Administration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., 2024

May 18, 2024

The President. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Now, look, I realize I'm surrounded by Morehouse Men. [*Laughter*] I want you to know I'm a Delaware State guy. Okay? [*Laughter*] And the Vice President's Howard. So, you know, you guys are okay. But you know, I meanâwell, youâokay?

Audience member. [Inaudible]âtake it.

The President. Better take it. [Laughter]

You realize how insufferable it's going to be now with my chief guyâused to beâwhat's his name? I can't think of it now. [*Laughter*] Used toâhe used to be a Morehouse guy. What's his name?

Audience member. Cedric.

The President. Yes, Cedric something! [Laughter]

I tell you what, I'm going to Morehouse tomorrow. And by the way, let's wish this guy happy graduation, man. Tomorrow.

And he made a commitment to me: When he's elected President and they say, "Joe Biden is in the waiting room," he won't say, "Joe who?" [*Laughter*] That's the commitment.

Well, look, it's good to be back. I wasâthe last time I was in this room was, I think, 2014, 2015âin that range. And you know, as they say in Claymont, Delaware, where Iâwhen we moved from Scranton, Pennsylvania, moved to a little steel town in northern Delaware called Claymont. And you all brung me to the dance.

The reason we're here is becauseâand all the electeds that are hereâand I don't want to start naming; I'll leave somebody outâbut you really made a gigantic difference. And everybodyâit's easy to forget, but I don't forgetâlittle elections in January elected two Senatorsâ[*applause*]âtwo.

And everyâand I want you all to remember that when we first got elected, we were told that because everything was so close in terms of numbers, we couldn't get anything big done. We got everything done. Because of you. [*Applause*] No, I'm not joking. Because of you.

From the Recovery Actâall the way around the horn, all of it. And we're going to do a lot more.

You know, I'mâI really appreciate you giving me the opportunity to do this again. And I really mean it when I sayâthe Congressman knows what I'm talking aboutâwe've got aâwe've got a tight operation. And it's going to beâI think we're going to do well.

I thinkâand you know, look, here's the deal. You hear about how, you know, we're behind in the polls. Well, so far, the polls haven't been right once.

Now thatâlook, we're allâwe're either tie or slightly ahead or slightly behind. But what I look at is actual election results. And election results are in the primaries. Look at the primaries.

Well, Mr. Trump hasâhe doesn't have an opponent, but he lost 120,000 votes in Pennsylvaniaâdidn't vote for him. [*Laughter*] They voted for a woman who's no longer in the

race. A hundredâI'mâthey're rough numbers; I think it's 120,000, I think. In Indiana, I think it was 100,000 votes.

And my point is that this isâI'm not going to take a lot of time. I want to talk to you individually. But the fact is that this election, a lot's at stakeâlot's at stake. It's not about me; it's about the alternative as well.

You know, heâI think it's fair to sayâI won't use the exact phrase that I'd use if I was still playing ball, but my opponent is not a good loser. [*Laughter*] But he is a loser. [*Laughter*] And Iâ[*laughter*]âoh, I don't want to get started. I'm going to get in trouble. [*Laughter*]

Butâbut the thing is, he's laid outâand the Republicans in the House, they can tell you; my colleagues can tell youâthey're laying out exactly what they're going to do if they win.

Everything you let me do, everything you helped me do, everything we've done, they want to undo, from the climate legislation to takingânot allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices.

American peopleâinstead of 400 bucks a month, seniors are paying 35 bucks a month for their insulin.

There's a lot more. There's a lot more. But lookâ[*applause*]. And I'll end by saying I honest to Godâand I think you think it too; I'm not sure, but I think you knowâthat our democracy is really on the line. Listen to things he said.

They asked him what happens, is he going to accept the loss. He said, "It depends." And then he said if he loses, there's going to be a "bloodbath." This is the guy who is going toâthey're his phrase.

By the way, get this week's TIME magazine. Read what he saidâin his own words, what he

said.

So this is an important election for all the people we care about, and we care about all the

American people out there. And there's a lot of hard-working folks that are trying to figure out what's going on. And we've got a lot more work to doâwe made a lot of progressâa lot more work to do.

But any rate, Iâas my mother would say if she were here: "Joey, hush up. You've spoken too much." [*Laughter*]

But thank you all for being here. And I'd like to come around and talk to each one of you individually, answer your questions. Okay?

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

NOTE: The President spoke at 2:59 p.m. at Mary Mac's Tea Room. In his remarks, he referred to Democratic National Committee Senior Adviser Cedric L. Richmond, in his former capacity as Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement; Kerry D. Singleton, Jr., graduating senior, Morehouse College; former President Donald J. Trump; and former U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Nikki R. Haley, in her former capacity as a 2024 Republican Presidential candidate. The transcript was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on May 19.

Categories: Addresses and Remarks : Campaign event in Atlanta, GA. Locations: Atlanta, GA.

Names: Haley, Nikki R.; Harris, Kamala D.; Ossoff, T. Jonathan; Richmond, Cedric L.; Singleton, Kerry D., Jr.; Trump, Donald J.; Warnock, Raphael G.

Subjects: 2024 Presidential election; Climate change; Economic stimulus legislation; Georgia, Democratic Party event; Georgia, President's visit; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Insulin cost controls; Prescription drug costs, reduction efforts; Vice President.

DCPD Number: DCPD202400430.