Every word Joe Biden said on stage today
The victorious Biden spoke in his acceptance speech and outlined his plans for the next four years. Read the full transcript here.
President-elect Joe Biden addressed the nation in a victory speech following the announcement this morning that he had won the election, after the Democrats gained the key state of Pennsylvania.
The victorious Biden spoke from Wilmington, Delaware Saturday at 8pm. ET and outlined his plans for the next four years.
The most prominent theme in Biden’s speech was his appeal for unity.
Here was the full transcription.
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“Hello! My fellow Americans!
“And the people who have brought me the dance, Delawareans! I see my buddy Senator Tom down there and I think Senator Kearns is there and I think the governor is around and is Busan? And former Governor Ruthann Miller! Most importantly my sisters-in-law, my sister Valerie. Anyway … Folks, the people of this nation have spoken. They have delivered us a clear victory. A convincing victory. A victory for we, the people, we have won with the most votes of accounts — ever cast in a presidential ticket in the history of the nation, 74 million!
“And what I must admit surprised me, we have seen all over this nation, all cities and all parts of the country and indeed across the world, an outpouring of joy, of hope, renewed faith in tomorrow. To bring a better day!
“I am humbled by the trust and confidence you have placed in me. I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide but unify. Who does not see red states and blue states, only sees the United States.
“And work with all of my heart, with the confidence of the whole people to win the confidence of all of you. And for that, is what America, I believe, is all about. It is about people and that‘s what our administration will be all about. I thought this office to restore the soul of America. To rebuild the back room of this nation, the middle class, and to make America respected around the world again.
“And now, the work of making that vision is real. It is a task, the task, of our time. Folks, as I said many times before, I‘m Jill’s husband. And I would not be here without her love and tireless support of Jill and my son Hunter and my daughter Ashley and all of their grandchildren and their spouses and all of our family. They are my heart. Jill is a mum, and military mum, an educator but she has dedicated her life to education but teaching isn’t just what she does, it is who she is. For American educators, this is a great day for you all. You’re going to have one of your own in the White House and Jill is going to make a great First Lady. I am so proud of her.
“And I will have the honour of serving with a fantastic Vice President you have just heard from Kamala Harris, who makes history as the first woman, the first Black woman, the first woman from South Asian descent, the first woman daughter of immigrants ever elected in this country. Don’t tell me it is not possible in the United States. It is long overdue.
“And we are reminded tonight of those who fought so hard for so many years to make this happen and once again, America has bent the arc of the universe more towards justice. Kamala, Doug, like it or not, you’re family. You’ve become an honorary Biden. There is way out. To all of those who volunteered and worked the polls in the middle of this pandemic, local elected officials, you deserve a special thanks from the entire nation.
“And to my campaign team and all of the volunteers and all who gave so much of themselves to make this moment possible. I owe you, I owe you, I owe you everything. And to all those who supported us, I am proud of the campaign we built and ran.
“I am proud of the Coalition we put together. The broadest and most diverse coalition in history. Democrats, Republicans, independents, progressives, moderates, conservatives, young, old, suburban, rural, gay, straight, transgender, white, Latino, Asian, Native American. I mean it. Especially those moments and especially those moments when this campaign was at its lowest ebb. The African-American community stood up again for me!
“They have always had my back and I will have yours. I said at the outset, I wanted to represent this campaign to represent and look like America. We have done that and now that is what the administration will look like an act like. For all of those who voted for President Trump, I understand the disappointments tonight. I have lost a couple of times myself but now, let’s give each other a chance.
“It‘s time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature, see each other again, listen to each other again and to make progress, we have to stop treating our opponents as our enemies. They are not our enemies, they are Americans. They are Americans. The Bible tells us to everything there is a season, a time to build, a time to reap and a time to sow, and a time to heal. This is the time to heal in America.
“Now this campaign is over, what is the will of the people? What is our mandate? I believe it is this. Americans have called upon us too much to the forces of decency, fairness, too much to the forces of science and the forces of hope in the great battles of our time. The battle to control the virus. The battle to build prosperity, the battle to secure your family’s healthcare. The battle to achieve racial justice and root out systemic racism in this country. And the battle to save our planet by getting the climate under control. The battle of restoring decency, defending democracy, and give everybody in this country a fair shot.
“That is all they are asking for, a fair shot. Folks, our work begins with getting COVID under control. We cannot repair the economy, restore our vitality, or relish life’s most precious moments, hugging our children, grandchildren, birthdays, weddings, graduations – all of the moments that matter most, close to us, until we get it under control. On Monday, I will name a group of leading scientists and experts as transition advisers to help take the Biden Harris COVID plan and convert an action blueprint that will start on January 20, 2021.
“That plan will be built on bedrock science. It will be constructed out of compassion, empathy and concern. I will spare no effort, none. Or any commitments to turn around this pandemic. Folks, I am a proud Democrat. But I will govern as an American president. I will work as hard for those who didn’t vote for me as those who did.
“The refusal of Democrats and Republicans to co-operate with one another is not some serious force beyond our control, it is a decision, a choice we make. And if we can decide not to co-operate, then we can decide to co-operate. And I believe, that this is part of the mandate given to us from the American people. They want us to co-operate in their interest and that is the choice I will make and I will call upon Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, to make that choice with me.
“The American story is about slowly yet steadily widening the opportunities in America and make no mistake, too many dreams have been deferred for too long. We must make the promises of this country real for everybody, no matter their race, their ethnicity, their disability. Folks, America has always been shaped by inflection points, by moments in time where we have made hard decisions about who we are and what we want to be. Lincoln, in 1860, coming to save the Union. FDR in 1932. JFK promising a new frontier. And Barack Obama 12 years ago when he promised, yes we can!
“Folks, we stand at an inflection point. We have an opportunity to defeat despair, to build a nation of prosperity and purpose. We can do it, I know we can. I have long talked about the battle for the soul of America. We must restore the soul of America. Our nation is shaped by the constant battle between our better angels and our darkest impulses. And what presidents say in this battle matters. It’s time for our better angels to prevail. Tonight, the whole world is watching America and I believe that at our best, America is a beacon for the globe. We will not leave, we will lead by the example not only of our power but by the power of our example.
“I know, I have always believed in many of you have heard me say it, I have always believed we could define America in a single word, possibilities. That in America, everybody should be given an opportunity to go as far as their dreams and God-given ability will take them.
“You see, I believe in the possibilities of this country. We are always looking ahead. Ahead to an America that is freer and more just, an America that creates with dignity and respect, an America that cures diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s, an America that never leaves anybody behind. An America that never gives up, never gives in. This is a great nation. It has always been a bad bet to bet against America. We are good people.
“This is the United States of America and there has never been anything, never been anything we have been not able to do when we have done it together. Folks, in the last days of the campaign, I began thinking about a hymn that means a lot to me and my family, particularly to my deceased son Beau. It captures the faith that sustains me which I believe sustains America.
“And I hope we can provide some comfort and solace to the 230,000 Americans who have lost a loved ones to this terrible virus this year. My heart goes out to each and every one of you. Hopefully this hymn gives you solace as well. It goes like this, ‘And he will raise you up in Eagle’s wings, bear you on the breath of dawn and make you like the sun and hold you in the palm of his hand’. And now together, on Eagle’s wings, we embark on the work that God has called upon us to do with full hearts and steady hands, with faith in America and each other, with love of country, a first for Justice, let us be the nation that we know we can be. A nation united, a nation strengthened, a nation healed.
“The United States of America, and ladies and gentlemen, there is never, never been anything we have tried not been able to do. So remember, as my grandpa told me as he walked out of his home and I was a kid in Scranton, he said Joey, keep the faith. My grandmother yelled, no Joey, spread it. Spread the faith! God love you while! May God bless America and may God protect our church! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
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