Remarks by President Biden Welcoming Heads of State and Government for a Dinner as Part of the Ninth Summit of the Americas

Getty Villa
Los Angeles, California

7:54 P.M. PDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, folks, welcome.  Welcome, again, to dinner.  And Jill and I have been trying to keep from the press the fact that this is our private home.  (Laughter.)

I just learned an awful lot about — anyway, I’ll tell you about it later — from the —

But, welcome.  And, you know, I thought today was a good day.  And I used to always kid Barack — President Obama.  And I’d always say to him, “All politics is personal,” meaning that it makes a difference when you get to know someone.  Whether you agree or not, it makes a difference to look in their eyes and understand a little bit more what’s in their heart.

And I thought today was a very good day.  We disagreed on some things, but I found that on the central issues that we talked about, relating to everything from democracy to the notion — the specific notions of — from healthcare to the environment, all the things we talked about — there’s overwhelming agreement.

And — and I think that — that — I hope that getting to know one another better will make it easier to accomplish what we all want done.  Because, you know, it is all personal.  And all the people we represent, it matters to them deeply that we get it right.

And so, I’d like to welcome you all.  And enjoy the meal.  Thank you. 

And the press — (applause) — they tell me you’re welcome to go swimming in the pond if you’d like.  (Laughter.)

Thank you.

7:55 P.M. PDT