WATCH: Biden delivers remarks at campaign event in Valley Forge, Pa.

[Music] there's to throw away I came [Music] you of [Music] day and love Came [Music] here and [Music] never love [Music] [Applause] Came [Music] soty like sky without [Music] Sun lus blossom don't cry you and I were meant to be one and though we're aart it won't be for long I [Music] come to you in my song [Music] [Music] so please take your seats the program will begin [Music] shortly Str I live for the day my will end so I can touch you again and in my dreams [Music] you are always there with [Music] me [Music] just and I [Music] wait [Music] without cry [Music] and I [Music] come to [Music] [Music] [Music] you this [Music] [Music] Str [Music] for mind in a like never see the the it's too late to see [Music] [Music] be [Music] [Music] CH are is blade price [Music] for it's the rain from the children it's a nursery ride a nursy [Music] ride e [Music] yeah I like the kind of the ocean when a giant wave comes pounding down on you you think it's going to crush you but it breaks comes down and sends you crash into the sand that's it's when you get up and laugh that's the kind of laugh that makes you know you're [Music] alive [Music] [Music] he [Music] you know it's like caveman I I bet nobody ever had to REM them that they were alive every day they they killed food they starve they froze to death but I swear to God I'm sure they laugh a lot better than most people today [Music] do [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] he [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] w [Music] why you so long to come to me oh baby and love love your love tell me where you hiding from me all the time each time tried to find someone to take a place it was all in vain know that lips were never the same no baby when I was kissing someone deep I was missing [Music] you you made me fall in love with you I don't know just what I'm going to do I looked out into space and all I saw was your sweet [Music] face love love love you can't imagine what you do to me oh baby and love love every time you smile it goes through me all the time day by day I'm falling more in love with you and that's no lie my heart and honey I hope to [Music] die I'm not trying to Mis you believe me girl I need [Music] you [Music] you I looked into space all I saw you made me fall in love with you I down I saw [Music] oh [Music] [Music] [Music] please take your seats the program will begin shortly [Music] [Music] please welcome Dolphin County Commissioner Justin [Music] Douglas Freed been looking for freedom freedom is you you me good afternoon my name is Justin Douglas newly elected County Commissioner to Dolphin County [Applause] Pennsylvania I took my oath of office just a few days ago I observed the peaceful transfer of power even in an election where my victory came by the narrowest of margins of 184 votes today I am reminded of how I experienced the events of January 6th three years ago it was a day that fundamentally changed my perspective on our country as an American as a husband as a father and as a pastor on January 10th I told my church Community during my sermon that the violence that day does not represent the fellowship and faith that we seek to embody for the first time my wife and I discussed what we would do if our country became destabilized how would we protect our three children I've always been engaged politically as an advocate and activist for communities that are often overlooked and underserved yet this moment this Insurrection provided the need for deeper engagement earlier this year when run for something an organization that recruits and supports young candidates reached out and asked if I would consider running for office a big part of my decision was the reality that County Commissioners have a role in overseeing elections free fair and accessible elections are the Bedrock of our democracy Donald Trump represents a clear and present danger to that democracy his lies about the election encouraging his supporters to violently stop the peaceful transfer of power make him unfit to be president I'm proud to be here today supporting a president who has been strong and unequivocal in his defending American democracy a president whose leadership is exactly what we need in this moment it is my honor to Welcome to the stage the president of the United States Joe Biden and the first lady of the United States Dr Jill [Applause] Biden [Music] thank you thank you thank you thank [Applause] you thank you thank you please thank you please thank you very very much today uh the topic of my speech today is deadly serious and I think it needs to be made at the outset of this campaign in the winter of 1777 was harsh and cold as a continental army marched to Valley for General George Washington knew he faced the most daunting of tasks to fight and win a war against the most powerful Empire existed in the world at the time his mission was clear Liberty not Conquest Freedom not domination National Independence not individual Glory America made a vow never again would we bow down to a King months ahead would be incredibly difficult but General Washington knew something in his bones something about the spirit of the troops he was leading something something about the soul of the nation he was struggling to be born in his general order he predicted and I quote with one heart and one mind with four itude and with patience they would overcome every difficulty the troops he was leading and they did they did this Army that lacked blankets and food clothes and shoes this Army whose March left bloody bare footprints in the snow this rag tag Army made up of Ordinary People their mission George Washington declared was nothing less than a sacred cause that was the phrase he used a sac secret cause Freedom Liberty democracy American democracy I just visit the grounds of Aly Forge I've been there a number of times since the time I Was A Boy Scout years ago you know it's the very site that I think every American should visit because it tells a story of the pain and the suffering and the true patriotism it took to make America Today We Gather in a new year some 246 years later just one day before January 6 a date forever shared in our memory because it was on that day that we nearly lost America lost it all today we're here to answer the most important of questions is democracy still America's sacred cause I made it this is not rhetorical academic or hypothetical where the democracy is still America's sacred cause is the most urgent question of our time and that's what the 2024 election is all about choice is clear Donald Trump's campaign is about him not America not you Donald Trump's campaign is obsessed with the past not the future he's willing to sacrifice our democracy put himself in power our campaign is different for me and KLA our campaign is about America it's about you it's about every age and background that occupy this country it's about the future we're going to continue to build together and our campaign is about preserving and strengthening our American democracy three years ago tomorrow we saw with our own eyes the violent mob storm the United States capital was almost in disbelief as you first turned on the television for the first time in our history insurrectionist had come to stop the peaceful transfer transfer of power in America First Time smashing Windows shattering doors attacking the police outside Gallows were erected as a magga crowd chanted hang Mike Pence inside they hunted for speaker Pelosi the house was chanting as they marched through and smashed Windows where's Nancy over 140 police officers were injured Jill and I attended the funeral of police officers who died as a result of the events of that day because Donald because of Donald Trump's lies they died because these lies brought a mob to Washington he promised it would be wild and it was he told the crowd to fight like hell and all hell was Unleashed he promised he would write them write them everything they did he would be side by side with them then as usual he left the Dirty Work to others he retreated to the White House as America was attacked from within Donald Trump watched on TV in a private small din room off my oval off the Oval Office the entire nation watched in horror the whole world watched in disbelief and Trump did nothing members of his staff members of his family Republican leaders who were under attack or the at that very moment pled with him act call off the mob imagine had he gone out and said stop and still Trump did nothing was among the worst derelictions of Duty by a president in American history an attempt to overturn a free and fair election by force and violence a record 81 million people voted for my candidacy and to end his presidency Trump lost the popular vote by 7 million Trump's claims about the 2020 election never could stand up in court Trump lost 60 court cases 60 Trump lost the Republican control States Trump lost before Trump appointed judge and then judges and Trump lost before the United States Supreme Court all of them he lost Trump lost recount after recount after recount and state after state but in desperation and weakness Trump and his magga followers went after election official who who ensured your powers as a citizen would be heard these Public Service have their lives forever upended by attacks and death threats for simply doing their jobs in Atlanta Georgia a brave black mother and her daughter Ruby Freeman and sheay Moss were doing their jobs electing workers until Donald Trump and his magga followers targeted and threatened them forcing them from their homes unleash ing racist Victory all on them Trump's personal lawyer Ry Giuliani was just hit with $148 million judgment for cruelty and defamation that he inflicted against them other state and local elected officials across the country faced similar personal attacks in addition Fox News agreed to pay a record $787 million for the lies they told about fraud let let's be clear about the 2020 election Trump exhausted every legal Avenue available to him to overturn the election everyone but the legal path just took Trump back to the truth that i' had won the election and he was a loser well so knowing how his mind works now he had one he had one act left one desperate act available to him the violence of January the 6th since that day more than 1,200 people have been charged for their assult on the capital ital 900 of them have been convicted or pled guilty collectively to date they have been sentenced to more than 8 840 years in prison what's Trump done instead of calling them criminals he's called these ex these insurrectionist Patriots they're Patriots and he promised to Pardon them if he returns to office Trump said that there was a lot of love on January the 6th the rest of the nation including law enforcement saw a lot of hate and violence one Capital police officer called it a medieval battle that same officer called vile rap was called vile racist names he said he was more afraid in the capital of the United States of America in the chambers than when he was fighting as a soldier in the war in Iraq said he was more afraid inside the halls of Congress than fighting the war in Iraq and trying to rewrite the facts of January 6th Trump was trying to steal history the same way he tried to steal the election but he we knew the truth because we saw it with our own eyes this wasn't like something a story being told it was on television repeatedly we saw it with our own eyes Trump SM bom a peaceful protest was a violent assault they were insurrectionists not Patriots they weren't there to uphold the Constitution they were there to destroy the Constitution Trump won't do what an American president must do he refuses to denounce political violence so hear me clearly I'll say what Donald Trump W political violence is never ever acceptable in the United States political system never never never it has no place in a democracy none you can't be pro- insurrectionist and pro-american and know Trump and his magga supporters not only Embrace political violence but they laugh about it at his rally he jokes about an intruder whipped up by the big Trump lie taking a hammer to Paul Pelosi's skull and echoing the very same words used on January 6th where's Nancy and he thinks that's funny he laughed about it what a sick my God I think it's despicable seriously not just repressive for any person to say that but to say it to the whole world listening when I was overseas anyway oh Trump's assault in democracy isn't just part of his past it's what he's promising for the future he's being straightforward he's not hiding the ball his first rally for the 2024 campaign opened with a choir of January 6th insurrectionists singing from prison on a cell phone while images of the January 6th ride played on a big screen behind him at his rally can you believe that this is like something out of a fairy tale bad fairy tale Trump began his 2024 campaign by glorifying the failed violent insurrectionist Insurrection at our on our Capital the guy who claims Law and Order SWS lawlessness and disorder Trump's not concerned about your future I promise you Trump is now promising a fulls scale campaign of Revenge and retribution his words for some years to come they were his words not mine he went on to say he'd be a dictator on day one I mean if I write in a book of fiction I said an American president said that and not in just he called and I quote the termination quote this a quote the termination of all the rules regulations and articles even those found in the US Constitution should be terminated if Fitz's will it's really kind of hard to believe even found in the Constitution he could terminate he's threatened the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with the death penalty says he should be put to death because the chairman put his oath to the Constitution ahead of his personal loyalty to Trump this coming from a president who called when he visited cemeteries called dead soldiers suckers and losers remember that sometimes I'm really happy the Irish of me can't be seen it was right around the time I was at B grave Tommy how dare he who in God's name do he think he is with former age Trump plans to invoke the in insurrections act Insurrection act which will allow him to deploy which not allowed to do an nor circumstances allow him to deploy US military forces on the streets of America he said it he calls those who Oppo oppose him Vermin he talks about the blood of americaas being poisoned echoing the same exact language used the Nazi Germany he proudly posts on social media the words that best describe his 2024 campaign quote Revenge quote power and quote dictatorship there's no confusion about who Trump is what he intends to do I placed my hand in our family Bible and I swore an oath on the very same steps of the Capitol just 14 days after the attack back on January the 6th as I looked out over the capital city whose streets were lined with National Guard to prevent another attack I saw an American that had been pushed to the brink America that pushed to the brink but I felt enormous Pride not in winning I felt enormous pride in America because American democracy had been tested American democracy had held together when Trump had seen weakness in our democracy and continued to talk about it I saw strength your strength it's not hyperbole your strength your integrity American strength and integrity ordinary citizens State election officials the American Judicial System had put the Constitution first and sometimes at their Peril at their peril because of them because of you the will of the people Prevail not the anger of the mob or the appetites of one man when the attack on January 6th happened there was no doubt about the truth at the time even Republican members of Congress and Fox News commentators publicly and privately condemn the attack as one Republican Senators said Trump's Behavior was embarrassing and humiliating for the country but now that same Senator and those same people have changed their tune as time has G on gone on politics fear money all have intervened and now these magga voices who know the truth about Trump on January 6 have abandoned the truth and abandoned the Democracy they made the choice now the rest of us Democrats Independents mainstream Republicans we have to make our choice I know mine and I believe I know America's we'll defend the truth not giv into the big lie we'll embrace the Constitution and the Declaration not abandon it we honor the sacred cause of democracy not walk away from it today I make this sacred pledge to you the defense protection and preservation of American democracy will remain as it has been the central cause of my presidency America as we begin this election year we must be clear democracy is is on the ballot your freedom is on the ballot yes we'll be voting on many issues on the freedom to vote and have your vote counted on the freedom of choice the freedom to have a fair shot the Freedom From Fear and we'll debate and disagree without democracy no progress is possible think about about it the alternative democracy is dictatorship the rule of one not the rule of we the people that's what the soldiers of Valley Forge understood so was me what what we have to understand it as well we've been blessed so long with a strong Sable democracy it's easy to forget why so many before us RIS their lives and strengthened democracy what our Liv lives would be without it democracy means having the freedom to speak your mind to be who you are to be who you want to be democracy is about being able to bring about peaceful change democracy democracy is how we've opened the doors of opportunity wider and wider with each successive generation not with not withstanding our mistakes but if democracy Falls we'll lose that freedom we'll lose the power of We the People to shape our destiny if you doubt me look around the world travel with me as I meet with other heads of state throughout the world look at the authoritarian leaders and dictators Trump says he admires he out loud says he admires won't go through the mall would take too long look remember how he refers have refers to what he calls Love Letter Exchange changes between he and the dictator of North Korea those women and men out there in the audience who ever fought for the American Military would you ever believe you'd hear a president say something like that his admiration for Putin I could go on and look at what these autocrats are doing to limit freedom in their countries they're limiting freedom fre of speech freedom of press freedom to assemble women's rights lgbq rights people are going to jail so much more it's true the pushing pool of American History is not a fairy tale every stride forward in America is met with ferocious backlash many times from those who fear progress and those who exploit that fear for their own personal gain from those who traffic and lies told for power and profit for those who are driven by grievance and grift consumed by conspiracy and victimhood from those who seek to bury history and ban books do ever think you be in a political event talking about book Banning for presidential in the presidential election the choice in contest between those forces those competing forces between solidarity division is perennial but this time it's so different you can't have a contest you can't have a contest if you see Politics as an allout War instead of a peaceful way to resolve our differences allout war is what Trump wants that's why he doesn't understand the most fundamental truth about this country unlike other nations on Earth America is not built on ethnicity religion geography we're the only nation in the history of the world built on an idea not hyperbole built on an idea we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men and women are created equal it's an idea declared in the Declaration created in a way that we've viewed everybody as equal and be should be treated equal throughout their lives we've never fully lived up to that we have a long way to go but we've never walked away away from the idea we've never walked away from it before and I promise you I will not let Donald Trump and the mag Republicans Force us to walk away now we're living in an era where a determined minority is doing everything in his power to try to destroy our democracy for their own agenda the American people know it and they're standing bravely in the breach remember after 2020 January 6 Insurrection to undo the election in which more Americans had voted than any other in American history America saw the threat posed to the country they voted him out in 2022 historic midterm election in state after state election after election the election deniers were defeated now in 2024 Trump is wning as the denier and chief the election denier and chief once again he's saying he won't honor the results of the election if he loses Trump says he doesn't understand well he still doesn't understand the basic truth that is you can't love your country only when you win you can't love your country only when you I'll keep my commitment to be president for all of America whether you voted for me or not I've done it for the last three years and I'll continue to do it together we can keep proving that America is still a country that believes in decency dignity honesty honor truth we still believe that no one not even the president is above the law we still believe the vast majority of us still believe that everyone deserves a fair shot at making it we're still a nation that gives hate no Safe Harbor I tell you from my experience working with leaders around the world and I mean this sincerely not a joke that America is still viewed as the beacon of democracy for the world I can't tell you how many how many world leaders and I know all of them virtually all of them grab my arm and private and say you can't win tell me no my country will be at risk think of how many countries Tommy you know that are on the burn on the edge imagine we still believe in we the people that includes all of us not some of us let me close with this and now Cole winter of 1777 George Washington and his American troops of Valley Forge waged the battle on behalf of a revolutionary idea that everyday people like where I come from and the vast majority of you not a king or a dictator that everyday people can govern themselves without a king or a dictator in fact in the Rotunda of the capital there's a giant painting of General George Washington not president in Washington and he is resigning his commission as commanderin-chief the Continental Army a European king at this at the time said after he won the revolution now's the time for him to declare his kingship but instead the mob that attacked the capitol waving Trump flags and Confederate flags stormed right past that portrait the image of George Washington gave him no pause but it should have the artist who painted that portrait memorialized that moment because he said it was quote one of the highest moral lessons ever given to the world end of quote George Washington was the height of his power having just defeated the most powerful Empire on Earth could have held on the power as long as he wanted he could have made himself not a future president but a future Monarch in effect and by the way when he got elect a president he could have stayed for two three four five terms till he died but that wasn't the America he and the American troops of Valley Forge had fought for and America genuine leaders Democratic Leaders with a small D don't hold on to power relentlessly our leaders return power to the people and they do it willingly because that's the deal you do your duty you serve your country Nars is a country worther worthy of service as many Republican presidents and democratic presidents have shown over the years we're not perfect but at our best we face on WE face head on the good the bad the true truth of who we are we look in the mirror and ultimately never Pretend We're something we're not that's what great Nations do and we're a great nation we're the greatest nation on the face of the Earth we really are that's the America I see in our future we get up We Carry On we never bow we never Bend we speak of possibilities not Carnage we're not weighed down by grievances we don't Foster fear we don't walk around as victims we take charge of our destiny we get our job done with a PE help of the people we find in America who find their place in a changing world and dream and build a future that not only they but all people deserve a shot at we don't believe none of you believe America is failing we know America is winning that's American patriotism it's not winning because of Joe Biden it's winning this the first national election since January 6th Insurrection placed at a dagger at the throat of American democracy since that moment we all know who Donald Trump is the question we have to answer is who are we that's what's at stake who are we in the year ahead as you talk to your family and friends cast your ballots the power is in your hands after all we've been through in our history from Independence to Civil War to Two World Wars to a pandemic to Insurrection our refuse to believe that in 2024 we Americans will choose to walk away from what's made us the greatest nation in history of the world Freedom Liberty democracy is still a sacred cause and there's no country in the world better position to lead the world than America that's why I've said it many times that's why I've never been more optimistic about our future and I've been doing this a hell of a long time just to remember who we are with patience and fortitude with one heart we are the United States of America for God's sake I mean it there is nothing I believe every fire there is nothing beyond our capacity if we act together and decently with one another nothing nothing nothing I mean it we're the only nation World come out of every crisis stronger than we went into that crisis that was true yesterday and is true today and I guarantee you will be true tomorrow God bless you all and may God protect our [Applause] [Music] troops [Applause] [Music] I understand power thank you all so much thank thank you thank cuz you're Sky cuz you're sky full of stars [Music] cuz she light up [Music] the I don't care want to tear me aart I don't care if you do cuz in the sky cuz in the sky Stars I think so [Music] you [Music] cuz you're a sky cuz you're a sky for stars I Want To Die In Your Arms she get Li the more it get start I'm going to give you my heart I don't care go on [Music] meart that

Channel: Washington Post

Views: 80,796

Keywords: breaking news, breaking news video, campaign, democrats, january 6, live speeches, live updates, live video, pennsylvania, politics, president biden, press conference, real time coverage, valley forge, video updates

Id: TVe2VjI8c-I

Length: 61min 40sec (3700 seconds)

Published: Fri Jan 05 2024