Editor's note: The text of the speech below is as prepared. His actual delivery may have varied.
Good evening. After the last two days, am I proud to be a Democrat! I’m especially proud of President
Biden, who came to office during the pandemic and an economic crash. He healed us and got us back
to work. He strengthened our alliances for freedom and security.
Perhaps the greatest test of anyone in power is whether they’re willing to relinquish it. George
Washington knew that and it enhanced his legacy. The same is now true for Joe Biden. Mr. President,
thank you for your courage, compassion, and class; for your service and your sacrifice. You have not
only kept the faith—you are spreading the faith.
Now, let’s cut to the chase: The stakes are too high and I’m too old to gild the lily. I actually turned 78
two days ago. And I’m still not quite as old as Donald Trump.
Last night we nominated Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to be the next president and vice president.
Two leaders with improbable, all-American life stories that could only happen here, with careers
starting in community courtrooms and classrooms. Two leaders who have spent a lifetime getting the
job done.
A presidential election is a job interview for the greatest job in the world. What questions will you
ask—because you’re doing the hiring. Will a president take us forward or backward? Will she give our
kids a brighter future? Will she make us more united or more divided? Will we all feel heard, seen, and
valued, regardless of who we voted for?
We, the people, are the employers, charged by our Constitution to hire a president to do a job that we
get to redefine every four years. In effect, the American people say, “Here are our problems; solve
them. Here are our opportunities; seize them. Here are our fears; ease them. Here are our dreams;
help us make them come true.” A president can answer that call by leading us to work together—or
dodging what needs to be done by dividing, distracting, and deceiving us.
U.S. & World
In 2024, we have a clear choice: “We the People” versus “me, myself, and I.” I know which one I like
better for our country. Kamala Harris will solve problems, seize opportunities, ease our fears, and
make sure that every American can chase their dreams.
When she was a student, she worked at McDonald’s. She greeted every person with that
thousand-watt smile and said, “How can I help you?” And now, at the pinnacle of power, she’s still
asking “How can I help you?” I’ll be so happy when she actually enters the White House because, at
last, she’ll break my record as the president who has spent the most time at McDonald’s.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump—a paragon of consistency—is still dividing, blaming, and belittling. He
creates and curates chaos. It’s showmanship, but it’s not leadership. Not a day goes by that I’m not
grateful for the chance the American people gave me to be one of the 45 people who have held the
job. Even on the bad days, you can still make something good happen.
Kamala Harris is the only candidate in this race with the vision, the experience, the temperament, the
will, and—yes—the sheer joy to do that on good and bad days. To be our voice.
Now, how does Donald Trump use his voice? Mostly to talk about himself—his vengeance, vendettas,
complaints, conspiracies. The next time you hear him, don’t count the lies—count the I’s. He’s like the
tenor warming up before the opera: me, me, me, me. Kamala Harris is focused on you.
Do you want to build a strong economy from the bottom up and the middle out? Or do you want to
spend the next four years talking about crowd sizes? Since the end of the Cold War in 1989, America
has created about 51 million new jobs—about 50 million under Democrats, 1 million under
Republicans. 50 to 1! Coach Walz will tell ya, if you’re up 50 to 1—you’re winning!
Do you want more affordable housing, affordable health care, and affordable child care? Do you want
more financing for small businesses? Do you want to strengthen our alliances and stand up for
freedom and democracy around the world? Or a tribute to the “late great” Hannibal Lecter? Do you
want to save our country and our world from the calamities of climate change? Or obsess on the vital
debate between getting eaten by sharks or electrocuted? President Obama once famously called me
the Explainer in Chief, but folks—but I can’t even.
I want an America that’s more joyful, inclusive, and future-focused. Where we weather the storms and
earn the benefits together. That’s the America Kamala Harris will lead. She’s already made her first
presidential decision, picking a running mate. And boy, did she knock it out of the park. She called Tim
Walz for duty one more time. He’s the real deal with a record—as a coach, as a teacher, as a soldier, as
a congressman, and as a great governor—to prove it. And he reminds us of home.
Kamala Harris has fought for kids that were left out and left behind. She’s taken on gangs trafficking
across the border, and fought to protect the rights of homeowners. She’s been our leader in the fight
for reproductive freedom, and advanced America’s interests and values all over the world. She’ll work
to make sure that no American working full-time has to live in poverty and that homeownership is an
achievable dream, not a privilege. She’ll protect your right to vote, including your right to vote for
someone else.
For 250 years, the forces of division have tried to halt the march of progress in this beautiful
experiment of ours. In the face of stiff, often violent opposition, we have kept hope alive and kept
marching forward together.
Kamala Harris’s story is the story of an America we all know is possible. Where “We the People”
continually strive to make our union more perfect. One where a daughter of the Bay and a son of the
Heartland can be the president and vice president.
We should not despair about America’s divisions, because we move from happiness to heartbreak,
from building and breaking to rebuilding and making. We do the best we can. Until, in God’s good
time, there comes a new generation to pick up where we left off. That’s the opportunity we’re given
now. To pick an extraordinary woman, clearly up to the job, who’ll bring us together and move us
forward.
So, talk to your neighbors. Meet people where they are. Don’t demean them. Ask them for their help.
And ask them, as Kamala still does, “How can I help you?” We’ve got a lot of hay in the barn—we just
need to saddle up and ride with strength through November. If America hires Kamala Harris and Tim
Walz, we will never regret it.
Take it from the Man from Hope, Kamala Harris is the woman from joy. And we will make a joyful
noise on Election Day if you do your part. Thank you. God bless you and God bless America.
