Remarks by President Biden to Democratic State Party Leaders
(Via Teleconference)
3:46 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: All right. Well, thank you very much, Jaime, for that introduction and for your leadership at the DNC.
Look, to all of you, thank you for leading our state parties. I’ve been all over the country as well. And I tell you what, your heart and soul have been put into this effort, and you can feel it. You can really feel it.
I — I just — I just feel optimistic. I don’t want to take too much of your time, but — we still got a lot of work to do to get out that vote. But no matter what happens tomorrow, I want to thank you and let you know how grateful I am to you.
You helped get me and Kamala elected in 2020, and you’re going to get a Dem- — we’re going to surprise the living devil out of people because of all the work you’ve done.
You’ve helped generate support for our agenda for the past 20 months and some of the most consequential things we’ve ever accomplished with the narrowest of margins. I used to — I’d kid with Kamala, every time she voted, we win. We have 50-50 in the Senate. So — and we won a lot.
We represent — you represent everything about our party and the reason why I got into politics in the first place: to get us through the pandemic; to take the powerful — take on the powerful special interests; and give working people and the middle class a chance.
We finally took on Big Pharma and beat them. I’ve been fighting for that for a long time. To protect climate with American jobs and ingenuity, and to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms.
Nobody, even — even our mainstream Republicans are no longer talking about “Is there a climate crisis?” They’ve seen what’s happened just in the last 6, 8, 10 months around the country.
And, look, you also work like the devil to protect the climate but, beyond that, American jobs and American ingenuity, protect the fundamental rights and freedoms we have as Americans, which are very much in jeopardy if these MAGA Republicans take over.
You’re bringing people into the political process, making sure that democracy delivers.
That’s what a Democrat is all about — not the power for power’s sake, but the power to do good for the country. That sounds self-serving about us, but it’s true. The power to do good for the country.
As I say, the super wealthy don’t need us, need — but the — but working folks need us, serious people who are wor- — doing God’s work out there and need us.
And what you’ve done with this midterm cycle, I think, is literally incredible — getting voters registered, getting the early vote out, getting them fully engaged, and it matters. It matters.
We’ve got one of the mo- — you know, one more night, one more night — probably another 30 hours nationwide — between now and where we are, you know, until the last vote is co- –cast. But, you know, one more night to do everything we can to win and to keep it going.
Look, if we’re able to hold on, we’re going to be in incredible shape. Imagine what we can do in the second term if we gain control — and we maintain control.
So, I know that sounds like a very high expectation. But I — I think — anyway — (laughs) — I’m optimistic. And I remind you — want to remind you to remind your teams: With so much at stake for our nation, don’t leave a thing that’s — put it all out there. Go full bore until the last poll closes. Make that extra call. Not a joke. Knock on that extra door.
Most of all, keep the faith. Remind the folks that the power is in their hands. This is not a referendum; this is a choice. And the more people we get out to vote, we win. We win.
So let’s go win. Let’s get everybody we possibly can to vote. Get them to the polls.
I want to thank you. And God bless you all for all you’ve done because it truly matters. And may God protect our troops. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
4:00 P.M. EST
