>> HELLO MY FELLOW AMERICANS.
AND THE PEOPLE THAT BROUGHT ME
TO DANCE, DELAWARIANS.
I SEE MY BUDDY, SENATOR TOM
CARPER, DOWN THERE AND I THINK
SENATOR COONS IS THERE AND I
THINK THE GOVERNOR IS AROUND.
IS THAT RUTH ANN?
AND FORMER GOVERNOR RUTH ANN
MINNER.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, MY
SISTERS-IN-LAW AND 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’VE WON WITH THE MOST VOTES EVER CAST FOR A PRESIDENTIAL
EVER CAST FOR A PRESIDENTIAL
TICKET IN THE HISTORY OF THE
NATION, 74 MILLION.
WHILE I MUST ADMIT IT SURPRISED
ME, TONIGHT WE’RE SEEING ALL
OVER THIS NATION, ALL CITIES AND
ALL PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, INDEED
ACROSS THE WORLD, AN OUTPOURING
OF JOY, OF HOPE, RENEWED FAITH,
AND TOMORROW WILL BRING A BETTER
DAY.
AND 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 DOESN’T SEE RED STATES AND
BLUE STATES, ONLY SEES THE
UNITED STATES.
I’LL WORK WITH ALL 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 ABOUT.
IT’S ABOUT PEOPLE, AND THAT’S
WHAT OUR ADMINISTRATION WILL BE
ALL ABOUT.
I SOUGHT THIS OFFICE TO RESTORE
THE SOUL OF AMERICA, TO REBUILD
THE BACKBONE OF THIS NATION, THE
MIDDLE CLASS, AND TO MAKE
AMERICA RESPECTED AROUND THE
WORLD AGAIN.
AND TO UNITE US HERE AT HOME.
IT’S THE HONOR OF MY LIFETIME
THAT SO MANY MILLIONS OF
AMERICANS HAVE VOTED FOR THAT
VISION.
AND NOW THE WORK OF MAKING THAT
VISION IS REAL.
IT’S 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,
AND MY SON HUNTER AND ASHLEY MY
DAUGHTER AND ALL OUR
GRANDCHILDREN AND THEIR SPOUSES
AND ALL OUR FAMILY.
THEY’RE MY HEART.
JILL’S A MOM, A MILITARY MOM, AN
EDUCATOR.
SHE HAS DEDICATED HER LIFE TO
EDUCATION, BUT TEACHING ISN’T
JUST WHAT SHE DOES, IT’S 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’M SO PROUD OF HER.
I’LL HAVE THE HONOR OF SERVING
WITH A FANTASTIC VICE PRESIDENT
YOU JUST HEARD FROM, KAMALA
HARRIS.
SHE’LL MAKE HISTORY AS THE FIRST
WOMAN, THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN,
THE FIRST WOMAN FROM SOUTH ASIAN
DESCENT, THE FIRST DAUGHTER OF
IMMIGRANTS, EVER ELECTED IN THIS
COUNTRY.
DON’T TELL ME IT’S NOT POSSIBLE
IN THE UNITED STATES.
IT’S LONG OVERDUE AND WE’RE
REMINDED TONIGHT OF THOSE WHO
FOUGHT SO HARD FOR SO MANY YEARS
TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
ONCE AGAIN, AMERICA HAS BENT THE
ARC OF THE MORAL UNIVERSE MORE
TOWARD JUSTICE.
KAMALA, DOUG, LIKE IT OR NOT,
YOU’RE FAMILY.
YOU’VE BECOME AN HONORARY BIDEN,
THERE’S NO WAY OUT.
FOR ALL THOSE OF YOU 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
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’M PROUD OF THE CAMPAIGN WE
BUILT AND RAN.
I’M PROUD OF THE COALITION WE
PUT TOGETHER.
THE BROADEST AND MOST DIVERSE
COALITION IN HISTORY, DEMOCRATS,
REPUBLICANS, INDEPENDENTS,
PROGRESSIVES, MODERATES,
CONSERVATIVES, YOUNG, OLD,
URBAN, 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’LL HAVE YOURS.
I SAID AT THE OUTSET, I WANTED
TO REPRESENT -- THIS CAMPAIGN TO
REPRESENT AND LOOK LIKE AMERICA.
WE’VE DONE THAT.
NOW I’LL WANTING THE THE ADMINIS
TO.
FOR ALL THOSE OF YOU WHO VOTED
FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP, I
UNDERSTAND THE DISAPPOINTMENT
TONIGHT.
I’VE 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
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’S THIS.
AMERICA HAS CALLED UPON US TO
MARSHAL THE FORCES OF DECENCY,
THE FORCES OF FAIRNESS, TO
MARSHAL THE FORCES OF SCIENCE
AND THE FORCES OF HOPE AND THE
GREAT BATTLES OF OUR TIME, THE
BATTLE OF CONTROL OF THE VIRUS,
THE BATTLE TO BUILD PROSPERITY,
THE BATTLE TO SECURE YOUR
FAMILY’S HEALTH CARE, THE BATTLE
TO ACHIEVE RACIAL JUSTICE AND
ROUT OUT SYSTEMIC RACISM IN THIS
COUNTRY, AND THE BATTLE TO SAVE
OUR PLANET BY GETTING CLIMATE
UNDER CONTROL.
THE BATTLE TO RESTORE DECENCY,
DEFEND DEMOCRACY AND GIVE
EVERYBODY IN THIS COUNTRY A FAIR
SHOT.
THAT’S ALL THEY’RE 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 GRANDCHILDREN, OUR
CHILDREN, BIRTHDAYS, WEDDINGS,
GRADUATIONS, ALL THE MOMENTS
THAT MATTER MOST 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 IT INTO AN ACTION
BLUEPRINT THAT WILL START ON
JANUARY THE 20th, 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 COMMITMENT TO TURN AROUND
THIS PANDEMIC.
FOLKS, I’M A PROUD DEMOCRAT.
BUT I WILL GOVERN AS AN AMERICAN
PRESIDENT.
I’LL WORK AS HARD FOR THOSE WHO
DIDN’T VOTE FOR ME AS THOSE WHO
DID.
LET THIS GRIM ERA OF DEMONIZATION IN AMERICA BEGIN TO
DEMONIZATION IN AMERICA BEGIN TO
END HERE AND NOW.
REFUSAL OF DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS TO COOPERATE WITH
ONE ANOTHER IS NOT SOME
MYSTERIOUS FORCE BEYOND OUR
CONTROL, IT’S A DECISION, A
CHOICE WE MAKE.
IF WE CAN DECIDE NOT TO
COOPERATE, THEN WE CAN DECIDE TO
COOPERATE.
AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS PART
OF THE MANDATE GIVEN TO US FROM
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
THEY WANT US TO COOPERATE IN
THEIR INTERESTS, AND THAT’S THE
CHOICE I’LL MAKE.
I’LL CALL ON CONGRESS,
DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS ALIKE, TO
MAKE THAT CHOICE WITH ME.
THE AMERICAN STORY IS ABOUT A
SLOW YET STEADILY WIDENING THE
OPPORTUNITIES IN AMERICA AND
MAKE NO MISTAKE, TOO MANY DREAMS
HAVE BEEN DEFERRED FOR TOO LONG.
WE MUST MAKE THE PROMISE OF THE
COUNTRY REAL FOR EVERYBODY, NO
MATTER THEIR RACE, THEIR
ETHNICITY, THEIR FAITH, THEIR
IDENTITY OR THEIR DISABILITY.
FOLKS, AMERICA HAS ALWAYS BEEN
SHAPED BY INFLECTION POINTS, BY
MOMENTS IN TIME WHERE WE MADE
HARD DECISIONS ABOUT WHO WE ARE
AND WHAT WE WANT TO BE. LINCOLN IN 1860 COMING TO SAVE
LINCOLN IN 1860 COMING TO SAVE
THE UNION, FDR IN 1932 PROMISING
A BELEAGUERED COUNTRY A NEW
DREEL,
DEAL, JFK PLEDGING A NEW
FRONTIER AND 12 YEARS AGO WHEN
BARACK OBAMA MADE HISTORY AND
TOLD US, 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’VE 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 AT OUR BEST,
AMERICA IS A BEACON FOR THE
GLOBE.
WE WILL NOT -- WE WILL LEAD NOT
ONLY BY THE EXAMPLE OF OUR POWER
BUT BY THE POWER OF OUR EXAMPLE.
I’VE ALWAYS BELIEVED, MANY HAVE
HEARD ME SAY, I’VE ALWAYS
BELIEVED WE CAN DEFINE AMERICA
IN ONE WORD.
POSSIBILITIES.
THAT IN AMERICA, EVERYONE SHOULD
BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO
AS FAR AS THEIR DREAMS AND
GOD-GIVEN ABILITY WILL TAKE
THEM.
I BELIEVE IN THE POSSIBILITIES
IN THIS COUNTRY.
WE’RE ALWAYS LOOKING AHEAD.
AHEAD TO AN AMERICA THAT’S FREER
AND MORE JUST, AHEAD TO AN
AMERICA THAT PAYS JOBS WITH
DIGNITY AND RESPECT, A HEAD OF
AMERICA THAT CURES DISEASES LIKE
CANCER AND ALZHEIMER’S, A HEAD
TO AN AMERICA THAT NEVER LEAVES
ANYONE BEHIND, AN AMERICA THAT
NEVER GIVES UP, NEVER GIVES IN.
THIS IS A GREAT NATION.
IT’S ALWAYS BEEN A BAD BET TO
BET AGAINST AMERICA.
WE’RE GOOD PEOPLE.
THIS IS THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA AND THERE’S NEVER BEEN
ANYTHING, NEVER BEEN ANYTHING
WE’VE BEEN NOT ABLE TO DO WHEN
WE’VE 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 MY
DECEASED SON, BEAU.
IT CAPTURES THE FAITH THAT
SUSTAINS ME WHICH I BELIEVE
SUSTAINS AMERICA AND I HOPE IT
CAN PROVIDE SOME COMFORT AND
SOLACE TO 230,000 AMERICANS WHO
HAVE LOST A LOVED ONE 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 ON
EAGLES’ WINGS, BEAR YOU ON THE
BREATH OF DAWN AND MAKE YOU TO
SIGN LIKE THE SUN AND HOLD YOU
IN THE PALM OF HIS HAND.
AND NOW TOGETHER ON EAGLES’
WINGS WE EMBARK ON THE WORK THAT
GOD AND HISTORY HAVE CALLED UPON
US TO DO WITH FULL HEARTS AND
STEADY HANDS, WITH FAITH IN
AMERICA AND IN EACH OTHER, WITH
LOVE OF COUNTRY, A THIRST 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, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
THERE’S NEVER, NEVER BEEN
ANYTHING WE’VE TRIED AND NOT
BEEN ABLE TO DO.
SO REMEMBER, AS MY GRANDPA SAID
WHEN I WALKED OUT OF HIS HOME
WHEN I WAS A KID UP IN SCRANTON,
HE SAID, JOEY, KEEP THE FAITH.
OUR GRANDMOTHER WHEN SHE WAS
ALIVE, SHE SAID NO, JOEY, SPREAD
IT.
SPREAD THE FAITH.
GOD LOVE YOU ALL.
MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA AND MAY GOD PROTECT OUR TROOPS.