Personal Residence
Dallas, Texas
7:24 P.M. CDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thanks. (Applause.) I don’t know the place he’s been, however I wish to go there. (Laughter.)
Russell and Dori, thanks in your friendship. You understand, you heas- — you hosted me the primary time for a fundraiser in 2019. And it’s becoming that you just’re internet hosting my first Texas fundraiser for 2024.
A particular due to all of you: Jaime Harrison and — the chair of the — of the — our — our occasion; Chris, our finance chair; and all of the attorneys right here as we speak who care deeply concerning the rule of legislation and the frontlines of equity and justice and — and deepening democracy and defending it, as a result of I believe it’s at stake.
You understand, of us, we’re seeing unimaginable enthusiasm all around the nation as we journey. Not too long ago, I’ve traveled to Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Nevada, Arizona. And Jill and Kamala and Doug are touring as properly.
Our grassroots help, thank God, retains getting stronger. To date, over 1.3 million folks have contributed to our marketing campaign this time round — 500,000 of them, model new — and 97 % of these contributions are $200 or much less — 97 % of them.
And we’re ramping up our many marketing campaign headquarters, off- — area workplaces throughout the nation. We’ve opened 100 area workplaces to date and staffing all of them now — and earlier than Trump has opened a — and his MAGA Republican associates — have opened even one. (Laughter.)
And whilst you in all probability haven’t examine it, in the previous few days, there have been 5 nationwide polls the place we’re again to main once more within the polls. (Applause.)
However the fact is I’m undecided any of them matter, as a result of it’s so laborious to take polls today. It truly is. And never everyone seems to be feeling the keenness. Not everybody.
Simply the opposite day, a defeated-looking man got here as much as me and mentioned, “Mr. President, I would like your assist. I’m being crushed with debt. I’m fully worn out.” I needed to say, “Donald, I can’t assist you to.” (Laughter and applause.) (Inaudible.)
Talking of Donald Trump, just some days in the past, he requested a well-known query in one in every of his rallies: Are you higher off as we speak than you have been 4 years in the past?
AUDIENCE: Sure!
THE PRESIDENT: Properly, Donald, I’m glad you requested that query, man. (Laughter.) I hope everybody within the nation takes a second to suppose again what it was like in March of 2020.
COVID had come to America. Trump was president. Hospitals, emergency rooms have been overcrowded. First responders have been risking their lives. Nurses have been wear- — have been wear- — have been sporting rubbish baggage as a result of they couldn’t have the safety within the hospitals they wanted. There was a ventilator scarcity. Morgues have been being arrange all outdoors, not simply within the hospitals. And the family members have been dying on their own. We couldn’t even say goodbye to them.
And unemployment shot as much as 14 %. The inventory market crashed. Grocery retailer cabinets have been emply — and have been empty. And we even — bear in mind the entire rest room paper convention? (Laughter.) No, I’m — take into consideration how powerful issues have been.
You understand, months in the past Trump tried to downplay the virus. He advised us, “Don’t fear, it’ll go away. Simply keep calm. And we’ll” — bear in mind he mentioned, “We’ll be out of it by Easter”? Properly, over one million folks died. And whereas — all whereas doing nothing.
After all, we now know Bob Woodward’s e book — that Trump was mendacity to the American folks all alongside. He knew how harmful the virus was, and he hid it from us. He simply saved getting worse — worse and worse. He advised Individuals — bear in mind he was telling “inject bleach”? He advised us to hit the physique with UV mild. Properly — (laughter).
However later, , he needed to tear fuel the picture op — for a photograph op, out — as a result of they protested justice in entrance of the White Home.
Then, after shedding the 2020 election, Trump completed his presidency by sending an interrecti- — an rebellion mob to the Capitol. And, of us, look, there’s — these of us — so lots of them have been convicted. And he swears when he will get elected he’s going to pardon all of them — pardon all of them — as a result of they’re “heroes.”
However 4 years later, have a look at the place we — how far we’ve come. Donald Trump isn’t president — that’s the very first thing — due to you. (Applause.) And I imply it — due to lots of you.
COVID now not controls our lives. We’ve created 15 million new jobs — extra jobs in that timeframe than any president has in American historical past. (Applause.) We now have the bottom unemployment price in over 50 years. We had document financial progress, new small-business creation document, inventory market is highest it’s ever been.
Insulin now prices seniors 35 bucks as a substitute of 400 bucks a month. Out-of-pocket prices for prescribed drugs for seniors are going to be capped at $2,000 a 12 months, it doesn’t matter what the overall price is.
It doesn’t simply save seniors cash; it saves taxpayers important quantities of cash.
By simply passing that legislation and what we’ve completed to date, we’ve saved — we’ve diminished the deficit by $160 billion — $160 billion. For those who’re not paying $400 as a substitute of $15, and so forth. Go down the road. I gained’t bore you with element.
We’re rebuilding the nation’s roads and bridges. We’re delivering clear water and high-speed Web to each American, whether or not you’re rural or irrespective of the place you reside.
American manufacturing is booming — 800,000 manufacturing jobs and counting. And be- — you all know this in addition to I do: We’ve attracted over $650 billion {dollars} in private-sector funding in clear vitality, superior manufacturing, semiconductors — all throughout America. (Applause.) We made the most important funding in historical past to fight local weather change. And we will do much more, in fact, and we now have to.
Inflation peaked at 9 % a bit over a few years in the past — a 12 months and a half in the past. Now, it’s dropped to three % — the bottom on this planet — and nonetheless dropping. We’re going to do extra — extra to be completed.
So, let me ask you: Does anybody right here wish to return to 2020? (Laughs.)
AUDIENCE: No!
THE PRESIDENT: Properly, when worry dominated our lives, when Trump was president — I don’t suppose so.
However, look, the issue isn’t simply going again to Trump ha- — the place Trump had the nation. The issue is he desires to take us — the place he desires to take us now. Have a look at what he’s saying, and I hope that all of us start to take significantly. He means what he says. As loopy because it sounds, he means what he says.
He desires to do away with the Reasonably priced Care Act. Over 30 million Individuals rely on the ACA. It might be a catastrophe for the — to be taken away.
He desires to do away with the financial savings I simply acquired put into legislation for prescribed drugs at 35 bucks for — for insulin — for an entire vary of — and he simply desires to wipe all of it out.
You understand, and what he desires to do is enact one other $2 trillion tax lower. Properly, on the time, , he elevated the deficit bigger than any man in American historical past in 4 years — the deficit.
Home Republicans simply proposed huge cuts in Social Safety and Medicare. Trump lately mentioned, “Social safety and Medicare — there’s so much you are able to do to chop extra.”
Properly, of us, the local weather — he’s a local weather denier. And he’s going to put off the historic motion that we’ve taken. There’s much more to do. I’m not suggesting we’ve completed.
However one other college capturing lately, and what did he say? He mentioned — when requested about it, he mentioned, “Simply recover from it.” “Simply recover from it.”
No — no, I wish to cease it, not recover from it. The thought our youngsters are having to duck and canopy in class. Did you ever suppose we’d be in that place? Ever suppose we’d be instructing children that?
Look — have a look at the judges he placed on the bench. Think about who else he’ll placed on the bench.
Our fame internationally has been crushed when he was president. Think about what is going to occur if he’s reelected. He desires to put off NATO, and he desires to inform Putin to do no matter you need — do no matter you need.
Trump boasts he — what I discovered so gorgeous: He lately hosted Viktor Orbán, the Prime Minister of Hungary, at Mar-a-Lago. And Orbán says he doesn’t suppose democracy works — it doesn’t work. And that’s who he admires most.
He brags about how he ha- — he’s the explanation Roe v. Wade is overturned and the liberty to decide on is taken away. Look, and American must know: Donald Trump and his MAGA extremists are actually calling for a nationwide ban — a nationwide ban on abortion in each state within the Union.
Of us, yet one more factor. Trump didn’t simply carry chaos to the lives of girls. He’s additionally bringing chaos to the American border.
With a bunch of bipartisan senators we put collectively over a five-month interval, the very conservative — a really conservative senator from Oklahoma heading the group — of a gathering for 5 — 5 strong weeks towards the top, we agreed on the strongest border safety legislation in American historical past: 1,500 extra Border Safety brokers and officers; 100 extra immigration judges to deal with the backlog of two million instances; 4,300 asylum officers and new coverage to allow them to resolve six — points in six months as a substitute of, now, six years; 100 extra high-tech drug detection machines to considerably lower the power to — to smuggle in fentanyl and all its precursors.
However Trump — the issue is — I’ve been round some time. I don’t ever bear in mind the chief of one other occasion saying the explanation they wish to — their occasion to vote towards one thing — not as a result of it wasn’t good however as a result of he frightened I’d get an excessive amount of credit score for it — the opposite staff would get credit score for it.
Of us, it wasn’t about whether or not it’s good for me or Trump; it’s about what’s good for America.
However right here’s what I — right here’s what I can’t do. Not like Trump, I’m not going to demonize immigrants. I can’t say immigrants are “poisoning the blood” of this nation. I can’t name immigrants “rapists” and “murderers.” I can’t separate households, put children in cages. I’ll not finish the birthright citizenship.
Now, this man truly desires to finish — and he’s — now he’s bragging about it. He desires to finish the precise for birthright citizenship, which we established approach again, a pair hundred years in the past. For those who’re born in America, you’re an American citizen. He desires to finish that.
I’m not going to ban folks due to faith. That’s not who we’re as Individuals.
Of us, however after all of the threats Trump poses, to our financial system, our standing on this planet, is — the best menace he poses is to our democracy. Violence on January sixth — Trump embraced and he’s working on it. He’s working on it. He calls insurrectionists who’re in jail — in jail — discovered responsible and in jail — he calls them “patriots.” He means that they’re, in truth, those who must be — and he swears if he will get elected, he’s going to pardon them — pardon all of them.
Trump now says if he loses once more in November, there shall be a “massacre” within the streets.
You understand, we didn’t — once I acquired elected, and also you helped me get elected in 2020, I — I made a speech on democracy at Independence Corridor. I mentioned we’re in peril of shedding the democracy if we don’t win this factor. Properly, of us, we will’t stand for these things. We now have to say in a single voice as Individuals — as Democrats, independents, and Republicans — there’s no place for violence in America ever, ever, ever. Interval. (Applause.)
And I’ll in all probability get her in hassle, however I simply learn what Liz Cheney lately mentioned. She mentioned, “You’ll be able to’t probably vote for him, as a result of democracy is at stake.” And when requested, she mentioned she’d vote for Biden. The concept a lady who’s — has very totally different id- — concepts on coverage than I do is so involved that this man will get reelected — what is going to occur.
Look, let me shut with this, since you’re standing. You understand, I couldn’t be — the stakes couldn’t be greater throughout the board. And together with your assist, we’re going to win up and down the ticket. That features right here in Texas, as a result of I wish to see — you bought to elect Colin your subsequent senator. (Applause.) You bought to so Ted Cruz joins one other loser, Donald Trump. (Laughter.)
Appears to be like, there’s a number of focus today on how outdated Trump is and the way outdated I’m. I’m two — two instances 40. However I — , what the hell? (Laughter.)
The actual query is — all kidding apart — is how outdated are concepts? How outdated are our concepts?
Donald Trump’s imaginative and prescient of America is one in every of anger, hate revenge, retribution — a few of the oldest identified concepts to man.
I’ve a really totally different imaginative and prescient for America, one which focuses on the longer term and solutions questions — essential questions: Are you higher off now, and can you be higher off 4 years from now?
Right here’s the longer term I see, and I’ll be transient. I see a future the place we defend democracy and we don’t diminish it.
I see a future the place we restore the precise to decide on and shield the freedoms, not take them away.
I see a future — (applause) — I see a future the place the center class lastly has a good shot and the rich, the su- — , we now have a thousand billionaires. I — I respect anyone who could make as a lot cash as they will legally. However what their common tax — what the tax is of a — for these thousand billionaires in America? 8.2 %. Anyone wish to commerce that price? (Laughter.)
No — no, however I’m severe. This — that is — , if – if they only acquired paid — if they only paid the 25 %, are you aware how a lot cash that might increase? 4 hundred billion {dollars} over 10 years.
Think about what we might do — from every thing from the deficit to caring for children, schooling, so many —
I see a future the place we save the planet from the local weather disaster and our nation from gun violence.
Look, I personal weapons. I personal weapons. However this — from the very starting, the Second Modification didn’t say you possibly can personal any weapon. You couldn’t personal a cannon. You couldn’t personal a — I’m severe.
And so, above all, I actually do — I offer you my phrase — I see a future for all Individuals the place we don’t demonize each other and we give hate no protected harbor and we go away no person behind. That’s a future we will construct collectively. That’s the explanation I’ve by no means been extra optimistic about our future.
My dad used to have an expression, God love him. My dad was a excessive school-educated man who was well-read. He acquired into Johns Hopkins. However throughout the battle, he by no means made it to Hopkins.
My dad used to say, “Joey, a job is about much more than a paycheck. It’s about your dignity. It’s about respect. It’s about having an opportunity. It’s about having the ability to look your child within the eye and say, ‘Honey, it’s going to be okay,’ and imply it.” Properly, that’s what that is about: giving all people a shot.
We’re essentially the most unimaginable nation on this planet. I do know that seems like I’m bragging about our nation, however I’m. I believe it’s actual. We’re the one nation on this planet, as I mentioned earlier than, which have come — come out of each disaster we confronted stronger than we went in — stronger than once we went in.
We now have to recollect who within the hell we’re. We’re america of America. And I consider with all my — each fiber of my being there’s not a single factor past our capability to get completed once we act collectively. I imply that from the underside of my coronary heart.
So, God bless you all. Thanks for giving me a shot to do it once more. And will God shield our troops. (Applause.) Thanks.
Each time I’d stroll out of my Grandfathers Finnegan’s home in Scranton he’d yell, “Joey, maintain the religion.” And my grandmother would yell, “No, Joey. Unfold it.” Let’s go unfold it.
Thanks. (Applause.)
7:39 P.M. CDT