor; that we see in each other our connection, our interdependence — what we see in each other — which fortifies and reinforces that the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us.  That’s what this campaign is about. 

Yes, it is about winning, and we will win — and we will win — and we will win — (applause) — God willing.

And through these next 79 days, we will continue to build community, build coalitions, and remind each other we are all in this together. 

So, I thank you all so very much for what you are doing.  (Applause.)

Now, let’s get back to work, shall we?  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)

END                 3:12 P.M. EDT

# # #

The post Remarks by Vice President Harris and Governor Tim Walz at a Campaign Event in Rochester, PA appeared first on The White House.