Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Political Event
Westover High School
Fayetteville, North Carolina
2:12 P.M. EDT
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Can we hear it for Kelly? (Applause.)
Good afternoon, North Carolina. (Applause.) Oh, it’s good to be back. It’s good to be back. And I want to thank Kelly for your work and for your family and all that you have given to our country in service.
And it is so good to be back with so many incredible leaders — (applause) — including my dear friend, Roy Cooper. (Applause.) You know, Roy and I served together when I was attorney general of California and he was attorney general of North Carolina. I’ve known him for almost two decades. And he is an extraordinary leader.
And I want to also thank the extraordinary leaders who are service members and their families who are here with us this afternoon. Thank you all. (Applause.)
You know, one of my greatest honors as vice president is to meet with our service members around the world. I have met with our service members from NATO’s eastern flank to the Korean DMZ, and from Arizona to Florida. And I will tell you what everybody here knows: All our service members possess an extraordinary skill, discipline, dedication, and love of country. (Applause.) And I know their families serve with equal dedication, and I thank you also. (Applause.)
And I say everywhere I go around the world: We are so proud that the United States military is the greatest fighting force the world has ever seen. (Applause.)
Which is why President Biden and I are proud to have passed the PACT Act — (applause) — the largest expansion of health care and benefits for veterans and military families and survivors — the largest benefit in decades. So, thank you, again, everyone here and, in particular, our military members and your families for the service and the dedication that you have shown.
So, today, we are 110 days out from the election. (Applause.) And while many of us have been involved with these elections for every four years, practically, nearly every time we will say, “This is the one.” Well, this here is the one — the most existential, consequential, and important election of our lifetime. And there is so much at stake.
Last night was the latest example. So, some of you may have heard Donald Trump’s running mate deliver remarks at the Republican National Convention.
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: He talked about his life story about growing up in southwest Ohio, and it was compelling. It’s a compelling story. And it was not the full story. (Laughter.)
Frankly, what is very telling is what he did not talk about on that stage. He did not talk about Project 2025 —
AUDIENCE: No.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — their 900-page blueprint for a second Trump term. He did not talk about it because their plans are extreme and they are divisive.
In recent days, they’ve been trying to portray themselves as the party of unity. But here’s the thing — here’s the thing. If you claim to stand for unity, you need to do more than just use the word. (Applause.) You cannot claim you stand for unity if you are pushing an agenda that deprives whole groups of Americans of basic freedoms, opportunity, and dignity. (Applause.)
You cannot claim you stand for unity if you are intent on taking reproductive freedoms from the people of America and the women of America — (applause) — trying to ban abortion nationwide, as they do, and restrict access to IVF and contraception, as their plan calls for.
You cannot claim to be for unity if you try to overturn a free and fair election — (applause) — and threaten — and threaten to terminate the United States Constitution. (Applause.)
And you cannot claim to be for unity when your entire economic agenda is designed to prioritize billionaires and big corporations over the middle class. (Applause.)
We’re too busy watching what you’re doing to hear what you’re saying.
And let us unpack that last point about the economy. This race can be boiled down to a single question: Who fights for you? Now we know whose side our president, Joe Biden, is on. (Applause.)
He grew up in a middle-class family in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and he has never forgotten where he came from. With — and I have been a firsthand witness. With every decision he makes in the Oval Office, he thinks about how it will impact working Americans. He understands. (Applause.) He understands everyday struggles because he has actually lived them.
So, friends, I say the contrast between Joe Biden and Donald Trump is like night and day. But with the selection of his running mate this week, Donald Trump is also trying to distract people. He wants to direct attention away from his record and his Project 2025 plan to suggest that he and his running mate are going to prioritize the middle class. But we are not buying it. (Applause.) We are not falling for the okeydoke.
As many of you know, I am a former prosecutor. So, I say let’s look at the facts, shall we? (Applause.) (Laughs.)
So, Donald Trump tries to claim he brought back American manufacturing. The fact is, under Donald Trump, America lost tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs, and more than 1,000 factories closed under his watch. The facts.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden and I have created nearly 800,000 new manufacturing jobs — (applause) — so much so, it’s been described as a “manufacturing boom.”
Last night, we heard claims that Donald Trump is for fighting for our seniors. Well, how the heck can you claim you fight for seniors when you intend to cut Social Security and Medicare — (applause) — which we all know is a lifeline for so many of our seniors?
Let me be very clear: President Joe Biden and I will always protect Social Security and we will always protect Medicare — (applause) — all while we continue to fight to lower the cost of s- — prescription drugs for our seniors. (Applause.) It is President Biden and I that took on Big Pharma and finally capped the cost of insulin for our seniors at $35 a month. (Applause.)
Who here has a family member with diabetes to know what that means? (Applause.) Right.
But Donald Trump and his running mate intend to get rid of our $35 cap on insulin. They will side with Big Pharma and let them make prescription drugs more expensive.
Not only that, on the issue of health care, they intend to get rid of the Affordable Care Act.
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Donald Trump and his allies tried more than 60 times to end the Affordable Care Act — 60 times — to give insurance companies back the power to deny people with preexisting conditions. You all remember what that was like?
AUDIENCE: Yeah!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Children with asthma, women who had survived breast cancer, grandparents with diabetes.
President Biden and I, on the other hand, have made the Affordable Care Act more strong — (applause) — because, you see, we believe health care should be a right and not just a privilege of those who can afford it. (Applause.)
Pull up the split screen. Whereas the last administration gave tax cuts to billionaires —
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — we gave tax cuts to families through the Child Tax Credit, which cut child poverty in America by half. (Applause.)
And please do note: Their Project 2025 agenda would even end Head Start —
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — to take away preschool from hundreds of thousands of our children.
On the issue of the cost of living, Donald Trump says he will implement a 10 percent tariff on all imported goods. Well, understand: Independent economists agree his tariffs would increase the cost of everyday expenses for families — the cost of gas, groceries, and clothing.
We, on the other hand, have taken on Big Pharma, the big banks, and big corporations to bring down costs. (Applause.)
It is we who have canceled debt, including student loan debt. In fact — (applause). Testify if you have received it. (Laughs.) (Applause.) Indeed.
In fact, so far, we have forgiven student loan debt for nearly 5 million Americans — (applause) — and twice as much for our public servants, including our teachers, our nurses, and our firefighters. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)
THE VICE PRESIDENT: You’re welcome. (Laughter.)
We are also fighting to lower energy costs. (Applause.) We made historic investments in clean energy. Today, America has record energy production and we are energy independent. (Applause.) But Trump wants to roll back our progress.
Check this out: In fundraisers with Big Oil lobbyists, he wanted to trade clean energy investments that we made for you for a $1 billion campaign contribution he could get for himself.
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Understand motivation.
So, North Carolina, I think it is clear: If Donald Tremp — Donald Trump were to win in November, he will continue to sell out working families, he will continue to attack reproductive freedom, and he will continue to undermine our democracy.
Ultimately, in this election, we each face a question. And this herein lies our power. The question we face is: What kind of country do we want to live in?
Do we want to live in a country of freedom —
AUDIENCE: Yes! (Applause.)
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — compassion —
AUDIENCE: Yes!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — and rule of law?
AUDIENCE: Yes!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Or a country of chaos —
AUDIENCE: No!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — fear —
AUDIENCE: No!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — and hate?
AUDIENCE: No!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: We each have the power to answer this question.
So, today, then, I ask, North Carolina: Are you ready to make your voices heard? (Applause.)
Do we believe in freedom? (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Yes!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Do we believe in opportunity?
AUDIENCE: Yes!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: DO we believe in the promise of America?
AUDIENCE: Yes!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: And are we ready to fight for it?
AUDIENCE: Yes!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: And when we fight —
AUDIENCE: We win!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — we win.
God bless you. And God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)
God bless you. (Applause.)
END 2:27 P.M. EDT
