Remarks by President Biden at a Campaign Event | Madison, WI
Sherman Middle School
Madison, Wisconsin
2:30 P.M. CDT
THE PRESIDENT: Hello, Wisconsin! (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Let’s go, Joe! Let’s go, Joe! Let’s go, Joe!
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, thank you, thank you.
AUDIENCE: Let’s go, Joe! Let’s go, Joe! Let’s go, Joe!
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you.
Hello, Wisconsin — Wisconsin, Wisconsin! (Applause.)
And I got to thank somebody. Gaylord Nelson, I’m back. (Applause.) He first introduced me to Wisconsin a long time ago when I was a kid. I’m only 40 now, but I was a kid then.
Sabrina, thank you for the introduction — for the introduction and for the — volunteering for our campaign.
And a special thanks to one of the best governors that I’ve ever worked with in my life, Tony Evers. (Applause.)
We got a former governor, Jim Doyle, (inaudible). (Applause.) Madison — Rhodes — (applause) — the mayor — the mayor of this city.
Look, we got a guy who has a tough time winning elections. He only gets 70 percent of the vote. Congressman Mark Pocan. (Applause.) There he is.
There’s so many local leaders here today, including the chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, Ben Wikler. Ben, where are you? (Applause.) Hello, Ben.
Folks, did you have a good Fourth of July? (Applause.)
By the way, if you wondered whether Trump has it all together, did you ever hear how he explained the Fourth of July when he was president?
No, I’m serious. This is true. His explanation of how America won the Revolutionary War. I’m not making this up. He said in his Fourth of July speech five years ago — he said George Washington’s army won the Revolution by taking control the airports from the British. (Laughter.) (Makes the sign of the cross.) They talk about me misspeaking. (Laughter.) Airports and the British in 1776? (Laughter.)
(Laughs.) It’s true. He is a stable genius, this man. (Laughter.)
My friends, I’m in Wisconsin for one reason: because we’re going to win Wisconsin again. (Applause.) We’re going to win it.
And let me tell you how we’re going to do it. You know the reason. We’re going to do it because of you all in this room, to start with.
Well, we’re going to stand up for women in America. (Applause.) We’re going to restore Roe v. Wade to the law of the land. (Applause.)
We’re going to stand up for the right to vote again. (Applause.)
And we’re going to fight for Medicare and Social Security and childcare, eldercare, paid leave. All which grows economies.
We’re going to keep lowering the cost of prescription drugs and expand health care for everyone, not just — (applause) —
Look, we’re going to protect our children from — getting weapons of war off our streets. That’s what we’re going to do. (Applause.)
The idea that more children die from gunshot wounds in America is so wrong. It’s sick. It really is sick.
We’re going to keep confronting climate change. And more — — (applause) —
And most important, we’re going to save our democracy. (Applause.)
Now — now, you probably heard, we had a little debate last week. I can’t say it was my best performance.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: We love you, Joe!
THE PRESIDENT: But ever since then, there’s been a lot of speculation. “What’s Joe going to do? Is he going to stay in the race?”
AUDIENCE: Yeah! (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: “Is he going to drop out? What’s he going to do?”
Well, here’s my answer: I am running and going to win again. (Applause.)
Because — because —
AUDIENCE: Let’s go, Joe! Let’s go, Joe! Let’s go, Joe!
THE PRESIDENT: We’re going to go.
AUDIENCE: Let’s go, Joe! Let’s go, Joe! Let’s go, Joe!
THE PRESIDENT: Folks, I’m the sitting president of the United States of America in no small part because of you. Not — that’s not a joke. In 2020, you came through for me.
I’m the nominee of the Democratic Party. I’m the nominee of this party because millions of Democrats like you just voted for me in primaries all across America. (Applause.)
And you voted for me to be your nominee. No one else. You, the votes — the voters did that.
And despite — despite that some folks don’t seem to care who you voted for — well, guess what? They’re trying to push me out of the race.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: No!
THE PRESIDENT: Well, let me say this as clearly as I can: I’m staying in the race. (Applause.) I’ll beat Donald Trump. I will beat him again in 2020 [2024]. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Let’s go, Joe! Let’s go, Joe! Let’s go, Joe!
THE PRESIDENT: Well, by the way, we’re going to do it again in 2024.
I learned long ago: When you get knocked down, you get back up. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Get back up! Get back up! Get back up!
THE PRESIDENT: And I’m let- — I’m not letting one 90-minute debate wipe out three and a half years of work. (Applause.)
As the governor said, I’ve led this nation from the depths of pandem- — from the depths of a pandemic to the strongest economy in the world. And that’s literally true. (Applause.)
And I and you are not finished yet.
Now you probably also noticed a lot of discussion about my age. I know I look 40. (Laughter.) I keep seeing all those stories about I’m being too old.
Let me say something —
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Wisdom! Wisdom!
THE PRESIDENT: — I was too old — I wasn’t too old to —
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Experience!
THE PRESIDENT: I wasn’t too old to create over 15 million new jobs — (applause); to make sure 21 million Americans are insured under the Affordable Care Act — (applause); to beat Big Pharma — the first one ever to do that — and lower the cost of insulin to $35 for seniors. (Applause.)
Was I too old to relieve student debt for nearly 5 million Americans and grow the economy? (Applause.)
Too old to put the first Black woman on the Supreme Court of the United States of America? (Applause.)
To sign the Respect for Marriage Act? (Applause.)
Was I too old to sign the most significant gun safety law in 30 years? (Applause.)
To pass the biggest climate bill in the history of the world — not here, in the history of the world? (Applause.)
But then, my critics say, “Sure, but — you did all that. But that was in the past. What about now?”
Well, how about the 200,000 jobs we announced yesterday? (Applause.)
So, let me ask you: What do you think? Do you think I’m too over to restore Roe v. Wade to the law of the land?
AUDIENCE: No!
THE PRESIDENT: Do you think I’m too old to ban assault weapons again?
AUDIENCE: No!
THE PRESIDENT: To protect Social Security and Medicare?
AUDIENCE: No!
THE PRESIDENT: To get childcare, eldercare for working families who need it — nation?
AUDIENCE: No!
THE PRESIDENT: To make billionaires finally start to pay something beyond 8.2 percent of the tax rate?
AUDIENCE: No!
THE PRESIDENT: Let me ask you: Do you think I’m too old to beat Donald Trump?
AUDIENCE: No!
THE PRESIDENT: I can hardly wait. Anyway. (Laughter.)
Folks, let’s focus on what really matters. We’re running against the biggest liar and the biggest threat — no, really — the biggest liar and the biggest threat to our democracy in American history. That’s not hyperbole.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Preach, brother!
THE PRESIDENT: Over 150 presidential historians voted him the worst president in American history. No, the worst.
As I’ve said before, he has the morals of an alley cat. (Laughter and applause.)
He lies about the economy he created. The truth: He’s one of only two American presidents who left office with fewer jobs than when he came into office. You know who the other one was? Herbert Hoover.
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE PRESIDENT: Fact. That’s why I call him Donald “Herbert Hoover” Trump. (Laughter.)
He lies about the to- — pandemic he totally botched. The truth is over a million people went on to die. He told us what? To inject bleach in our arm. It wasn’t serious.
He lied about how great he was for veterans in his administration. The truth: He called veterans who gave their lives serving America — and I was just in Normandy, on the beaches of Normandy, and all through that area. And he said — I have trouble saying this because my son died as a consequence of Iraq. They gave their lives, and he called them, quote, “suckers” and “losers.”
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE PRESIDENT: By the way, I’ll be damned — I’m glad I wasn’t with him because I’ll be damned to let him talk about my son like that.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: That’s right!
THE PRESIDENT: But how do we know he said — how do we know he said this, that I’m not making this up? A four-star Marine general — his own former chief of staff — was with him, and he told us that’s what he said.
But he’s not the only former Trump — Trump official warning us about how bad Trump is, including the former secretaries of defense and even his own vice president. They refused to endorse him.
It says a lot about who Trump is and says a lot about what he isn’t.
By the way, I couldn’t ponder — I guess I shouldn’t say it — by the way, I couldn’t be prouder to have your support and the support of our great vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris. (Applause.)
Trump is a convicted felon found guilty — 34 felonies —
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Lock him up!
THE PRESIDENT: — trying to hide hush money payments to a porn star.
Another jury found Trump sexually assaulted a woman in a public place. And he’s been fined $90 million for defaming her — $90 million. (Inaudible) about 20 times, but I don’t know.
This so-called great businessman owes over $400 million in fines after being convicted in New York state of business fraud — already convicted. Fined $400 million.
Donald Trump isn’t just a convicted criminal. He’s a one-man crime wave. (Applause.)
But Trump’s biggest lie of all is that he had nothing to do with the insurrection of January 6th. We all saw it with our own eyes. We saw when he sent thousands to attack the Capitol. We saw police being attacked, the Capitol being ransacked, the mob hunting for Nancy Pelosi, gallows set up to hang Mike Pence.
Let me ask you something. After what Trump did on January 6th, why would anyone ever let him be near the Oval Office again? (Applause.)
Folks, the issue of this election is: What kind of America do we want to be? What kind of America do we want to be? Do we want to be a country of anger, refren- — revenge, and retribution or country of hope and optimism of possibilities as always we’ve always been? (Applause.)
I want a country where women have a right to make their own health care decisions. (Applause.) Trump wants an America where abortion is banned and women are punished.
I want an America where health care is a right, not a privilege. (Applause.) Trump wants to throw tens of millions of people who couldn’t get insurance any other way than Obamacare off of Obamacare.
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE PRESIDENT: I want an America where the very wealthy begin to pay their fair share. (Applause.) Trump wants to give the very wealthy undetiona- — last time out when he was president, he gave them a $2 trillion dollar tax cut, creating the largest deficit any president has in one term.
Now he’s announced he wants another $5 billion — trillion — trillion, not billion — $5 trillion tax cut after already leaving the largest deficit.
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE PRESIDENT: Just — I mean, it’s hard to make this up. I want to protect Social Security and Medicare. He wants to cut Social Security and Medicare so he can cut taxes for the very wealthy.
I want to ban assault weapons, require universal background checks. (Applause.) You all heard him promise the NRA — he promised the National Rifle Association, “I will do nothing about guns.” That’s what he said. “I will do nothing about guns.” And he means it.
I want January 6th insurrectionists to serve their full prison terms. (Applause.) Trump wants to pardon them. Folks, you can’t be pro-insurrectionist and pro-America at the same time. (Applause.)
This is so damn serious. You can’t love your country only when you win.
Look, you’ve been standing a long time. Let me close with this. Ultimy — ultimately, the American presidency is about character — the character of the president who holds the job. Because with the immunity he’s talking to — the Supreme Court just talked about, it gets down to that. It gets down to that.
It’s about honesty. It’s about the President’s decency, integrity. Do they respect people or do they incite violence and hate? Can they honor their oath to the Constitution and uphold their oath of office?
Well, I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to suggest Trump has failed on every one of these character tests — every one. And what’s worse, the Supreme Court has just ruled that there are virtually no limits on the power of the presidency. I know it sounds bizarre, but that’s what they ruled. A frightening decision.
According to an extreme majority of the Supreme Court, a president is now above the law. We just celebrated the Fourth of July saying we will not be ruled by a king. And this Supreme Court he appointed approved this new law.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Expand the Court!
THE PRESIDENT: It’s a dangerous precedent, especially if Donald Trump is returned to the presidency. Just think about it. The second term — this next term, whoever is the President is going to appoint at least two new appointees. A second Trump term, where there are no limits.
Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor warned us about that in her dissent in that case. Here’s what she said. She noted that based on the majority’s decision, Trump can take out his opponents — I mean physically take them out; take bribes; lead a coup; and be immune to ever being held accountable for it if he did it while he was president, according to the Supreme Court.
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE PRESIDENT: I mean, where the hell are we?
So, he really could become a dictator that he promised to be on day one.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Not on our watch.
THE PRESIDENT: For over two centuries, America has been a free, democratic nation. And I’ll be damned if in the year 2024, just two years before our 250th anniversary as a nation, I’ll let Donald Trump take this away. (Applause.)
Folks, this is not hyperbole. This race is about our freedom. It’s about our democracy. It’s about the very soul of America.
AUDIENCE: Yes!
THE PRESIDENT: Are we prepared to fight for that?
AUDIENCE: Yes!
THE PRESIDENT: I know I am, and I will. (Applause.)
And, folks, I have never been more optimistic about America’s future, because the American people are decent, good, honorable. We just have to remember who in God’s name we are.
We’re the United States of America. (Applause.) I mean it. Think about it. Think about it in literal terms. And there’s nothing, nothing beyond our capacity when we stand together.
So, let’s stand together, win this election, and exile Donald Trump politically. (Applause.)
God bless you, all. And may God protect our troops. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you. (Applause.)
I’m going to come to the overflow room. (Applause.)
(The President greets supporters. )
Thank you. I won’t forget this. God love you. (Applause.)
2:50 P.M. CDT
