Administration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., 2024

March 20, 2024

The President. Thank you. I don't know where he's been, but I want to go there. [Laughter]

Russell and Dori, thank you for your friendship. You know, you hosted me the first time for a fundraiser in 2019. And it's fitting that you're hosting my first Texas fundraiser for 2024.

A special thanks to all of you: Jaime Harrison andâthe chair of theâour party; Chris, our finance chair; and all the lawyers here today who care deeply about the rule of law and the frontlines of fairness and justice and deepening democracy and defending it, because I think it's at stake.

You know, folks, we're seeing incredible enthusiasm all over the country as we travel.

Recently, I've traveled to Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Nevada, Arizona. And Jill and Kamala and Doug are traveling as well.

Our grassroots support, thank God, keeps getting stronger. So far, over 1.3 million people have contributed to our campaign this time aroundâ500,000 of them, brandnewâand 97 percent of those contributions are $200 or lessâ97 percent of them.

And we're ramping up our many campaign headquarters, offâfield offices across the country. We've opened a hundred field offices so far and staffing them all nowâand before Trump has opened aâand his MAGA Republican friendsâhave opened even one. [*Laughter*]

And while you probably haven't read about it, in the last few days, there have been five national polls where we're back to leading again in the polls. But the truth is, I'm not sure any of them matter, because it's so hard to take polls these days. It really is. And not everyone is feeling the enthusiasm. Not everyone.

Just the other day, a defeated-looking guy came up to me and said: "Mr. President, I need your help. I'm being crushed with debt. I'm completely wiped out." I had to say, "Donald, I can't help you." [*Laughter*] [*Inaudible*]

Speaking of Donald Trump, just a few days ago, he asked a famous question in one of his rallies: Are you better off today than you were 4 years ago?

Audience members. Yes!

The President. Well, Donald, I'm glad you asked that question, man. [Laughter] I hope everyone in the country takes a moment to think back what it was like in March of 2020.

COVID had come to America. Trump was President. Hospitals, emergency rooms were overcrowded. First responders were risking their lives. Nurses were wearing garbage bags because they couldn't have the protection in the hospitals they needed. There was a ventilator shortage. Morgues were being set up all outside, not just in the hospitals. And the loved ones were dying all alone. We couldn't even say goodbye to them.

And unemployment shot up to 14 percent. The stock market crashed. Grocery store shelves were emplyâand were empty. And we evenâremember the whole toilet paper conference? [*Laughter*] No, I'mâthink about how tough things were.

You know, months ago Trump tried to downplay the virus. He told us: "Don't worry, it will go away. Just stay calm. And we'll"âremember he said, "We'll be out of it by Easter"? Well, over a million people died. And whileâall while doing nothing.

Of course, we now know Bob Woodward's bookâthat Trump was lying to the American people all along. He knew how dangerous the virus was, and he hid it from us. He just kept getting worseâworse and worse. He told Americansâremember, he was telling "inject bleach"? He told us to hit the body with UV light. Wellâ[*laughter*].

But later, you know, he wanted to tear gas the photo opâfor a photo op, outâbecause they protested justice in front of the White House.

Then, after losing the 2020 election, Trump finished his Presidency by sending an insurrection mob to the Capitol. And, folks, look, there'sâthese folksâso many of them have been convicted. And he swears when he gets elected he's going to pardon them allâpardon them allâbecause they're "heroes."

But 4 years later, look at where weâhow far we've come. Donald Trump is not Presidentâ that's the first thingâbecause of you. And I mean itâbecause of many of you.

COVID no longer controls our lives. We've created 15 million new jobs, more jobs in that timeframe than any President has in American history. We have the lowest unemployment rate in over 50 years. We had record economic growth, new small-business creation record, stock market is highest it's ever been.

Insulin now costs seniors 35 bucks instead of 400 bucks a month. Out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs for seniors are going to be capped at $2,000 a year, no matter what the total cost is. It doesn't just save seniors money; it saves taxpayers significant amounts of money.

By just passing that law and what we've done so far, we've savedâwe've reduced the deficit by $160 billionâ$160 billion. If you're not paying $400 instead of $15, and so on. Go down the line. I won't bore you with detail.

We're rebuilding the Nation's roads and bridges. We're delivering clean water and high- speed internet to every American, whether you're rural or no matter where you live.

American manufacturing is boomingâ800,000 manufacturing jobs and counting. And beâ you all know this as well as I do: We've attracted over $650 billion dollars in private-sector investment in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, semiconductorsâall across America. We made the biggest investment in history to combat climate change. And we can do a lot more, of course, and we have to.

Inflation peaked at 9 percent a little over a couple of years agoâa year and a half ago. Now, it's dropped to 3 percentâthe lowest in the worldâand still dropping. We're going to do moreâ more to be done.

So let me ask you: Does anyone here want to go back to 2020? [*Laughter*]

Audience members. No!

The President. Well, when fear ruled our lives, when Trump was PresidentâI don't think so.

But look, the problem isn't just going back to Trumpâwhere Trump had the country. The problem is he wants to take usâwhere he wants to take us now. Look at what he's saying, and I hope that we all begin to take seriously. He means what he says. As crazy as it sounds, he means what he says.

He wants to get rid of the Affordable Care Act. Over 30 million Americans depend on the ACA. It would be a disaster for theâto be taken away.

He wants to get rid of the savings I just got put into law for prescription drugs at 35 bucks forâfor insulinâfor a whole range ofâand he just wants to wipe it all out.

You know, and what he wants to do is enact another $2 trillion tax cut. Well, at the time, you know, he increased the deficit larger than any man in American history in 4 yearsâthe deficit.

House Republicans just proposed massive cuts in Social Security and Medicare. Trump recently said, "Social security and Medicare, there's a lot you can do to cut more."

Well, folks, the climateâhe's a climate denier. And he's going to do away with the historic action that we've taken. There's a lot more to do. I'm not suggesting we've finished.

But another school shooting recently, and what did he say? He saidâwhen asked about it, he said, "Just get over it." "Just get over it."

Noâno, I want to stop it, not get over it. The idea our children are having to duck and cover in school. Did you ever think we'd be in that position? Ever think we'd be teaching kids that?

Lookâlook at the judges he put on the bench. Imagine who else he'll put on the bench.

Our reputation internationally has been crushed when he was President. Imagine what will happen if he's reelected. He wants to do away with NATO, and he wants to tell Putin to do whatever you wantâdo whatever you want.

Trump boasts heâwhat I found so stunning: He recently hosted Viktor Orban, the Prime Minister of Hungary, at Mar-a-Lago. And OrbÃ¡n says he doesn't think democracy worksâit doesn't work. And that's who he admires most.

He brags about how heâhe's the reason *Roe *v. *Wade *is overturned and the freedom to choose is taken away. Look, and American needs to know: Donald Trump and his MAGA extremists are now calling for a national banâa national ban on abortion in every State in the Union.

Folks, one more thing. Trump didn't just bring chaos to the lives of women. He is also bringing chaos to the American border.

With a group of bipartisan Senators we put together over a 5-month period, the very conservativeâa very conservative Senator from Oklahoma heading the groupâof a meeting for 5â5 solid weeks toward the end, we agreed on the strongest border security law in American history: 1,500 more Border Security agents and officers; 100 more immigration judges to tackle the backlog of 2 million cases; 4,300 asylum officers and new policy so they can resolve 6â issues in 6 months instead of, now, 6 years; 100 more high-tech drug detection machines to significantly decrease the ability to smuggle in fentanyl and all its precursors.

But Trumpâthe problem isâI've been around a while. I don't ever remember the leader of another party saying the reason they want toâtheir party to vote against somethingânot because it wasn't good, but because he worried I would get too much credit for itâthe other team would get credit for it.

Folks, it wasn't about whether it's good for me or Trump, it's about what's good for America.

But here's what Iâhere's what I will not do. Unlike Trump, I'm not going to demonize immigrants. I will not say immigrants are "poisoning the blood" of this Nation. I will not call immigrants "rapists" and "murderers." I will not separate families, put kids in cages. I'll not end the birthright citizenship.

Now, this guy actually wants to endâand he'sânow he's bragging about it. He wants to end the right for birthright citizenship, which we established way back, a couple hundred years ago. If you're born in America, you're an American citizen. He wants to end that.

I'm not going to ban people because of religion. That's not who we are as Americans.

Folks, but after all the threats Trump poses, to our economy, our standing in the world, isâ the greatest threat he poses is to our democracy. Violence on January 6âTrump embraced and he's running on it. He's running on it. He calls insurrectionists who are in prisonâin prisonâ found guilty and in prisonâhe calls them "patriots." He suggests that they are, in fact, the ones who should beâand he swears if he gets elected, he's going to pardon themâpardon them all.

Trump now says if he loses again in November, there will be a "bloodbath" in the streets.

You know, we didn'tâwhen I got elected, and you helped me get elected in 2020, I made a speech on democracy at Independence Hall. I said we're in danger of losing the democracy if we don't win this thing. Well, folks, we can't stand for this stuff. We have to say in one voice as Americansâas Democrats, Independents, and Republicansâthere's no place for violence in America ever, ever, ever. Period.

And I'll probably get her in trouble, but I just read what Liz Cheney recently said. She said, "You can't possibly vote for him, because democracy is at stake." And when asked, she said she'd vote for Biden. The idea that a woman who isâhas very different ideas on policy than I do is so concerned that this guy gets reelectedâwhat will happen.

Look, let me close with this, because you're standing. You know, I couldn't beâthe stakes couldn't be higher across the board. And with your help, we're going to win up and down the ticket. That includes here in Texas, because I want to seeâyou got to elect Colin your next Senator. You've got to so Ted Cruz joins another loser, Donald Trump. [*Laughter*]

Looks, there's a lot of focus these days on how old Trump is and how old I am. I'm two times

40. But Iâyou know, what the hell? [*Laughter*] The real question isâall kidding asideâis how old are ideas? How old are our ideas?

Donald Trump's vision of America is one of anger, hate revenge, retribution, some of the oldest known ideas to man. I have a very different vision for America, one that focuses on the future and answers questionsâimportant questions: Are you better off now, and will you be better off 4 years from now?

Here's the future I see, and I'll be brief. I see a future where we defend democracy and we don't diminish it. I see a future where we restore the right to choose and protect the freedoms, not take them away.

I see a futureâ[*applause*]âI see a future where the middle class finally has a fair shot and the wealthy, theâyou know, we have a thousand billionaires. I respect anybody who can make as much money as they can legally. But you know what their average taxâyou know what the tax is of aâfor those thousand billionaires in America? Eight-point-two percent. Anybody want to trade that rate? [*Laughter*]

Noâno, but I'm serious. Thisâthis isâyou know, if they just got paidâif they just paid the 25 percent, do you know how much money that would raise? Four hundred billion dollars over 10 years.

Imagine what we could doâfrom everything from the deficit to taking care of kids, education, so manyâI see a future where we save the planet from the climate crisis and our country from gun violence.

Look, I own weapons. I own guns. But thisâfrom the very beginning, the Second Amendment didn't say you can own any weapon. You couldn't own a cannon. You couldn't own aâI'm serious.

And so, above all, I really doâI give you my wordâI see a future for all Americans where we don't demonize one another and we give hate no safe harbor and we leave nobody behind.

That's a future we can build together. That's the reason I've never been more optimistic about our future.

My dad used to have an expression, God love him. My dad was a high schoolâeducated guy who was well read. He got into Johns Hopkins. But, during the war, he never made it to Hopkins.

My dad used to say: "Joey, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It's about your dignity. It's about respect. It's about having a chance. It's about being able to look your kid in the eye and say, 'Honey, it's going to be okay,' and mean it." Well, that's what this is about: giving everybody a shot.

We are the most incredible nation in the world. I know that sounds like I'm bragging about our country, but I am. I think it's real. We're the only nation in the world, as I said before, that have comeâcome out of every crisis we faced stronger than we went inâstronger than when we went in.

We have to remember who in the hell we are. We are the United States of America. And I believe with all myâevery fiber of my being there's not a single thing beyond our capacity to get done when we act together. I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

So God bless you all. Thanks for giving me a shot to do it again. And may God protect our troops. Thank you.

Every time I'd walk out of my Grandfather Finnegan's house in Scranton he'd yell, "Joey, keep the faith." And my grandmother would yell, "No, Joey. Spread it." Let's go spread it.

Thank you.

NOTE: The President spoke at 7:24 p.m. at the residence of Russell and Dorothy Budd. In his remarks, he referred to Jaime R. Harrison, chair, and Christopher G. Korge, finance chair, Democratic National Committee; Vice President Kamala D. Harris and her husband Douglas C. Emhoff; Robert U. Woodward, associate editor, Washington Post; President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin of Russia; Sens. James P. Lankford, Kyrsten L. Sinema, and Christopher S. Murphy; former Rep. Elizabeth L. Cheney; and Rep. Colin Z. Allred, in his capacity as a Democratic senatorial candidate. The transcript was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on March 21. Audio was not available for verification of the content of these remarks.

Categories: Addresses and Remarks : Campaign reception in Dallas, TX. Locations: Dallas, TX.

Names: Allred, Colin Z.; Biden, Jill T.; Budd, Dorothy; Budd, Russell; Cheney, Elizabeth L.; Cruz, R. Edward "Ted"; Emhoff, Douglas C.; Harris, Kamala D.; Harrison, Jaime R.; Korge, Christopher G.; Lankford, James P.; Murphy, Christopher S.; Orban, Viktor; Putin, Vladimir Vladimirovich; Sinema, Kyrsten L.; Trump, Donald J.; Woodward, Robert U.

Subjects: 2021 civil unrest and violence at U.S. Capitol; 2024 Presidential election; Abortion; Asylum claims process, improvement efforts; Border security; Broadband and wireless technologies; Climate change; COVIDâ19 pandemic; Democratic National Committee; Economic improvement; Federal deficit and debt; Health insurance exchanges; Hungary, Prime Minister; Illegal drugs, interdiction efforts; Inflation; Infrastructure improvements; Insulin cost controls; Job creation and growth; Manufacturing industry, domestic investment; North Atlantic Treaty Organization; Prescription drug costs, reduction efforts; Russia, President; Small businesses, promotion efforts; Tax Code reform; Texas, Democratic Party event; Texas, President's visit; U.S. Supreme Court opinion overturning 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade; Unemployment rate; Vice President.

DCPD Number: DCPD202400219.