8:03 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: My fellow Americans, please, if you have a seat, take it. I speak to you tonight from America’s hallowed ground: Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This is where America made its Declaration of Independence to the world more than two centuries ago with the idea, unique among nations, that in America, we are all created equal. This is where the United States Constitution was drafted and debated. This is where we launched the most extraordinary experiment in self-government the world has ever known with three simple words: “We, the People.” “We, the people.” These two documents and the ideas they embody—equality and democracy—are the bedrock on which this nation is built. They are how we became the greatest nation on Earth. That is why, for more than two centuries, America has been a beacon to the world. But as I stand here tonight, equality and democracy are under attack. We do ourselves no favors to pretend otherwise. So tonight I came to this place where everything began to speak as clearly as possible to the nation about the threats we face, about the power we have in our own hands to deal with those threats, and about the incredible future there. before us if we only choose it. We must never forget: We, the people, are the true heirs of the American experiment that began more than two centuries ago. We the people have burned within each of us the flame of freedom that was kindled here in Independence Hall, a flame that lit our way through abolition, the Civil War, suffrage, the Great Depression, world wars, civil rights. That sacred flame still burns now in our time as we build an America that is more prosperous, free, and just. This is the work of my presidency, a mission in which I believe the whole soul But first, we must be honest with each other and with ourselves. Much of what is happening in our country today is not normal. Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic. Now, I want to be very clear — (applause) — very clear up front: Not all Republicans, or even most Republicans, are MAGA Republicans. Not all Republicans accept his extreme ideology. I know this because I have been able to work with these top Republicans. But there is no doubt that the Republican Party today is dominated, driven, and intimidated by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans, and that is a threat to this country. It’s hard stuff. But I am an American president, not the president of red America or blue America, but of all America. And I think it’s my duty, my duty to stand up to you, to tell the truth no matter how hard it is, no matter how painful it is. And here, in my opinion, what is true: MAGA Republicans do not respect the Constitution. They don’t believe in the rule of law. They do not recognize the will of the people. They refuse to accept the results of a free election. And they are working right now, as I speak, state by state to give supporters and cronies the power to decide elections in the United States, empowering denialists to undermine democracy itself. The forces of MAGA are determined to take this country back, back to an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love. They promote authoritarian leaders and fan the flames of political violence that are a threat to our personal rights, to the pursuit of justice, to the rule of law, to the very soul of this country. They look at the mob that stormed the US Capitol on January 6 — brutally attacking the forces of and order—not as rebels who put a dagger in the throat of our democracy, but they look at them as patriots. And they see their MAGA failure to stop a peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 elections as preparation for the 2022 and 2024 elections. the lessons. They tried everything last time to nullify the votes of 81 million people. This time, they are determined to succeed in thwarting the will of the people. That’s why respected conservatives like Federal Circuit Court Judge Michael Luttig have called Trump and extreme MAGA Republicans, quote, a “clear and present danger” to our democracy. But while the threat to American democracy is real, I want to say as clearly as possible: We are not powerless in the face of these threats. We are not spectators to this continuous attack on democracy. There are many more Americans—far more Americans of all—of all backgrounds and beliefs who reject extreme MAGA ideology than there are who embrace it. (Applause.) And, folks, it’s in our power, it’s in our hands, yours and mine, to stop the assault on American democracy. I think America is at a tipping point, one of those moments that determine the shape of everything that comes after. And now America must choose: forward or backward? Building the future or obsessing over the past? To be a nation of hope, unity and optimism, or a nation of fear, division and darkness? MAGA Republicans have made their choice. They embrace anger. They grow with chaos. They do not live in the light of truth but in the shadow of a lie. But together, together, we can choose a different path. We can choose a better path. Forward, towards the future. A future of possibilities. A future to build and dream and hope for. And we are on this path, moving forward. I know this nation. I know you, the American people. I know your courage. cone ec your hearts And I know our history. This is a nation that respects our Constitution. We do not reject it. (Applause.) This is a nation that believes in the rule of law. We do not repudiate it. (Applause.) This is a nation that respects free and fair elections. We honor the will of the people. We do not deny it. (Applause.) And this is a nation that rejects violence as a political tool. We do not encourage violence. We are still an America that believes in honesty and decency and respect for others, patriotism, freedom, justice for all, hope, possibility. We are still, at our core, a democracy. (Applause.)
And yet history tells us that blind loyalty to a single leader and willingness to engage in political violence are fatal to democracy. For a long time we have told ourselves that American democracy is guaranteed, but it is not. We must defend it, protect it, defend it, each and every one of us.
That is why tonight I am asking our nation to unite, to unite behind the single purpose of defending our democracy regardless of your ideology. (Applause.)
We are all called, by duty and conscience, to confront the extremists who will put their own quest for power above all else. Democrats, independents, mainstream Republicans – we must be stronger, more determined, and more committed to saving American democracy than MAGA Republicans are to destroying American democracy. We, the people, will not let anyone or anything destroy us. Today, there are dangers all around us that we cannot allow to prevail. We hear more and more—you’ve heard it—about violence as an acceptable political tool in this country. it is not It can never be an acceptable tool. So I want to say this plain and simple: there is no place for political violence in America. period none Always. (Applause.)
We saw law enforcement brutally attack on January 6. We have seen election officials, election workers, many of them volunteers from both parties, subjected to intimidation and death threats. And, can you believe it? — FBI agents are only doing their jobs as instructed, facing threats from their fellow citizens to their own lives. In addition, there are public figures—today, yesterday, and the day before—who predict and almost call for mass violence and riots in the streets.
This is inflammatory. It is dangerous. It goes against the rule of law. And we, the people, must say: It’s not us. (Applause.) Ladies and gentlemen, we cannot be pro-ex– pro-ex– pro-insurgency and pro-American. They are incompatible. (Applause.)
We cannot allow violence to become normalized in this country. it’s wrong We must all reject political violence with all the moral clarity and conviction this nation can muster. now We cannot allow the integrity of our elections to be undermined, because that is a path to chaos. Look, I know politics can be vicious, mean, and nasty in America. I understand. I believe in the give and take of politics, in disagreement and debate and dissent. We are a big and complicated country. But democracy only lasts if we, the people, respect the rails of the republic. Only if we, the people, accept the results of free and fair elections. (Applause.) Only if we, the people, see politics not as all-out war but as a mediation of our differences. Democracy cannot survive when one side believes there are only two outcomes in an election: either they win or they have been cheated. And this is where the MAGA Republicans are today. (Applause.) They don’t understand what every patriotic American knows: You can’t love your country only when you win. (Applause.) It is critical. American democracy only works if we choose to respect the rule of law and the institutions that were created in this chamber behind me, only if we respect our legitimate political differences. I will not stand by and watch, I will not, the will of the American people be overridden by wild conspiracy theories and claims of unfounded and unsubstantiated fraud. I will not stand by and watch the elections in this country be stolen by people who simply refuse to accept that they have lost. (Applause.) I’m not going to stand by and watch the most fundamental freedom in this country — the freedom to vote and have your vote count — be taken away from you and the American people. (Applause.) Look, as president, I will defend our democracy with every fiber of my being, and I ask all Americans to join me. (Applause.) (A protester disruption can be serious rd.) Throughout our history, America has often made the best progress in the wake of some of our darkest moments, as you hear on this megaphone. I think we can and should do it again, and we are. MAGA Republicans look at America and see carnage, darkness and despair. They spread fear and lies – lies told for profit and power. But I see a very different America: an America with an unlimited future, an America that is about to take off. I hope you see it too. Just look around you. I believed we could pull America out of the depths of COVID, so we passed the biggest economic recovery package since Franklin Delano Roosevelt. And today, America’s economy is faster, stronger than any other advanced nation in the world. (Applause.) We have more to do. I believed we could build a better America, so we passed the largest infrastructure investment since President Dwight D. Eisenhower. And now we’ve embarked on a decade of rebuilding the nation’s roads, bridges, highways, ports, water systems, high-speed Internet, and railroads. (Applause.) I believed we could make America safer, so we passed the most important gun safety legislation since President Clinton. (Applause.) I believed we could go from being the highest cost of prescriptions in the world to making prescription drugs and health care more affordable, so we passed the most important health care reforms since President Obama he signed the Affordable Health Care Act. (Applause.) And I believed that we could create—we could create an energy future clean and save the planet, so we passed the biggest climate initiative ever, ever, ever. (Applause.) Cynics and critics tell us that nothing can be done, but they are wrong. There is not one thing that America cannot do, not one thing that is beyond our ability if we do it together. It’s never easy. But we are proving that in America, no matter how long the road, progress is coming. (Applause.) Look, I know last year, it’s been a rough few years. But today, COVID no longer controls our lives. More Americans than ever work there. Companies are growing. Our schools are open. Millions of Americans have been lifted out of poverty. Millions of veterans who were once exposed to toxic burn pits will now get what they deserve for their families and compensation. (Applause.) American manufacturing has come alive throughout the Heartland, and the future will be made in America (applause), no matter what the white supremacists and extremists say. I made a bet on you, the American people, and that bet is paying off. Proving that out of the darkness—the darkness of Charlottesville, COVID, gun violence, insurgency—we can see the light. The light is now visible. (Applause.) Light that will guide us not just in words, but in actions—actions for you, for your children, for your grandchildren, for America. Even now, with all the challenges we face, I give you my word as Biden: I have never been more optimistic about the future of America. Not because of me, but because of who you are. We will end cancer as we know it. Mark my words. (Applause.) We will create millions of new jobs in a clean energy economy. Let’s think big. We will make the 21st century another American century because the world needs us. (Applause.) That’s where we need to focus our energy, not in the past, not in divisive culture wars, not in the politics of grievances, but in a future we can build together. MAGA Republicans believe that in order to succeed everyone else must fail. They believe in the United States, not as I believe in America. I believe America is big enough for all of us to succeed, and this is the nation we are building: a nation where no one is left behind. I ran for president because I believed we were in a battle for the soul of this nation. I still believe it’s true. I believe that the soul is the breath, the life and the essence of who we are. The soul is what makes us “us”. The soul of America is defined by the sacred proposition that all are created equal in the image of God. That everyone has the right to be treated with decency, dignity and respect. All of this deserves justice and a shot at lives of prosperity and consequence. And this democracy, democracy must be defended, because democracy makes all these things possible. (Applause.) People, and it’s up to us. Democracy begins and will be preserved in us, the peoples, the habits of the heart, in our character: optimism that is tested and endures, courage that collapses when we need it, empathy that feeds democracy, a willingness to see ourselves not as enemies but as enemies. as fellow Americans.
Look, our democracy is imperfect. It always has been. Despite the people you hear on the other side. They have a right to be outrageous. This is a democracy. But history and common sense – (applause) – good manners are nothing that has ever suffered. But history and common sense tell us that opportunity, liberty, and justice for all are most likely to be realized in a democracy. We have never fully realized the aspirations of our foundation, but each generation has opened those doors a little wider to include more people who have been excluded before. My fellow Americans, America is an idea, the most powerful idea in the history of the world. And it beats in the hearts of the people of this country. It beats in all our hearts. Unite America It is the American creed. The idea that America guarantees that everyone is treated with dignity. It doesn’t give hate a safe harbor. Instill in everyone the belief that no matter where you start in life, there is nothing you cannot achieve. This is who we are. This is what we stand for. This is what we believe. And that is precisely what we are doing: opening doors, creating new possibilities, focusing on the future. And we’re just getting started. (Applause.) Our task is to make our nation free and just, fair and strong, noble and whole. And this work is the work of democracy, the work of this generation. It is the work of our time, forever. We can’t afford to have that: leave anyone out. We need everyone to do their part. So speak. speak clearly to promise Vote, vote, vote. (Applause.)
And if we all do our duty, if we do our duty in 2022 and beyond, then the ages to come will say that we, all of us here, have kept the faith. We have preserved democracy. (Applause.) We heeded our work, we, we heeded not our worst instincts, but our better angels. And we showed that, despite all its imperfections, America remains the beacon of the world, an ideal to be realized, a promise to be kept. There is nothing more important, nothing more sacred, nothing more American. This is our soul. This is who we really are. And that’s who we should be, always should be. And I have no doubt that this is what we will be and that we will come together as a nation. That we secure our democracy. That for the next 200 years, we will have what we had the last 200 years: the greatest nation on the face of the Earth. We just have to remember who we are. We are the United States of America. United States. (Applause.) And may God protect our nation. And may God protect all those who watch over our democracy. May God bless you. (Applause.) Democracy. Thanks. (Applause.)
