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CNN Live Event/Special
2020 Democratic National Convention Keynote Night Two; Sally Yates Backs Joe Biden For President; Jimmy Carter Supports Joe Biden For President. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired August 18, 2020 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[21:00:00]
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: And we've already seen. And remember, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, she was invited to nominate Bernie Sanders tonight. That's can't be forgotten. It's not going to be, her own stand-alone speech.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, THE SITUATION ROOM WITH WOLF BLITZER: All right, let's go to the Democratic Convention, day two.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
TEXT: D20 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I pledge allegiance to the flag.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To the flag.
PEOPLE SAYING THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One nation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One nation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One nation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One nation.
PEOPLE SAYING THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
(MUSIC)
TEXT: KEYNOTES REMEMBERED.
TEXT: 1968.
SEN. DANIEL INOUYE (D-HI): My fellow Americans, this is my country.
(CROWD APPLAUSE) INOUYE: Many of us have fought hard for the right to say that. Many are now struggling today from the Harlem to Danang so that they may say this with conviction. This is our country.
(CROWD APPLAUSE)
TEXT: 1976.
REP. BARBARA JORDAN (D-TX): We are a people in a quandary about the present. We are a people in search of our future.
TEXT: 1984.
GOV. MARIO CUOMO (D-NY): We must make the American people hear our "Tale of Two Cities." We must convince them that we don't have to settle for two cities, that we can have one city, indivisible, shining for all of its people.
(CROWD APPLAUSE)
TEXT: 1988.
STATE TREASURER ANN RICHARDS (TX): If you give us a chance, we can perform. After all, Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels.
(CROWD CHEERS)
TEXT: 2004.
STATE SENATOR BARACK OBAMA (IL): There is not a Liberal America and a Conservative America. There is the United States of America.
(CROWD CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America. There's the United States of America.
(CROWD CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
TEXT: 2012.
MAYOR JULIAN CASTRO, (D) SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS: The American Dream is not a sprint, or even a marathon, but a relay. Our families don't always cross the finish line in the span of one generation. But each generation passes, on to the next, the fruits of their labor.
OBAMA: We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.
(CROWD CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
TEXT: 2020.
TEXT: A DIFFERENT KIND OF KEYNOTE.
FLORIDA AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER NIKKI FRIED: Welcome.
PENNSYLVANIA STATE REPRESENTATIVE MALCOLM KENYATTA: Welcome.
GEORGIA STATE REPRESENTATIVE SAM PARK: Welcome.
TEXAS STATE REP. VICTORIA NEAVE: To the second night.
REP. BRENDAN BOYLE (D-PA): To the second night.
FRIED: Democratic National Convention.
PARK: Democratic National Convention.
KENYATTA: Democratic National Convention.
TENNESSEE STATE SEN. RAUMESH AKBARI: Democratic National Convention.
NEAVE: Democratic National Convention.
BOYLE: Democratic National Convention.
NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE REP. DENNY RUPRECHT: This is a different kind of Convention.
SOUTH CAROLINA STATE SEN. MARLON KIMPSON: Look at the camera and smile.
MICHIGAN STATE REP. MARI MANOOGIAN: And this.
REP. CONOR LAMB (D-PA): This is a different kind of keynote.
MANOOGIAN: Is a different kind of keynote.
NEVADA STATE SEN. YVANNA CANCELA: This year.
NEAVE: This year.
MAYOR RANDALL WOODFIN, (D) BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA: This year.
PARK: This year.
KEYNOTE PARTICIPANTS: All of us are on stage and we got lots to say.
JONATHAN NEZ, PRESIDENT, NAVAJO NATION: Let's get real. There's a lot riding on this election.
MAYOR ROBERT GARCIA, (D) LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA: When we're facing the biggest economic and health crisis in generations, because our President didn't and still doesn't have a plan.
KENYATTA: When doctors, nurses and home healthcare aides in Philadelphia have to risk their own lives to protect others because there's not enough protective equipment.
KATHLEEN CLYDE, CNTY. COMM., PORTAGE COUNTY, OH: When factory workers in Ohio are faced with dangerous conditions because this Administration hasn't given clear guidance on how to protect our people.
PARK: When teachers in Gwinnett County, Georgia, and across the country are being asked to return to the classroom without a plan to keep them safe and parents are exhausted juggling full-time work and full-time child care.
NEZ: And visiting our parents and grandparents through the window of a nursing home, worrying all the time that they'll get sick.
KIMPSON: When unemployment in North Charleston, South Carolina, a City I represent, has risen nearly four-fold, and evictions are putting families out on the street in the middle of a pandemic.
FRIED: Make no mistake it didn't have to be this bad. In the early days of the virus, Donald Trump didn't listen to the experts, and then he said something that a president should never say.
NEAVE: He said, "I don't take responsibility at all."
LAMB: No responsibility.
AKBARI: No leadership.
WOODFIN: No plan.
MANOOGIAN: He still doesn't have a plan.
CANCELA: Donald Trump just doesn't understand. We can't fix our economy until we get ahold of the virus.
LAMB: While working families are struggling, he's looking out for the people who are already doing just fine, the wealthy, the big corporations, the donors to his campaign.
NEZ: He's looking out for himself.
WOODFIN: But there's one person who's looking out for us.
[21:05:00]
REP. COLIN ALLRED (D-TX): All of us.
AKBARI: All of us.
CLYDE: All of us.
RUPRECHT: All of us.
KENYATTA: And that's Joe Biden.
FRIED: Joe called it, "We are in a battle for the soul of our nation."
MANOOGIAN: But Joe knows we can never let hard times turn us against each other.
LAMB: And we can never stop doing the hard work to make things right. TEXT: WHY WE RAN.
KEYNOTE PARTICIPANTS: That's why we ran for office.
AKBARI: Even when people counted us out.
MANOOGIAN: Even when people counted us out.
RUPRECHT: Even when people counted us out.
ALLRED: Even when people counted us out.
CANCELA: Even when there had never been a Latina in the NEVADA STATE SENATE.
FRIED: Or a Democrat elected as Florida Commissioner of Agriculture in nearly three decades.
PARK: Or an openly gay man in the Georgia State Legislature.
WOODFIN: When Birmingham hadn't had a Mayor this young in 120 years.
RUPRECHT: We ran for office because we know the struggles American families are facing because we've lived them.
KENYATTA: We've lived the insecurity and the indignity of an eviction notice.
R. GARCIA: I, like many of you, have lived the frustration of paying off student loans.
WOODFIN: We have lived the grief of losing loved ones to gun violence, and the criminal justice system that unfairly targets our communities.
PARK: We have lived that feeling of helplessness, when someone you love is very sick and access to healthcare is a matter of life and death.
ALLRED: By the way, Joe Biden has lived a lot of this too.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was raised in a middle-class family in Scranton, Pennsylvania and Claymont, Delaware.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He watched his dad look for work and learned that a job is about so much more than a paycheck. It's about dignity and respect.
ALLRED: He was sworn into office from the hospital room of his two young sons, after a car crash killed his wife and infant daughter.
FRIED: He knows what it's like to thank God you have healthcare.
BOYLE: He knows what it's like to work hard for everything you've got.
LAMB: He knows what it's like to send a child off to war.
NEAVE: And he'll never forget who he's fighting for.
ALLRED: I look around my district, in North Texas, and I see the people who built this country, the educators, like the single mom who raised me, the men and women on their frontlines of our healthcare system, you built this country.
MANOOGIAN: Small business owners like the ones whose shops and restaurants line the streets of Birmingham, Michigan.
KIMPSON: Charleston, South Carolina.
NEZ: Of tribal nations.
KENYATTA: Line the streets of Philadelphia, and bring our communities to life, you built this country.
AKBARI: The nurses in Memphis, who came out of retirement to treat patients during this pandemic, you built this country.
R. GARCIA: And you know what? You deserve more than the constant chaos that Donald Trump delivers.
BOYLE: You deserve healthcare you can afford, a job that pays you fairly. You deserve child care and paid sick leave while you work. And when you pay into Social Security and Medicare, you deserve to know it will be there when you retire.
PARK: And that's why we ran.
RUPRECHT: And that's why we ran.
AKBARI: And that's why we ran.
WOODFIN: And that's why we ran.
NEZ: And thanks to the voters across the country in both Red states and Blue states, we won.
FRIED: We won.
KIMPSON: We won.
R. GARCIA: We won.
KENYATTA: A new generation of leaders is rising up.
LAMB: And with Joe Biden in the White House, there's no limit to what we can do.
TEXT: WE'RE FIGHTING FOR YOU, JOE'S FIGHTING FOR US.
CANCELA: In Nevada, we're making drug prices more transparent, so people with chronic illnesses won't go broke while drug companies get rich.
ALLRED: Joe's working to protect and expand the Affordable Care Act. He'll make sure millions of people keep their coverage and no one can be denied for a pre-existing condition. He'll bring down the cost of healthcare and prescription drugs too, giving tax credits to working families, and allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices.
MANOOGIAN: That's a big f-ing deal.
KENYATTA: That's a big f-ing deal.
NEAVE: That's a big f-ing deal.
KIMPSON: That's a big f-ing deal.
WOODFIN: That's a big f-ing deal.
CLYDE: Because Joe knows we can't have a healthy economy if people can't afford healthcare.
BOYLE: But let's remember. Donald Trump is suing to take healthcare coverage away from more than 20 million Americans and eliminate protections for over 100 million with pre-existing conditions.
PARK: In the middle of a pandemic.
CANCELA: In the middle of a pandemic.
MANOOGIAN: In the middle of a pandemic.
LAMB: In the middle of a pandemic.
NEAVE: In Texas, we're standing up for fierce women like my mom and my tias who raised me to never back down from a tough fight. So, we're fighting to make sure that mothers have access to health screenings for safe pregnancies and childbirth. And we're bringing long overdue justice to survivors of sexual assault.
AKBARI: Joe Biden has been fighting for women his entire career. As Senator, he authored the Violence Against Women Act. And, as President, he'll restore funding for Planned Parenthood. He will codify Roe v. Wade, and make reducing maternal mortality, especially for women of color, a top priority.
FRIED: In Florida, on the frontlines of our climate crisis, we're working to produce more renewable energy and shrink our carbon footprint.
NEZ: Joe has a major plan to invest in clean energy, jobs and infrastructure.
[21:10:00]
BOYLE: In the House of Representatives, we're closing loopholes to ensure local infrastructure projects use American-made materials and local labor, and support American manufacturing.
CANCELA: Unlike Donald Trump, Joe Biden will actually enforce buy- American rules, investing in American-made clean energy, building materials, high-tech equipment and R&D, all creating more good jobs.
MANOOGIAN: In Michigan, we're banning business practices that have exploited workers and cost them hundreds of millions of dollars in lost wages.
KIMPSON: When unemployment is the highest rate since the Great Depression, when millions of people have seen their hours and pay slashed, Joe knows it's not enough to rebuild the economy the way it was before. We've got to build it back better.
BOYLE: He'll build an economy that rewards work, not wealth, and get rid of the Trump tax cuts that only benefit big corporations and the rich. And then, he'll invest in healthcare, education, and infrastructure, and in getting small businesses up and running again.
LAMB: Take it from me, when you're in the trenches, you want Joe Biden right there next to you.
KENYATTA: When I wanted to marry the man I loved, Joe Biden was the first national figure to support me and my family.
DR. MATTHEW MILLER: Appreciate you, man.
MANOOGIAN: When the auto industry was going under, Joe stuck his neck out to protect it, and helped save 1.5 million auto jobs.
LAMB: When our economy was on the brink, Joe led the recovery effort that created millions of jobs, including here in Western Pennsylvania. Under his leadership, America bounced back with the longest economic expansion in history.
FRIED: You know, the one Trump brags about creating.
ALLRED: That's what happens when Joe Biden is in your corner. Working families get a fair shot.
MANOOGIAN: He understands that leadership means fighting for the people who built this country, all of you.
BOYLE: All of us.
ALLRED: All of us.
KENYATTA: All of us.
KIMPSON: All of us.
R. GARCIA: All of us.
FRIED: All of us.
NEAVE: All of us.
LAMB: All of us.
AKBARI: All of us. PARK: All of us.
MANOOGIAN: All of us.
CLYDE: All of us.
RUPRECHT: All of us.
CANCELA: All of us.
WOODFIN: All of us.
NEZ: All of us.
STACEY ABRAMS, (D) FORMER GEORGIA GOVERNOR CANDIDATE, FOUNDER, FAIR FIGHT: This nation belongs to all of us. And, in every election, we choose how we will create a more perfect union. Not by taking sides, but by taking stock of where we are and what we need.
This year's choice could not be more clear. America faces a triple threat, a public health catastrophe, an economic collapse, and a reckoning with racial justice and inequality.
So, our choice is clear. A steady experienced public servant, who can lead us out of this crisis, just like he's done before, or a man who only knows how to deny and distract, a leader who cares about our families, or a president who only cares about himself.
We know Joe Biden. America, we need Joe Biden. To make your voice heard, text VOTE to 30330.
In a democracy, we do not elect saviors. We cast our ballots for those who see our struggles and pledge to serve, who hear our dreams and work to make them real, who defend our way of life by protecting our right to vote.
Faced with a President of cowardice, Joe Biden is a man of proven courage. He will restore our moral compass by confronting our challenges, not by hiding from them, or undermining our elections, to keep his job.
In a time of voter suppression at home and authoritarians abroad, Joe Biden will be a champion for free and fair elections, for a public health system that keeps us safe, for an economy that we build back better than before, and for accountability and integrity in our system of justice.
We stand with Joe Biden because this isn't just about defeating Donald Trump. We are in this to win for America. So, let's get it done.
TEXT: TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD, TEXT VOTE TO 30330.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TRACEE ELLIS ROSS, ACTRESS & CONVENTION MODERATOR: Hello. I am Tracee Ellis Ross, and how exciting to hear from young elected leaders from across the country, a perfect way to begin Night Two of the Democratic National Convention: Uniting America.
Tonight is all about leadership. This unprecedented moment calls for leadership, steady, inclusive leadership, driven by people who understand that our democracy is based on the value of each and every one of us being treated with dignity and respect, leaders who respond to the needs of hardworking Americans, who right this minute are unable to pay rent, put food on the table and keep their loved ones safe.
[21:15:00]
As a Black woman, I find myself at a crucial intersection in American politics. For far too long, Black female leadership in this country has been utilized without being acknowledged or valued. But we are turning the tide.
Hello, Kamala. Her nomination is historic, for anyone who believes in "We the people." Like Senator Harris and many we saw in the keynote, today's leaders emerged from communities that have long been underrepresented.
They're charting new paths in the spirit of Shirley Chisholm, Charlotta Bass, Fannie Lou Hamer, and John Lewis. They get in good trouble, necessary trouble. They call things out, otherwise ignored, elevating our nation, and changing the course of our lives for the better.
With every vote we cast for forward thinking, honest leaders, we chip away at ingrained systems of inequity, and we bend the arc of justice. True leaders make sure that policy is informed by all of us, bridging our burdened past to a safe equitable and even joyful future.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are that bridge, heeding voices from within the movement for racial justice, listening to the people and acting with empathy and compassion to reflect our shared humanity.
Tonight, we'll hear from a number of American leaders, including former Acting U.S. Attorney General, Sally Yates, who refused to defend an unconstitutional travel ban, and paid for it with her job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D) PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: The threat to this nation, to our democracy, is real.
(CROWD SHOUTS "REAL!")
BIDEN: It's clear and it's present. We've watched the President now for three years. Look at what he's doing.
Instilling fear, I mean, not joking, instilling fear, sowing division, stroking racial division, undercutting every institution that was designed to check the abuse of power by the president or anyone else, all this, for what reason? All this, in order to solidify his base and expand his power.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SALLY YATES, FORMER ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL: Good evening. I'm Sally Yates.
Speaking at a political convention is something I never expected to be doing. But the future of our democracy is at stake.
I'm here in my hometown of Atlanta, where, as a young lawyer, I joined our nation's Justice Department. For nearly 30 years, through Democratic and Republican Administrations, I worked alongside my DoJ colleagues to advance our nation's promise of equal justice.
I served as Deputy Attorney General in the Obama/Biden Administration, and stayed on as Acting Attorney General for the Trump transition.
Then, 10 days in, I was fired for refusing to defend President Trump's shameful and unlawful Muslim travel ban. That was the start of his relentless attacks on our democratic institutions and countless dedicated public servants.
Like me, these officials didn't swear an oath to a person or a party. Public servants promise to defend our Constitution, uphold our laws and work on behalf of the American people.
But from the moment President Trump took Office, he's used his position to benefit himself rather than our country. He's trampled the rule of law, trying to weaponize our Justice Department to attack his enemies and protect his friends.
Rather than standing up to Vladimir Putin, he fawns over a dictator who is still trying to interfere in our elections. He's even trying to sabotage our Postal Service, to keep people from being able to vote.
His constant attacks on the FBI, the free press, inspectors general, federal judges, they all have one purpose, to remove any check on his abuse of power. Put simply, he treats our country like it's his family business, this time, bankrupting our nation's moral authority at home and abroad. But our country doesn't belong to him.
[21:20:00]
It belongs to all of us. Joe Biden embraces that. He has spent his entire life putting our country first. He has never backed down from a challenge or a bully. He summons the best in us, and lives by the values that define us as Americans, service, integrity, courage, compassion.
There are countless stories of Joe Biden reaching out to someone in their moment of need. Well this is our country's moment of need. We need a president who respects our laws and the privilege of public service, who reflects our values and cares about our people.
We need a president who will restore the soul of America. We need Joe Biden.
TEXT: WE THE PEOPLE NEED A PRESIDENT WHOSE LEADERSHIP IS UNIMPEACHABLE.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TONY A., VIRGINIA: Over the last four years, we have experienced failed leadership under Donald J. Trump.
CHRIS F., SOUTH CAROLINA: We've had to deal with this insanity.
DONNA-MARIE W., NORTH CAROLINA: I've watched our country deteriorate.
MICAH: The cover-ups, the lying, the favoritism.
NANCY G., MASSACHUSETTS: The disregard for the Constitution.
JOSEPH W., GEORGIA: Donald Trump has failed America.
TONY A.: It is time for us to reclaim our constitutional and democratic value.
DENISE: We need to prove to the world, and most importantly, prove to ourselves that we are better than this.
NICK, WISCONSIN: We need an experienced leader.
TONY A.: A leader that has passion, integrity, and strategic leadership skills.
CHRIS F.: And his name is Joe Biden.
JOSEPH W.: Joe Biden.
NICK: Joe Biden is that leader.
DONNA-MARIE W.: And he really wants the best for this country.
GEORGIA M., ILLINOIS: He understands and respects our democracy, the rule of law, and the U.S. Constitution.
JACQUELINE A., OHIO: He will move toward creating a more perfect union.
TEXT: WE THE PEOPLE.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): Hi, this is Senator Chuck Schumer, Democratic Leader from my hometown, Brooklyn, New York.
Behind me is a sight I see out of my window every night, the Statue of Liberty, the same sight that greeted hopeful immigrants, like my grandparents, a symbol of freedom and a beacon of hope to the world.
Today, Donald Trump has divided our country, diminished our greatness, and demeaned everything that this statue represents. He even hid in a bunker, as Americans were tear-gassed and beaten.
Millions are jobless. 170,000 Americans have died from COVID. And Donald Trump says, "It is what it is."
Presidents should never say: "It is what it is." President Lincoln, honoring the great sacrifice at Gettysburg, didn't say "It is what it is." President Roosevelt, seeing a third of the nation ill-housed, ill-clad, and ill-nourished, didn't say "It is what it is."
America, Donald Trump has quit on you.
We need a president with dignity, integrity, and the experience to lead us out of this crisis, a man with a steady hand, and a big heart, who will never ever quit on America.
That man is my friend Joe Biden. He will be a great president.
But if we're going to win this battle for the soul of our nation, Joe can't do it alone. Democrats must take back the Senate. We will stay united, from Sanders and Warren, to Manchin and Warner, and with our unity, we will bring bold and dramatic change to our country.
Let me tell you some of the things we do.
With President Biden, Vice President Harris, and a Democratic Majority, we will make healthcare affordable for all.
We'll undo the vicious inequality of income and wealth that has plagued America for far too long, and we'll take strong, decisive action to combat climate change and save the planet.
We will protect voting rights, fight systemic racism in the criminal justice system, and in our economy, and restore a Supreme Court that looks out for people, not corporations.
We'll rebuild our infrastructure, and make sure every home, from inner city to rural America, has broadband. We will save the Post Office and, once and for all, defeat COVID-19, this evil disease.
And, beckoned by the Lady behind us, we will reform our immigration system, so that immigrants yearning to breathe free will at last become American citizens.
Together, we can re-ignite the hope, once felt by millions of men and women, huddled masses on creaking ships, who glimpsed this mighty woman with her torch, knowing they could build a better life, here, in America.
And out of this long national nightmare, America will finally awaken, to a brighter future, and a new day.
ROSS: Senator Chuck Schumer reminding us that leadership requires integrity and accountability.
[21:25:00]
Real leaders don't ask what we can do for them. They ask what they can do for us. In a minute, we will hear from two former presidents and they're going to speak to that. But first, here are Caroline Kennedy and, her son, Jack Schlossberg.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROLINE KENNEDY, JOHN F. KENNEDY'S DAUGHTER: 60 years ago, in a crowded L.A. stadium, my father accepted the Democratic nomination for President. He challenged Americans to look to the future and join him on a journey toward a new frontier.
JACK SCHLOSSBERG, JOHN F. KENNEDY'S GRANDSON: It was a call to the young at heart, regardless of age or party. Times have changed. But the themes of my grandfather's speech, courage, unity and patriotism are as important today as they were in 1960.
And, once again, we need a leader who believes America's best days are yet to come. We need Joe Biden.
KENNEDY: I've admired Joe Biden since I was a Senate Intern in 1974. He shared my Uncle Teddy's commitment to civil rights, women's rights and working families. He was a Senator who cared, who led, who inspired. That's why I helped choose him to be Barack Obama's running mate in 2008.
When I was U.S. Ambassador to Japan, I got to see Vice President Biden in action. He stepped off Air Force Two, wearing his aviator glasses, and a big smile, radiating American optimism and generosity.
I saw a leader who was tough but fair, who commanded the trust and respect of other nations, and who always put America's interests first. Joe Biden's lifetime of public service reflects his unwavering commitment to our highest ideals.
SCHLOSSBERG: In this election, our future is on the ballot. For my generation, it will define the rest of our lives.
We need to tackle climate change. We need to end systemic racial injustice. We need to make healthcare available for everybody, and we need to rebuild an economy that helps working families.
We can do this. We can reach these new frontiers, but only with a president who asks what he can do for our country, and what together we can do, to build a better world. It's up to us. Let's get it done.
Let's elect Joe Biden, the next President of the United States.
KENNEDY: Let's elect Joe Biden, the next President of the United States.
VOICE OF ROSALYNN CARTER, FORMER FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: It's a great pleasure for Jimmy and me to join you in celebrating our next President of the United States, Joe Biden.
We've known and admired Joe and Jill for many years. And, most recently, I've worked with him on tackling the demands faced by the more than 53 million unpaid caregivers in our country, who are juggling work and other family responsibilities, and putting their own physical and mental health and wellbeing at risk.
Joe knows well, too well, the sorrows and struggles of being a family caregiver. From Joe's time, as a young widower, thrust into single parenthood, with a demanding job, to, he and Jill caring for their own parents, and their son, Beau, at the end of their lives, he knows caregiving is hard, even on the good days.
Joe and I also know the challenges of caregiving for those who served in the military, and returned with visible and invisible wounds. And we know those caregivers need a leader in the White House.
Jimmy and I are voting for Joe, because he recognizes the challenges facing our families, and has the heart and the talent to make life better for all Americans.
VOICE OF JIMMY CARTER, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When I ran for president in 1976, Joe Biden was my first and most effective supporter in the Senate. For decades, he has been my loyal and dedicated friend.
Joe has the experience, character and decency to bring us together, and restore America's greatness. We deserve a person with integrity and judgment, someone who is honest and fair, someone who is committed to what is best for the American people.
Joe is that kind of leader, and he is the right person for this moment in our nation's history. He understands that honesty and dignity are essential traits that determine not only our vision but our actions. More than ever, that's what we need.
During these uncertain times, Joe Biden realizes that many American lives can be saved each day with the use of masks and testing, as recommended by our medical experts.
Joe Biden must be our next president.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[21:30:00]
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good evening.
A presidential election is the world's most important job interview. At the end, we hire a leader to help us solve problems, create opportunities, and give our kids better tomorrows.
That's a tall order this year, with the COVID-19 outbreak on a path to killing 200,000 people, and destroying millions of jobs and small businesses. How did Donald Trump respond?
At first, he said the virus was under control and would soon disappear. When it didn't, he was on TV every day, bragging on what a great job he was doing, while our scientists waited to give us vital information. When he didn't like the expert advice he was given, he ignored it. Only when COVID exploded in even more states did he encourage people to wear masks. By then, many more were dying. When asked about the surge in deaths, he shrugged and said, "It is what it is."
But did it have to be this way? No. COVID hit us much harder than it had to.
We have just 4 percent of the world's population, but 25 percent of the world's COVID cases. Our unemployment rate is more than twice as high as South Korea's, 2.5 times the United Kingdom's, more than three times Japan's.
Donald Trump says we're leading the world. Well, we are the only major industrial economy to have its unemployment rate triple.
At a time like this, the Oval Office should be a Command Center. Instead, it's a storm center. There's only chaos. Just one thing never changes, his determination to deny responsibility and shift the blame. The buck never stops there.
Now, you have to decide whether to renew his contract or hire someone else.
If you want a president, who defines the job as spending hours a day watching TV, and zapping people on social media, he's your man. Denying, distracting and demeaning works great, if you're trying to entertain, or inflame. But in a real crisis, it collapses like a house of cards.
COVID just doesn't respond to any of that. To beat it, you've got to actually go to work and deal with the facts.
Our Party is united in offering you a very different choice, a go-to- work president, a down-to-earth, get-the-job-done guy, a man with a mission, to take responsibility, not shift the blame. Concentrate, not distract. Unite, not divide.
Our choice is Joe Biden.
Joe helped bring us back from a Recession before, and he can do it again.
In 2009, Barack Obama and Joe Biden started with the worst economy, since the Great Depression. And when they were done, they delivered more than six straight years of job growth.
What did Joe do? He accepted responsibility for implementing the Recovery Act. His work created a lot of new jobs and started many new companies in communities across our country.
Now, Joe is committed to building America back again. How? He's given us smart detailed plans to invest in areas vital to our future, innovative financing for modern factories and small businesses; good jobs in green energy and conservation to combat climate change; a modern infrastructure that brings small town and rural America the connectivity and investment others take for granted; and a plan to ensure that Black Americans, Latino Americans, Native Americans, women, immigrants, and other communities left behind are full participants in our economy and our society.
Joe Biden wants to build an economy far better suited to our changing world, better for young people, better for families, working and raising their kids, better for people who lost jobs and need new ones, better for farmers tired of being collateral damage in trade wars, better for workers caring for the sick, elderly, and people with disabilities.
Better because of a living wage, and access to affordable higher education and healthcare, including prescription drugs, and to childcare, a secure retirement, and, for the first time, paid family and medical leave.
Joe won't just put his signature on a check, and try to fool you into thinking it came from him. He'll work to make sure that your paycheck reflects your contribution to, and your stake in, a growing economy.
In this job interview, the difference is stark. You know what Donald Trump will do with four more years: blame, bully, and belittle. And you know what Joe Biden will do: build back better.
It's Trump's "Us versus Them" America against Joe Biden's America, where we all live and work together. It's a clear choice. The future of our country is riding on it.
Thank you.
ROSS: It's time to call the roll and officially nominate the Democratic candidate for President of the United States.
But, this year, for the first time, the roll call is heading out to all 57 states and territories, places that showcase our nation's natural beauty, places where people are working together to secure a better future for our country, and places that are working to rebuild and recover.
[21:35:00]
Like Iowa, where thousands have been left homeless and hundreds of thousands have been left without power in the wake of last week's terrible storm. Our hearts are with you, Iowa.
There's so much going on right now. Tonight, we come together to nominate a candidate who will fight for all of us. The Convention Delegates will do the official nominating, but you can join them in supporting Joe Biden, text JOIN to 30330 to get involved.
And now, the Chair of the Democratic National Committee, Tom Perez.
TOM PEREZ, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: It's great to be here in Milwaukee, a proud union town whose grit and character reflect the resilience of our Party and our country.
There's no doubt these last few months have been tough, but good leadership means being able to adapt to any situation. And I want to thank the people of Milwaukee for being such gracious and flexible hosts.
It's also great to be back in Wisconsin, where I was lucky enough to marry my wife, Ann Marie, a little more than three decades ago.
The progressive movement has deep roots here. And since today is the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment's ratification, we should point out that Wisconsin was the first State to ratify it.
What's more? In its one word motto, "Forward," Wisconsin captures something so important about America. The way that no matter what challenges today brings, we always believe a better future is possible.
That's what my parents believed when they emigrated to this country nearly a century ago, fleeing the iron fist of a brutal dictator in the Dominican Republic. This nation welcomed them with compassion. And they quickly learned that their hope of building a better life through hard work was shared by generations of Americans.
Indeed, every American story is a story about that hope, that sense of possibility. It's what unites us, defines us. And it's what sustains us now.
We will work to meet our extraordinary challenges because progress is made by the hopeful, not the cynical. And we will do that work together because movements are built by the many, not the few.
And as you watch, tonight's decidedly unconventional roll call, and reflect on the diversity of our nation, remember, you too are part of the American story. And no matter where you come from, or where you're watching from tonight, you have a place in Joe Biden's Democratic Party.
REP. BENNIE THOMPSON (D-MS): Delegates and distinguished guests, under our procedural rules, two Democratic candidates submitted nominating documents to our Convention Secretary for the Office of President of the United States, Senator Bernie Sanders and Vice President, Joe Biden.
As such, each candidate has provided names of individuals, who will make nominating and seconding speeches on their behalf.
We will begin with nominating and seconding speeches for Senator Sanders. Speaking on his behalf will be two progressive champions, Bob King and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
BOB KING, LABOR LEADER & ACTIVIST: I'm Bob King. As a proud Union member and former President of a great American Union, the UAW, I am honored to nominate Bernie Sanders for President.
For decades, Bernie has led the fight for working families, fighting for workers' rights to organize unions and collectively bargain. In a time of enormous inequality, he understands that we must confront large corporations, which have far too much control over our economy and our politics.
Bernie believes healthcare is a human right, and should not be contingent on a job. He knows we can rebuild our crumbling infrastructure by creating millions of good-paying Union jobs, while combating climate change.
Bernie's moral clarity has emboldened the Democratic Party's fight for justice. The grassroots energy of his supporters has cemented important advances in our platform. Bernie will continue to leave a movement that helps defeat Trump and delivers transformational change.
I am excited to place into nomination the name of a great champion of the working class, Senator Bernie Sanders.
REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): Good evening, bienvenidos and thank you to everyone here today endeavoring towards a better, more just future for our country and our world.
[21:40:00]
In fidelity and gratitude to a mass people's movement, working to establish 21st Century social, economic, and human rights, including guaranteed healthcare, higher education, living wages, and labor rights for all people in the United States.
A movement striving to recognize and repair the wounds of racial injustice, colonization, misogyny, and homophobia, and to propose and build reimagined systems of immigration and foreign policy that turn away from the violence and xenophobia of our past.
A movement that realizes the unsustainable brutality of an economy that rewards explosive inequalities of wealth, for the few, at the expense of long-term stability for the many, and who organized a historic grassroots campaign to reclaim our democracy.
In a time, when millions of people, in the United States, are looking for deep systemic solutions to our crises of mass evictions, unemployment, and lack of healthcare, and el espiritu del pueblo and out of a love for all people, I hereby second the nomination of Senator Bernard Sanders of Vermont for President of the United States of America.
THOMPSON: Thank you, Mr. King and Representative Ocasio-Cortez. We now turn to nominating and seconding speeches for Vice President Biden.
In a moment, we'll hear from Senator Chris Coons, who holds the Delaware Senate seat, once held by the Vice President, and Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester, my colleague in the House.
But first, we'll hear from Jacquelyn Asbie, a working American, who met Joe Biden, in a most unexpected place, the elevator where she worked.
JACQUELYN BRITTANY, NEW YORK TIMES SECURITY GUARD: I take powerful people up on my elevator all the time. When they get off, they go to their important meetings. Me, I just head back to the lobby. But in the short time I spent with Joe Biden, I could tell he really
saw me that he actually cared, that my life meant something to him. And I knew, even when he went into his important meeting, he'd take my story in there with him. That's because Joe Biden has room in his heart for more than just himself.
And we've been through a lot, and we have tough days ahead. But nominating someone like that, to be in the White House, is a good place to start. That's why I nominate my friend, Joe Biden, as the next President of the United States.
SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): I'm Senator Chris Coons from Delaware, a small State where people expect to see their senators, and even sometimes their Vice President, at the supermarket, at a church festival, out in their community.
Joe fights for us, because he knows our struggles and hopes. He knows the pain of loss and the worries of working parents. And he's always brought that same personal concern he showed for Jacquelyn to getting things done, as our Senator, and then as President Obama's Vice President.
Joe's tackled gun violence and climate change. He stood up to dictators and supported our troops. He led the recovery effort after the last Recession, and delivered on a promise to make our healthcare system fairer and stronger.
Through it all, Joe Biden's never forgotten where he's from. He's been sustained by his faith and his family through the toughest of times, and he has the heart and the compassion for this moment.
For all of these reasons, and more, it's my honor to second the nomination of my good friend, Joe Biden, to be the next President of these United States.
REP. LISA BLUNT ROCHESTER (D-DE): I'm Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester.
In some history class, in the future, children are learning about this moment. They're learning about our pain, our grief, our worry. But they're also learning about a man named Joe Biden, about how he restored decency to our government and integrity to our democracy.
They're learning about how we conquered a pandemic, stood united for racial justice, and built our economy back better than before. They're learning about how his leadership gave their generation a fighting chance.
They're learning about us too, about the resolve and the unity we showed against the forces of hatred and division, about the work we will do, over the next 11 weeks, and about the night, when despite our distance, we came together to nominate Joe Biden for President of the United States, a nomination I'm honored to second.
THOMPSON: Thank you, all. Pursuant to our Convention rules, we'll now proceed to a roll call by
states on the selection of our Party's candidate for the President of the United States.
[21:45:00]
Secretary Rae?
JASON RAE, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE SECRETARY: Mr. Chairman.
Coming to you live, from the Wisconsin Center, it's time to begin our virtual trip around America. Our journey begins at the site of a major step forward in our national journey towards justice. Let's go to Alabama.
REP. TERRI SEWELL (D-AL): John Lewis marched across this bridge in 1965 to demand the right to vote. A lifetime later, civil rights and voting rights remain America's great unfinished business.
But those who walked this path before us showed us the way forward. If we want to honor John Lewis' incredible life, let's restore the Voting Rights Act, and ensure that our democracy belongs to all Americans.
Alabama casts eight votes for Bernie Sanders, and the great State of Alabama casts 52 votes for our next President of these United States, Joe Biden.
RAE: Alaska.
CHUCK DEGNAN, VETERAN, FISHERMAN & PARTY ACTIVIST: The waters we rely on to feed our families and make a living are threatened by climate change.
When Joe Biden was Vice President, he and President Obama made sure Alaska's tribes had a say on how these waters were managed. Donald Trump took it away. We must elect a President who will respect our voices, protect our waters, and address climate change.
Alaska casts seven votes for Bernie Sanders and 12 votes for the next President, Joe Biden.
RAE: American Samoa.
PETTI MATILA, TERRITORIAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEWOMAN: Joe Biden honors our service and we trust him to support our community. As Vice President, he helped expand rural infrastructure to communities like ours, broadening our economic capacity. As President, he will continue to strengthen rural America from New England to the Pacific.
ALIITAMA SOTOA, CHAIRMAN, AMERICAN SAMOA DEMOCRATIC PARTY: On behalf of the Governor, Lolo Matalasi Moliga, and the American Samoa Democratic Party, we proudly cast 11 votes for our next President of the United States of America, Joe Biden.
RAE: Arizona. MARISOL GARCIA, TEACHER: As a middle schoolteacher, I know that public educators are doing everything they can to make sure our students have quality learning experiences, this fall.
As a mother of a high school freshman, I know that it's far from perfect. As an NEA union organizer, I'll fight to make sure that it's scientists, parents and educators that decide when it's safe to go back to school, not politicians.
As an Arizona Latina, I proudly cast our votes, 29 for Bernie Sanders and 51 for our next President, Joe Biden.
RAE: Arkansas.
GILBERT ALAQUINEZ, CHEF: Feeding people is an act of love, and I think we all can use a little extra love these days. So, we took our food trucks, out into the community, to deliver meals, made right here, at the Clinton Presidential Center, for our neighbors in need. Even when our leaders let us down, Americans kept looking out for each other.
Arkansas casts nine votes for Bernie Sanders and 27 votes for our next President, Joe Biden.
(AUDIENCE CLAPPING)
RAE: California.
HILDA SOLIS, LOS ANGELES COUNTY SUPERVISOR: Climate change is not a hoax. It's real, and communities of color have been bearing the brunt of this reality for generations.
REP. BARBARA LEE (D-CA): Joe Biden's plan to crack down on polluters to protect our air and water is about environmental justice and economic justice.
SOLIS: He'll prioritize equity and bring new clean energy jobs to Black and Brown neighborhoods because that is how we build back better.
LEE: California, home to our next Vice President, Kamala Harris, casts 231 votes for Bernie Sanders and 263 votes for our next President, Joe Biden.
SOLIS: And 263 votes for our next President, Joe Biden.
RAE: Colorado.
HOWARD CHOU, IMMIGRANT & PARTY ACTIVIST: Hannah (ph) and I grew up in poverty as immigrants. But we've been able to make a decent living. We're extremely lucky.
But now we have three family members that tested positive for COVID, and it just doesn't feel safe to put Evan and Emma back to school. This is certainly it's going to be hard on them and on us. But millions of working families will have it much harder. I know Joe Biden cares about these struggles, and that's why I trust
him to fight for us. With one abstention, Colorado will cast 36 votes for Bernie Sanders and 42 for our next President, Joe Biden.
RAE: Connecticut.
PETER CAROZZA, FIREFIGHTER: Firefighters are proud to put our lives on the line every day to protect our neighbors. It's a badge of courage.
But while we are protecting your family, we need a President who is committed to protecting ours. And that's Joe Biden. He has the courage we respect and the commitment to working Americans we need now.
On behalf of our Governor Ned Lamont, I am honored to cast Connecticut's 75 votes for our next President, Joe Biden.
RAE: Delaware.
SEN. TOM CARPER (D-DE): Delaware passes.
[21:50:00]
RAE: Delaware passes. Democrats Abroad.
JULIA BRYAN, ORGANIZER, DEMOCRATS ABROAD: We represent the millions of Americans who live outside the United States and vote back home. Americans Abroad can make a difference in the states that will decide this year's elections. We need your help to elect a President who will restore our standing around the world. Go to votefromabroad.org to learn more.
Democrats Abroad is proud to cast 10 votes for Bernie Sanders and seven votes for our next President, Joe Biden.
RAE: District of Columbia.
MAYOR MURIEL BOWSER, (D) DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, D.C.: Welcome to my hometown, and the best City in the world.
Washington D.C. is 706,000 residents strong. We raise families, pay taxes and serve the United States Military, just like every American in the 50 states. The House of Representatives just passed a historic piece of legislation to make Washington D.C. the 51st State.
From Black Lives Matter Plaza, the District of Columbia proudly casts one vote for Bernie Sanders and 43 votes for the next President of the United States, Joe Biden.
RAE: Florida.
FRED GUTTENBERG, GUN SAFETY ACTIVIST: When my daughter was murdered in Parkland, Joe Biden called to share in our family's grief. I quickly learned about his decency and his civility. But I also learned about his toughness and how he's beaten the NRA.
Together, with the other victims of gun violence, and our nation's youth, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will take on the NRA again, and win. Let's win back our freedom to live without fear.
Florida cast 57 votes for Bernie Sanders and 192 votes for our next President, Joe Biden.
BLITZER: You can watch the roll call continue during this quick break.
[21:55:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Let's rejoin the roll call right now.
MARK PRINGLE, FOURTH-GENERATION FAMILY FARMER: --votes for Bernie Sanders and 35 votes for our next President, Joe Biden.
RAE: Kentucky.
COLMON ELRIDGE, EDUCATION ADVOCATE: One day, when I was 14, my mom wouldn't wake up. Calling 911, I was scared not only because she was sick, but because I knew we couldn't afford the bill. Thank God she survived.
When I told Joe Biden that story in 2008, he promised to continue to fight for folks like us, and got busy passing Obamacare. Two years ago, when mom had a heart attack, we only had to worry about her getting better because Joe kept his promise.
The Commonwealth of Kentucky casts all 60 votes for the next President of the United States, Joe Biden.
RAE: Louisiana.
REP. CEDRIC RICHMOND (D-LA): This used to be an abandoned building. Now it's a thriving art studio, a community hub, a place where independent artists can make their name, and parents can bring kids during these difficult days of remote learning.
MAYOR LATOYA CANTRELL, (D) NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA: Our cities are strong because our people make them strong. And our economy will come back because our small businesses will bring it back.
RICHMOND: Louisiana casts all 60 of our votes for my friend, and the next President, Joe Biden.
RAE: Maine.
CRAIG HICKMAN, (D) MAINE STATE HOUSE: My American Dream, I'm living it, a 25-acre organic farm on the lake, a roadside farm stand, and a Bed & Breakfast.
My husband and I aren't corporate tycoons. We just want to make an honest living and feed our community. Small businesses, like ours, are the backbone of rural economies, across America. Joe Biden has a plan to help more Americans, especially people of color, start their own businesses.
Maine casts nine votes for Bernie Sanders and 22 votes for our next President, Joe Biden.
RAE: Maryland.
BRANDON SCOTT, PRESIDENT, BALTIMORE CITY COUNCIL: Black lives matter. And when it comes to racial injustice, Black opportunity matters.
BIANCA SHAH, COLLEGE STUDENT: When Joe Biden rebuilds our middle- class, he won't leave anyone behind. His plan, more capital for Black entrepreneurs.
SCOTT: More funding for public schools and HBCUs.
SHAH: Banning racial discrimination in the housing market.
SCOTT: And paying every worker a fair wage.
SHAH: That's building back better.
SCOTT: Maryland.
SHAH: The home of Frederick Douglass.
SCOTT: Casts one vote for Bernie Sanders and 119 votes for our next President, Joe Biden.
RAE: Massachusetts.
CLAIRE CRONIN, (D) MASSACHUSETTS STATE HOUSE: We need a plan to get the economy going again.
Joe Biden will get the pandemic under control, create new jobs in manufacturing and clean energy, help small businesses and our restaurants recover, and build back better, so that our economy is stronger and fairer than it was before.
Massachusetts casts 30 votes for Bernie Sanders and 83 votes for our next President, Joe Biden.
RAE: Michigan.
SEN. GARY PETERS (D-MI): Michigan autoworkers are the best in the world. But we'd be nowhere without Joe Biden, and a lot of folks wanted to let Detroit go bankrupt. But Joe Biden believed in us, and together, we fought to save our auto industry.
RAY CURRY, UAW AUTO WORKER: Now, he's got a plan to create a million new auto jobs by investing in clean energy. Joe Biden believes in American workers. He's got our back, and we've got his.
PETERS: Michigan casts 53 votes for Bernie Sanders and 92 votes for our next President, Joe Biden.
RAE: Minnesota.
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN): I'm here in Minnesota, the home of the headwaters of the Mississippi River. We know that a bridge shouldn't fall down in the middle of America. But it did. And we came together to rebuild it.
That's what we do in America. That's what Joe Biden will do as President. He'll build back better. He'll cross the river of our divides, and unite this country, from our cities, to our suburbs, to our rural areas.
And now, we will virtually cross the great Mississippi to St. Paul to hear from my friend, Mayor Melvin Carter.
MAYOR MELVIN CARTER, ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA: Thank you, Senator.
As the 46th Mayor of a City that's more than ready for our 46th President, I am proud to cast Minnesota's 31 votes for Bernie Sanders and 60 votes for our next U.S. President, Joe Biden.
RAE: Mississippi.
CARMEN WALTERS, PRESIDENT, TOUGALOO COLLEGE: Tougaloo College reflects the progression of a people from slavery to citizenship to scholarship and leadership, contributing to Mississippi and the world.
Our alumni are leaders like Convention Chairman, Congressman Bennie Thompson. Joe Biden wants to invest $70 billion in HBCUs like Tougaloo. Imagine what impact that could have on HBCUs? Imagine what impact HBCUs could have on America?
Mississippi casts two votes for Bernie Sanders and 38 votes for our next President, Joe Biden.
