Remarks by President Biden, Sen. John Fetterman, Rep. Madeleine Dean, and Noëlle Daniels at a Campaign Event | Philadelphia, PA

Roxborough Field Office
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

1:30 P.M. EDT

MS. DANIELS: All right. Hello, everybody. (Applause.) Thank you so much for coming today. My name is Noëlle, and I’m the organizing manager. I know we told you that this was a very exciting canvas launch. So, thank you so much for coming.

I am really, really excited to be here supporting President Joe Biden and Democrats up and down the ballot. (Applause.)

Ten — ten years ago, I walked into my very first field office, and I was way too nervous to knock on doors. I begged the field organizers to do anything else. I asked if I could clean. I’ve never asked to clean in my life. (Laughter.) But they told me that knocking on doors was the way that we would win that election.

And when I finally went out, knocked on doors, and talked to voters about what mattered most to them — health care and choice in the economy — it was so clear that I was making a difference. So, I decided that that was what I was going to do for the rest of my life. (Applause.)

And I’ve had the opportunity now to work on campaigns across the country, but Pennsylvania is my home. And this, by far, is the most important election that I have ever worked in the most important state that there is. (Applause.)

So, we brought you here today to give you a big, huge thank you for being some of the best volunteers that I’ve ever worked with. We know that this team of organizers and this team of volunteers has been working so hard and bringing so much energy to this campaign since we’ve kicked off. And we do need you to continue to do that for the next 121 days. (Applause.)

So, I wanted to make sure to thank you because this program and this campaign could not be successful without you. But we also brought a very, very special guest — (applause) — who also wants to say thank you, guys, for continuing to do this work.

So, without further ado, I wanted to introduce President Joe Biden. (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: Hello, hello, hello, hello, hello. (Applause.) I came to say thank you. I think we have 38 headquarters in this state. It’s everybody’s state. It’s also my home state. (Applause.) I’m from Scranton. (Laughs.)

When coal died, we moved with my dad — when my dad had moved from Claymont, Delaware — from southern Delaware — northern Delaware to — to Scranton, and we came back home.

But look, even when I was running for Senate and each time I ran, quite frankly — not a joke — Philadelphia, in particular, got me across the line. (Applause.) No, I’m not joking. Orga- — well, or- — no, I mean it — I mean it, seriously, organation- — organizationally and in terms of fundraising, the whole deal.

But look, here’s the deal. This election is going to be about blocking, tackling — simple, basic politics. Simple. It’s going to be a matter of how many signs we get out, how many doors we knock on, how many calls we make, and how many requests we answer.

Because, look, the reason I got into this is the same reason you did. You know, they used to have a philosophy in our government for the longest time, and it — including with some Democrats, of trickle-down economics. If the very wealthy did really well, everybody else would do well and it would trickle down.

Well, my dad was a hardworking guy. My dad was a fine man. Not a whole — whole lot ever trickled down to his kitchen table. So, when I got elected — I mean it sincerely from the bottom of my heart — I decided — and I tried this when I was a senator, kept pushing it as well, but now it’s policy — we’re going to build this economy from the middle out and the bottom up, because if the middle class does well and ordinary people have a shot, everything works. We have the strongest economy in the world. We got more we have to do though.

We have to let people know, first and foremost, we really care about them. I mean, that’s — that’s basic stuff. That’s basic stuff.

We’ve been drawing crowds that have been really big crowds ever since the debate. Not joking. Even that night at the debate, we had great crowds afterwards. And so, things are moving. They’re moving hard.

And look, the other thing is that people want to know you care. They want to know we care. There’s nothing letting someone know you care like knocking on the door and saying, “My name is so-and-so. I’m here for Joe Biden. Is there anything — what — what do you need? What do you need?”

And so, there’s three things we’re working on — three things we’re working on to make sure ordinary people get a clear shot.

You know, since the election — I’m going to — I’m not going to make this a speech. I’m going to — I promised John. (Laughter.)

By the way, I got John Fetterman. I don’t need much else. (Applause.)

But — but all kidding aside, you know — what — there’s three things people — the economy nationwide is great. The economy internationally is great. We’re in the strongest economy in the world. We’re leading the world.

But ordinary folks, like where I come from in Claymont, Delaware, and Scranton in the thr- — the three-bedroom, split-level home I grew up in — we weren’t poor, but it was always a struggle.

My dad used to say, “A job is about a lot more than a paycheck, Joey. It’s about your dignity. It’s about respect. It’s about being able to look your kid in the eye and say, ‘It’s going to be okay.’” Everybody — everybody deserves a shot.

And, by the way, we’re making progress. Inflation is down. We’re moving. But here’s what ordinary people — and I’m curious what you’re hearing when you’re knocking those doors — they’re saying, “Look, grocery prices are too high. They used to — they’re — I just can’t afford it.” Well, there’s a lot of corporate greed going on.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: That’s right.

THE PRESIDENT: No, I’m — and, by the way, I come from the corporate state of the world: Delaware. Okay? More corporations incorporated in my state than every other state in the Union combined. Okay? So, I’m not anti-corporation. I’m just about fairness.

So, three things I’m going to do: I’m going to change the tax system. The wealthy are going to have to start paying their fair share. (Applause.)

You know, I did it — remember we had that whole thing about those 55 corporations that paid zero in taxes? Well, they saw they couldn’t do anything about it. Well, I did get something done about it. I — but I was only able to raise their tax to fif- — 15 percent. You’d all trade for that price — right? — 15 percent.

But we raised more money that paid for all the programs we have. We’ve actually cut the deficit. The things we’re doing, and he wants to take away, like health care and — and what we’re trying to do in terms of — what we are doing in terms of taking on Big Pharma.

Big Pharma is in position where they’re charging exorbitant prices. If you know anybody that has diabetes, ask them what it’s like now paying 35 instead of 400 bucks a month. (Applause.)

The bottom line is there’s nothing we can’t do if we focus on who the hell we are. We’re the United States of America. I really mean this. Work together, there’s not a damn thing we can’t do.

We’ve got a hell of a team running this time out. I just spoke to Dwight. He’s going to be running statewide again. (Applause.)

And Pennsylvania is a critically important state — critically important state. And so, I’m counting on you. I’m heading from here to Harrisburg.

By the way, no one has ever had as much organized labor support as I have. I’m going — (applause) — and they’re full-bore in: operating engineers — no, I’m serious.

I’m the most pro-union senator [president] in the history of the United States of America. I make no damn apologies for it — (applause) — because when they do well, everybody does well.

But anyway, look, I just want to say thank you, thank you, thank you. It’s all about touching people. It’s all about talking, all about finding what’s on their minds. That’s the thing I miss most.

I love the Secret Service, by the way. (Laughter.) They’re great. (Applause.) No, no, no, no. No, they really are. But I’m not able to do what I used to do. I’d be riding down the street in this — in the — in the vehicle before and see a bunch of kids in the schoolyard waving, I’d stop and get out. Realistically, I can’t do that anymore. It’s — it’s just too dangerous what’s going on out there.

But the point is, we — I — I just — the thing I miss most is just looking people in the eye. If you want to know what someone is thinking, you say, “My name is Joe Biden. What’s on your mind, Nicole?” (Applause.) And, by the way — and, by the way, you can tell by looking in their eyes.

So, folks, let them know we care. You — you have all the details, all the — and, by the way —

AUDIENCE MEMBER: We need Dark Brandon back. (Laughter.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER: He’s got his glasses.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Oh, the glasses!

THE PRESIDENT: I got my glasses and — well, I tell you what: Dark Brandon is coming back. He’s here. (Applause.)

And guess what? The next 120-something days or so, they’re going to get a real good look at who Donald Trump is. (Applause.)

Anyway, thank you, thank you, thank — maybe I can just talk to you. (Applause.) Thank you.

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: By the way, folks, if you’re in a — if you’re ever in a foxhole, the guy you want next to you is this guy here, John.

SENATOR FETTERMAN: There is only one person in this room that kicked Trump’s ass in an election. (Applause.)

There is only one person in this state that has kicked Trump’s ass in an election. (Applause.)

There is only one person in the country that’s ever kicked Trump’s ass in an election, and that is your president. (Applause.) That’s our president. That’s your president. That’s my president. (Applause.)

Four years ago — four years ago, we were hoarding toilet paper. We would all be doing this in Zoom right now. You know? Or if it wasn’t for Joe Biden, Trump would be at the White House, and he’d be campaigning for his third term.

You know, think about th- —

AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible) already installed himself there.

SENATOR FETTERMAN: Yeah. It’s just like, Joe Biden has held every line that he needed to do, and he has. (Applause.)

I — I am — I — you know, I know what it’s like to have a rough debate, and I’m standing right here, you know, as your senator. (Applause.)

An amazing president — and I want to just say how I’m so proud I am to stand with the president, and I know all of you is in again. And we already knew this was going to be close. We knew is going to be close in 2016, going to be close in 2020. 2024, nothing has changed other than it’s going to be close.

And again, I want to remind everybody: There is only one guy that has ever beaten Trump, and he’s going to do it twice and put him down for go. (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: And, by the way, she may not be as tall. (Laughter.) She — she may not be as powerful looking. But she’s Irish, and so am I. (Laughter.) And she’s tough. Madeleine Dean.

REPRESENTATIVE DEAN: Oh, I am delighted to be here with the president of the United States, Pennsylvania’s own Joseph R. Biden. (Applause.)

I can’t — I can’t top what our beautiful introduction said, Noëlle — is it Noëlle? Noëlle, I can’t top what you said. I really can’t top what he said. But what I can tell you is my own experience.

I have had the privilege of serving alongside this president for three and a half years. And before you became president, I had the turmoil of serving in Congress with the former guy.

We know the contrast. This is not a guessing game. We know there’s one man of character, integrity, and accomplishment. And we know there’s one man who was a crook, a criminal, corrosive to our democracy.

I was there on January 6th and had to be taken out of the Capitol in a gas mask to I don’t know where as American citizens, incited by a president, came and attacked the Capitol, using the American flag, beating police officers.

Democracy is on the line. There’s one man who understands it. It’s Joe Biden. (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: God love you. I just wanted to come out and say hi to all of you. Okay? Come on. (Applause.)

1:45 P.M. EDT