Administration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., 2024

February 3, 2024

Vice President Kamala D. Harris. Hello, Delaware!

Can we please give it up for Julie, who is an extraordinary human?

I have to tell you, I have worked with Julie for years, and she is someone who really just represents all that I know that we all stand for: about the people, about organizing, about coalition building, bringing people together, and the work that it requires around the clock. Julie, thank you for all of your work.

And, Mr. President, Dr. Biden, the first Second Gentleman of the United States, my husbandâ[*laughter*]âI want toâI justâI have to tell you what joy Doug and I were feeling as we were coming into Delaware. And we were reflecting, Mr. President and Dr. Biden, on those days that we were waiting, as we all remember, for the announcement about who would be the next President of the United States.

And this is a community that is so extraordinary in terms of the support that you give so tirelessly and so selflessly. And we know this is what it's going to take: all of us being here together, understanding that it is about all of us. The Senators are here. The soon-to-be-Senator is here.

And this election, yes, it is about each of us asking of ourselves: What kind of country do we want to live in? That really is what is at stake. Knowing that we each have the power to answer that question. Yes, it is about our ticket. But it is about all of us.

And I'm so proud to work every day with our President. I will tell youâ[*applause*]âhe is a son of Delaware. This is family. So I know you know what I'm talking about. But, for the sake of the camerasâ[*laughter*]âlet me just tell you something: Joe Biden, first of all, is fearless. When you look at what he has pushed through, in spite of the odds, that's the story of his life. But it is the story also of his Presidency.

Joe Biden doesn't hear "no." Some people talked about "Infrastructure Week" forever. Joe Biden said, "We're going to make it a reality." So many of our young leaders know what is at stake in terms of the climate and what we must do to build up our ability in terms of adaptation and resiliency, bringing down greenhouse gas emissions, saving this beautiful planet God has given us.

Joe Biden is the one, under his Presidency, that pushed through historic legislation, together with our Senators and so many of our friends in Congress.

Joe Biden is the President who saidâas he has always saidâwe're going to invest in science. He was the author of the Moonshot. And when he became President, it was about saying we're going to get a CHIPS and Science bill and invest in what we need to do to be a global leader on the challenges that face the world.

And those are just a few of the things. But I have to tell you, it is a great blessing and privilege for me to work with him every day. Because he really, really cares.

And you know, there is a certain perversion that has been taking place, I think, in our country by some to suggest that the measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down. But the measure of our leader is based on who he lifts up.

With the character of a true leader, which is someone who has a profound character of caring about the suffering of other people and then spending days and nights doing what he knows is possible to lift people up.

And so it is my great honor to be with him and to introduce our President, Joe Biden.

The President. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It's good to be home.

You know what's really good about it, Kamala? These people know me, and they're still here. [*Laughter*] These are the folks, as that saying goes up in Claymont, who "brung me to the dance." [*Laughter*]

Folks, you know, no one did more of that. I remember my sister coming home when we were starting to run for the Senate and said, "I think you need some help." [*Laughter*] This was back in 1990. No, I'm only joking. [*Laughter*]

Hey, John, how are you?

Nineteen seventy two. And she said: "There's a guy named Ted Kaufman. Works for the DuPont company." Ted, good to see you. One of my best friends in life and friend to my children. And it's great to see you, buddy. Or I should call you "Senator" becauseâ[*Laughter*]. He's the only guy when I said, "You've got to be Senator," he said, "I don't want to be Senator." [*Laughter*]

Well, look, folks, you know, Doug and Kamala are here. I was hopingâyou know, they came here, and I'm leaving from here to their home in Los Angeles. So, you know, it seemed kind ofâkind of ass-backwards here. Iâ[*laughter*].

Well, look, I'm feeling good about where we are. I really am. You know, the folks are starting to focus in. And the guy we're running against, he isâhe's not for anything. He's against everything.

No, I mean it. It's the weirdest campaign I've ever been engaged in. It's even worse thanâin terms of his behaviorâthan the last time in 2020. And you know, Kamala mentioned there's so much at stake.

And you all, this crowd, really knows me extremely well. They know me too well. Don't tell everything you know, guys. [*Laughter*]

But all kidding aside, theâI meant what I said back inâwhen we announced the first time for President against this guy, and we went up to legislativeâup to Independence Hall and made a speech on democracy. And the press kind of thought it was a little bit of an exaggeration, except the American people didn't.

The American people get it. They understand what's going on. And so this is a group of folks assembled in this room who are going to be able to say, God willing, that you helpedâthis generation helped save democracy. I mean in a literal sense.

You haveâand by the way, as I go around the world, which I do a lot, meet with other heads of stateâbecause I've known them for so long, I'm engaged in theâMadeleine Albright was right. America is the essential nation. And they all lookâall look to us, as my colleagues know.

And every time I leaveânot a jokeâwhether it's at the Gâ20, the Gâ7, wherever they are, they'll pull me aside, one at a time, and say: "You've got to win. You've got to win. We can't affordâmy country is at stake"âmeaning their country.

So there's a lot at stake here, folks. We have an enormous obligation.

But you know, I think it's time to finish the job here. I think it's time for us toâ[*applause*].

And if I don't stop talking, I'm going to get the hook from Jill. She's going to pull me off this littleâ[*laughter*].

But, folks, look, things areâpeople beginning to focus. They're beginning to focus, and the polling dataâeverything is picking up across the board. The new Quinnipiac poll, the national poll, has us beating him 50â44. Our neighbor State of Pennsylvania, the Susquehanna poll has us beating him 47â39. And another one in Pennsylvania, 42â37.

And by the way, in New Hampshire, we weren't on the ballot. Couldn't campaign there. And guess what? We got 64 percent of the vote.

So, folks, I'm going to put all of this away and just say: Thank you, thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

I look out there and I seeâTommy, it's great seeing you, pal. I'm going to miss you. But I'mâyou're not getting away. [*Laughter*] You're not getting away. And Chris is there all the time for me. And our soon-to-be-Senator-former-Congressperson. Your dad was incredible, by the way.

And that woman behind you, that sister of yours, she ran my operation for a long time. [*Laughter*] She is the reason I was able to win the first time. God love her.

But I look out and see so many of you.

Gov, you're the best. Because, like me, you married way above your station.

So, anyway, Iâif I start naming everybody, I'll name everybody in here, including Vince D'Anna. Vinny, how are you, buddy? Good to see you, man.

I haven't run a campaign without Vince giving me hell and helping me win around the way.

Anyway, thank you, thank you, thank you. We've got a lot to do. And I think you all get it along with me: We can'tâthis is not just the campaign. This is more of a mission. We cannotâ we cannotâwe cannot lose this campaign, for the good of the country. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

It's not about me. It goes well beyond me. It goes about the country. And I think everybody knows it. And I think people areâbeginning to dawn on people.

And as long as I've got Ronnie Olivere still hanging out with me, I'm okay. [*Laughter*]

So, anyway, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. You're the best in the world. I'm going to hang out with you, if I can.

Thank you, thank you.

NOTE: The President spoke at approximately 12:05 p.m. In his remarks, the President referred to Gov. John C. Carney, Jr., of Delaware; former Sen. Edward E. Kaufman; Douglas C. Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala D. Harris; former President Donald J. Trump; Sens. Thomas

R. Carper and Christopher A. Coons; and Rep. Lisa Blunt and her sister Marla Blunt-Carter, in her former capacity as director of constituent services for President Biden's Senate office. He also referred to his sister Valerie Biden Owens; and Ron Olivere, father-in-law of the President's deceased son Beau. The Vice President referred to Julie ChÃ¡vez Rodriguez, campaign manager, 2024 Joe Biden for President reelection campaign, who introduced her. The transcript was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on February 5.

Categories: Addresses and Remarks : Biden for President campaign headquarters in Wilmington, DE.

Locations: Wilmington, DE.

Names: Biden, Ashley B.; Biden, Jill T.; Biden, R. Hunter; Blunt-Carter, Marla; Carney, John C., Jr.; Carper, Thomas R.; Coons, Christopher A.; D'Anna, Vincent P.; Emhoff, Douglas C.; Harris, Kamala D.; Kaufman, Edward E.; Olivere, Ron; Owens, Valerie Biden; Rochester, Lisa Blunt; Trump, Donald J.

Subjects: 2024 Presidential election; Delaware, Biden for President campaign headquarters in Wilmington; Delaware, Democratic Party event; Delaware, Governor; Delaware, President's visit; Group of Seven (Gâ7) nations; Group of Twenty (Gâ20) nations; Vice President.

DCPD Number: DCPD202400072.