Pete Buttigieg 2020 DNC Speech Transcript

Pete Buttigieg: (00:00)
Good evening. Beau Biden lived a life of service, in office and in uniform. When you put your life on the line for this country, you do it, not because it’s the country you live in, but because it’s a country you believe in. I believe in this country because America uniquely holds the promise of a place where everyone can belong. We know that for too many and for too long, that promise has been denied. But we also know America is at its best. When we make that circle of belonging wider. Just over 10 years ago, I joined a military, where firing me because of who I am, wasn’t just possible, it was policy. Now in 2020, it is unlawful in America to fire someone because of who they are or who they love. The very ring on my finger, a wedding we celebrated here where I’m standing, reflects how this country can change.

Pete Buttigieg: (01:04)
Love makes my marriage real, but political courage made it possible. Including that of Joe Biden, who stepped out ahead, even of this party, when he said that marriage equality ought to be the law of the land. There was a long way to go. But if this much can change between 2010 and 2020, imagine what could change between now and 2030. Imagine what we could achieve. This coalition we are building, this very season, gathering progressives and moderates, independents, and even what I like to call future former Republicans, standing for an America where everyone belongs. Joe Biden is right. This is a contest for the soul of the nation. And to me, that contest is not between good Americans and evil Americans. It’s the struggle to call out what is good in every American. It’s up to us. Will America be a place where faith is about healing and not exclusion?

Pete Buttigieg: (02:12)
Can we become a country that lives up to the truth that Black lives matter? Will we handle questions of science and medicine by turning to scientists and doctors? Will we see to it that no one who works full time can live in poverty. I trust Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to guide us toward that better future, because I’ve seen up close, their empathy and their capacity, just as I’ve seen my fellow Americans’ capacity to support and include one another in new ways and do better by the promise of America. The day I was born, the idea of an out candidate seeking any federal office at all was laughable. Yet, earlier this year, I campaigned for the presidency, often with my husband, Chasten, at my side, winning delegates to this very convention. Now, I come to this convention proudly supporting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, joining fellow Democrats who were squaring off in competition just a few months ago. A number of us recently got together to talk about the Joe we know.