Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Campaign Event | Atlanta, GA

Atlanta Civic Center
Atlanta, Georgia

1:41 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Georgia!  (Applause.)  Oh, it’s good to be back.

Can we hear for Justin?  (Applause.)

All right, Atlanta.  Are we ready to do this?  (Applause.)  Are we ready to vote?  (Applause.)  Are we ready to win?  (Applause.) 

Oh, it’s good to be back.  It’s good to be back and to be with so many leaders.  And I want to thank everyone here for, out of your busy lives, taking time to be here to have this conversation.  I thank you so very much.  (Applause.)  Everyone who is here, I thank you.

And I want to thank Senators Ossoff and Warnock.  (Applause.)  There’s Senator Warnock. 

Representatives Williams, McBath, Johnson — (applause) — they’re all here. 

Mayor Dickens.  (Applause.) 

Victoria Monét.  (Applause.)

Monica.  (Applause.)

Spike.  (Applause.)

And let’s give it up for Pastor Troy and 2 Chainz.  (Applause.)

All right, Georgia.  So, we have three days left — three days — in one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime, and we still have work to do.  We still have work to do. 

But here’s the thing.  We like hard work.  Hard work is good work.  Hard work is joyful work.  And make no mistake, we will win.  We will win.  (Applause.)

And we will win because when you know what you stand for, you know what to fight for.  (Applause.)

And, Georgia, we have an opportunity in this election to finally turn the page on a decade of Donald Trump, who spends full time trying to keep us divided and afraid of each other.  We’re done.  We’re done with that.  We are exhausted with that.  Enough of that.  (Applause.)  Enough.

AUDIENCE:  We’re not going back!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And we’re not going back.

AUDIENCE:  We’re not going back!  We’re not going back!  We’re not going back!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And we are not going back, and one of the reasons is because we do know the contrast.  And we know who he is, but, Atlanta, that’s not who we are.  That’s not who we are. 

And it is time for a new generation of leadership in America.  (Applause.)  And I am ready to offer that leadership as the next president of the United States of America.  (Applause.)

And, Georgia, you know me: I’m not afraid of tough fights, evidently.  (Laughs.)  For decades, I was a prosecutor.  I was the top law enforcement officer of the biggest state.  And I won fights against the big banks who ripped off homeowners, against for-profit colleges that scammed veterans and students, against predators who abused women and children, against cartels that trafficked in guns and drugs and human beings.  (Applause.)  I won those fights. 

And I pledge to you, if you give me the chance to fight on your behalf as president, there is nothing in the world that will stand in my way.  (Applause.)

And, look, we know who Donald Trump is.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And — and — because we know this is not someone who is thinking about how to make your life better.  This is someone who is increasingly unstable —

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — obsessed with revenge —

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — consumed with grievance —

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — and the man is out for unchecked power.

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And in less than 90 days, it’s either going To be him or me in the Oval Office.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Kamala!  Kamala!  Kamala!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And here’s the thing — so, help spread the word, because part of it is to help people imagine —  you can imagine in your mind that th- — the Oval Office, right? You can picture it.  We’ve seen it on TV.  So, just imagine, if he is elected, on day one, Donald Trump would walk in that Oval Office with his enemies list — stewing over an enemy’s list. 

When I am elected, I will walk in on your behalf with my to-do list — (applause) — my to-do list. 

And at the top of my list is bringing down the cost of living for you — (applause) — and that will be my focus every single day as president.

I will give a middle-class tax cut to over 100 million Americans.  (Applause.)  I will enact the first-ever federal ban on corporate price gouging on groceries.  (Applause.)

We need a medic over here, please.  We need a medic over here.  If everyone can just part a little bit so we can let somebody through.  Okay? 

Okay.  All right.  See, this is what we do.  We look out for each other, right?  (Applause.)  That’s how we roll.  That’s how we roll.  And that’s what leadership looks like: everybody here.  (Applause.)

And among the things also on my to-do list is to fight to make sure that hardworking Americans can actually afford a place to live.  Affordable housing: one of the highest priorities.  (Applause.)

My priorities include knowing that if you are caring for an elderly parent, we need to cover the cost of home care with Medicare — (applause) — which we will do, because I’ve been there.  I took care of my mother when she was sick.  I know what that is — what that work is.  It is about trying to cook something someone feels like eating.  It is about trying to help them put on their clothes.  It’s about trying to put a smile on their face or make them laugh from time to time. 

It’s hard work, and it’s work that is about dignity.  And it is not right that the current situation is such that you’d either have to spend down your savings to qualify for Medicaid or quit your job to be able to take care of a family member, especially if you are in the sandwich generation, which means taking care of your children while you’re taking care of your parent.  (Applause.)

A lot of what motivates me in my work is it’s about dignity — the dignity of all people, that all people deserve that dignity to be able to not just get by but get ahead — (applause) — which is why my plan will also lower the cost of childcare.  (Applause.)

We will cut taxes for small businesses.  (Applause.)  Do we have any small businesses in the house?  (Applause.)  Oh, I love our small businesses.  You all are the backbone of America’s economy. 

We will lower health care costs, because I believe health care should be a right and not just the privilege of those who can afford it.  (Applause.)

On the other hand, Donald Trump’s answer to the financial pressures you face are the same as they were the last time: another trillion dollars in tax cuts for billionaires and the biggest corporations.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And this time, he would pay for it with a 20 percent national sales tax on everything you buy that is imported. 

And it looks like we need a medic over there.  It’s hot out here, Atlanta. 

Let’s make sure we — again, everyone just try and part the way so someone can come through to help. 

All right, we’re good. 

So, talking about Trump’s plan — because, you know, economists have compared what he’s talking about to what I’m talking about, and they have indicated my plan will strengthen America’s economy.  His will weaken it, including the part about his “Trump sales tax” that would cost the average American family over 4,000 more dollars a year.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And on top of that, Donald Trump still is trying to get rid of — and still wants to get rid of the Affordable Care Act —

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — which would throw millions of Americans off health care and take us back to the time insurance companies could deny people with preexisting conditions.  You remember what that was?

Well, we are not —

AUDIENCE:  Going back!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — going back.  We are not going back.

And we are not going back because ours is a fight for the future.  (Applause.)  And ours is a fight for freedom — (applause) — like the fundamental freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body and not have her government tell her what to do.  (Applause.)

And we remember how we got here.  When he was president, Donald Trump hand-selected three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention they would undo the rights under Roe v. Wade, and they did as he intended.  And, Atlanta, now, in America, one in three women lives in a state with a Trump abortion ban, including Georgia and every state in the south except Virginia —

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — many with no exceptions for rape and incest, which is immoral.

And, look, Donald Trump is not done.  He will ban abortion nationwide.  He wants to restrict access to birth control, put IVF treatments at risk, and force — get this — force states to monitor women’s pregnancies. 

Just google Project 2025.  Look it up for yourself.

And let us agree, one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government shouldn’t tell her what to do — (applause) — not the government.  Not the government. 

And when Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedom nationwide, as president of the United States, I will proudly sign it into law.  (Applause.)  Proudly sign it into law.

So, Georgia, I am here to ask for your vote.  (Applause.)  I am here to ask for your vote.  And here — and here is my pledge to you.  As president, I pledge to seek common ground and commonsense solutions to the challenges you face.  I am not looking to score political points.  I am looking to make progress.  (Applause.)

I pledge to you to listen to those who will be impacted by the decisions I make.  I pledge to you to listen to experts and to listen to people who disagree with me, because unlike Donald Trump, I don’t believe that people who disagree with me are the enemy.  He wants to put them in jail.  I will give them a seat at the table.  (Applause.)  That’s what real leaders do.  (Applause.)  That’s what strong leaders do.  (Applause.)  

And I pledge to you to always put country above party and self, and I pledge to you to be a president for all Americans.  (Applause.) 

So, that is my pledge to you, Atlanta.  And let me ask, anybody here already voted?  (Applause.)  Oh, wow.  My — oh, my goodness.  Well, thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Thank you.  All right.

So — okay, but there’s more to do.  So, now, please just talk to your friends and your neighbors and your coworkers and your classmates and your family and share your perspective on why this election is so important.  Let them know why you decided to take this time out of your life, with your obligations, to be here together.  And encourage them, please, to make their voices heard. 

And for those who haven’t voted yet, let me just be clear, no judgment.  No judgment.  But you still have time.  (Laughs.)  So, please take a moment to think about right now what your plan will be for when and where you vote. 

Election Day is Tuesday, November 5th.  Polls are open here in Georgia from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.  Remember to bring your photo ID.  Go to IWillVote.com for all the information you need.  And, everyone, please help me spread the word on all of that — (applause) — because we need everyone in Georgia to vote.  You will make the difference in this election.  (Applause.)  You will make the difference. 

So, look, it all comes down to this.  We are all here together from all different kinds of walks of life.  We are all here together for one reason that we share in common — one of the most important reasons.  We are here because we love our country.  (Applause.)  We love our country.  And we know that when you love something, you fight for it.  (Applause.)

And I do believe it is one of the highest forms of patriotism, of our expression of our love for our country, to fight for the ideals of our country and to fight to realize the promise of America.  That’s what this is about. 

And I will tell you, I have always believed in our nation’s promise, because I have lived it.  I grew up as a child of the Civil Rights Movement.  My parents would take me to the marches when I was in a stroller.  And there were people there from — Atlanta knows the story.  There were people there from all walks of life, coming together to fight for freedom and for opportunity. 

You know, growing up, I saw how hard my mother worked to give her daughters the same chances our country gave her.  I was blessed growing up to have family by blood and to have family by love — (applause) — who instilled in me the values of community, of compassion, of faith. 

I’ve spent my life fighting for people who have been hurt and counted out but who never stop believing that in our country anything is possible.  (Applause.)

I have lived the promise of America.  And today, I see the promise of America in everyone who is here right now — (applause) — in all of you, in all of us.  We are the promise of America.  (Applause.)  We are the promise of America. 

It is in the fathers, in the mothers, in the grandparents who work hard every day for our children’s future.  It is the women who refuse to accept a future without reproductive freedom and the men who support them.  (Applause.)  In Republicans who never voted for a Democrat before but put the Constitution above party.  (Applause.)

I see the promise of America in all the young leaders who are voting for the very first time.  (Applause.)  Raise your hand.  Where are you?  I love Gen Z.  I love Gen Z.  (Applause.)  Oh.  Because, see, this generation, you are rightly impatient for change.  You are rightly impatient for change.  You are determined to live free from gun violence and tackle the climate crisis and shape the world you inherit. 

For this generation, none of these issues we’re talking about are theoretical or political.  It is a lived experience for you.  And I see your power, and I am so proud of you.

And to everyone, can we hear it for our first-time voters?  (Applause.)  That’s right.  That’s right.

So, Atlanta, we have three days to get this thing done — (applause) — and no one can sit on the sidelines.  Let’s spend the next three days knowing that when we look back on these three days, we will have no regrets about what we could have done.  So, let’s knock on doors.  Let’s text.  Let’s call voters.  Let’s reach out to family and friends and classmates and neighbors and coworkers and your play cousins.  Let’s reach out.  (Laughs.)

And as we do, let us please also be intentional in how we build community.  Let us be intentional in knowing that these last years of this Trump era, yes, they have been exhausting, but they have not been in the best interest of the strength of our nation.  This whole idea that we be pointing fingers at each other, the idea that we have nothing in common when we know the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us. 

So, let’s be intentional about building community and building coalitions.  There is power in that, and it will strengthen our country.  (Applause.)

And let’s remind everybody that your vote is your voice, and your voice is your power.  (Applause.)

So, Georgia, today, I ask you: Are you ready to make your voices heard?  (Applause.)

Do we believe in freedom?  (Applause.)

Do we believe in opportunity?  (Applause.)

Do we believe in the promise of America?  (Applause.) 

And are we ready to fight for it?  (Applause.)

And when we fight —

     AUDIENCE:  We win!

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — we win.

God bless you.  And God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)                                END                2:02 P.M. EDT