Joe Biden Speech as Presidential Vote Count Continues Transcript November 4

Joe Biden: (03:04) Good afternoon, everyone. Kamala and I we're here to make a brief statement and I'm sure we'll have more to say later and either tonight or tomorrow, but let me begin by thanking the press for being here and thank you to everyone else. My fellow Americans, yesterday, once again proved that democracy is the heartbeat of this nation. [inaudible 00:03:32] has been the heartbeat of this nation for two centuries. And even in the face of pandemic, more Americans voted this election than ever before in American history. Over 150 million people cast their votes. I think that's just extraordinary. And if we had any doubts, we shouldn't have any longer, about a government of, by, and for the people. It's very much alive, very much alive in America. Here, the people rule. Power can't be taken or asserted. It flows from the people. And is their will that determines who will be the President of the United States and their will alone. Joe Biden: (04:22) And now after a long night of counting, it's clear that we're winning enough states to reach 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency. I'm not here to declare that we've won, but I am here to report when the count is finished, we believe we will be the winners. Of all the votes counted, we have won Wisconsin by 20,000 votes, virtually the same margin that President Trump won that state four years ago. In Michigan, we lead by over 35,000 votes and it's growing, a substantially bigger margin than President Trump won Michigan in 2016. Michigan will complete its vote soon, maybe as early as today. And I feel very good about Pennsylvania. Virtually all the remaining ballots to be counted are cast by mail. And we've been winning 78% of the votes by mail in Pennsylvania. We flipped Arizona and the second district of Nebraska. Of special significance to me is that we've won with the majority of the American people. Joe Biden: (05:45) And every indication is that that majority will grow. We have a popular vote lead of nearly 3 million votes and every indication is that will grow as well. Indeed, Senator Harris and I are on track to win more votes than any ticket in the history of this country that ever won the presidency and vice presidency. Over 70 million votes. I'm very proud of our campaign. Only three presidential campaigns in the past have defeated an incumbent president. When it's finished, God willing, we'll be the fourth. This is a major achievement. This is a major achievement. And it's been a long and difficult campaign, but it's been a more difficult time for our country, a hard time. We've had a hard campaigns before. We've faced hard times before. So once the selection is finalized and behind us, it'll be time for us to do what we've always done as Americans, to put the harsh rhetoric of the campaign behind us, to lower the temperature, to see each other again, to listen to one another, to hear each other again, and respect and care for one another, to unite, to heal, to come together as a nation. Joe Biden: (07:18) I know this won't be easy. I'm not naive. Neither of us are. I know how deep and hard the opposing views are in our country on so many things. But I also know this as well. To make progress, we have to stop treating our opponents as enemies. We are not enemies. What brings us together as Americans is so much stronger than anything that can tear us apart. So let me be clear. I, we, are campaigning as a Democrats, but I will govern as an American president. The presidency itself is not a partisan institution. It's the one office in this nation that represents everyone and it demands a duty of care for all Americans. That is precisely what I will do. I will work as hard for those who didn't vote for me as I will for those who did vote for me. Now, every vote must be counted. No one's going to take our democracy away from us, not now, not ever. America's come too far. America's fought too many battles. America's endured too much to ever let that happen. Joe Biden: (08:45) We the people will not be silenced. We the people will not be bullied. We the people will not surrender. My friends, I'm confident we'll emerge victorious. But this will not be my victory alone or our victory alone. It'll be a victory for the American people, for our democracy, for America. And there will be no blue states and red states when we win, just the United States of America, God bless you all and may God protect our troops. Thank you.