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Erin Burnett Outfront
Biden Speaks At Rally: "I Am Running And We're Going To Win". Aired 7-8p ET
Aired July 12, 2024 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:52]
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett.
And OUTFRONT tonight, the breaking news, you see on your screen right now, a stage in Michigan, that's where President Biden is about to speak any moment at a rally, a state his campaign admits is crucial, is key, as must win to their path to victory in November.
Biden is trying to steady his campaign. He's trying to shift the national attention back to Trump. We're going to be taking this rally live here. We do anticipate in walking up there any second.
Biden's rally in Michigan does follow some welcome news for the president today. According to a new poll, Biden is statistically tied with Trump actually up 50, 50 to 48 percent.
Now that is statistical tie, although he's the one directionally up there. And that is the same exact margin that Biden had before the debate. A poll is a poll, it's a moment in time, it is a poll. It is still something to consider, and it is not stopping for new Democratic House members though today from calling for Biden to step aside. The total number right now tonight of those making that call of the president is 19.
Also tonight, a group of 20 for former Democratic lawmakers are now calling for an open convention for the Democrats.
I want to get straight to Arlette Saenz. She's with the president in Detroit and as I said, he's going to be walking out there and that screen a moment. We're going to listen to him when he does.
Arlette, though, as he is preparing to walk out, he did make a few unplanned and impromptu stops before this event. And, you know, they were not -- they were not at the schedule. But you were able to observe and he's clearly trying to take the advice of some of his critics and do these impromptu events.
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, he really is, Erin. President Biden is expected to take the stage any minute now, here at this high school in Detroit, Michigan, but before he came to this high school, he made about 15 minute stop at a local restaurant with Congresswoman Debbie Dingell. She is among those who has urged President Biden really to hold these more impromptu, unscripted type of events to show voters he is up for a second term.
The presidents spent 15 minutes in that room walking around, holding a microphone without any teleprompter in sight? As he tried to make his case to these voters, and he very explicitly tried to assure these voters about his candidacy, saying, I promise you I'm okay. It comes as there is major anxiety within the Democratic Party, something that Biden's advisers have acknowledged, but they are trying to set up this, these types of moments -- these trips across the country to show voters that he is up for a second term in office.
Now, one thing that President Biden is expected to do tonight in his remarks here in Detroit, is really trying to lean into drawing a contrast with former President Donald Trump when it pertains to policy. The president is quite eager to tie Trump to Project 2025. That is that conservative policy blueprints that Trump has tried to distance himself, but Democrats are very eager to continue hammering away at Trump at, as they believe it would pose significant threats to the rights and freedoms of Americans in this country.
The president in his remarks is expected to really portray Project 2025 and Trump's presidency as dead -- deadly serious at this moment.
Now, President Biden really wants to try to refocus the conversation in this debate to be on Donald Trump, instead of the issues that he is having within his own campaign. But we have increasingly seen these Democratic lawmakers openly express their concerns about Biden staying in this race, close to 20 now saying that she needs to step aside.
So Biden and his team are really hoping that events like this will help get his candidacy back on track, putting him in front of voters, having them see him perform day-to-day as he's looking to make his case that he is up for a second term.
BURNETT: Absolutely and he's spent on that campaign trail, right? He's giving a speech, he's done the press conference, watched, I believe, by close to 25 million people in America watched that press conference last night. Now, these rallies, which up to this point would not have been something that you would see on live television, we're going to see them and that is -- that is part of what the president clearly knows he needs to do right now.
[19:05:06]
I want to go to Jeff Zeleny in Washington, who has been breaking so many details on this story.
And I know, Jeff, you've just gotten off the phone with a source. What have you learned?
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Erin, it's been an extraordinary really another day, 15 days now since that debate performance. And where things stand at the end of this Friday in Washington are a mess, quite frankly, in the words of one Democratic operative, this is a circular firing squad and they do not see a way out. Several things happen here before the president flew to Michigan, he had a meeting last evening with Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic House leader. And I am told that there was no implicit endorsement and that was clear from the statement he put out today.
He said he shared candid views. But when you stop and think about the House Democratic leader going for a one-on-one meeting with the president, perhaps a couple of aides were also in the room without endorsing him. Erin, that tells you what you need to know about the views of Democratic members of Congress. They're worried about their own elections and even more of them came out today urging the president to step aside.
However, the president is taking this to the people. We saw him campaigning in Michigan this afternoon will see him at this rally tonight.
I am struck right now by this ironic moment. In March of 2020, Joe Biden stood in this exact same high school gymnasium right before the Michigan primary. And this is where he said he would be a bridge to the future. It was in this very high school auditorium. In fact, I was there just a couple of months ago talking to some young voters about what they think of President Biden and him being a bridge.
He was asked about that last evening and he said one of the reasons he is staying in this race is because of how serious things became the administration with COVID, with the economy.
But it will be interesting tonight to see if the president references that bridge remark. He was standing at that moment by -- flanked by Kamala Harris, Senator Cory Booker, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. He was presenting himself as the bridge to the future of the party.
And now, of course, he is running for reelection and it is so controversial among Democrats themselves. So, the moment he finds its himself here is the one of crisis, but he's surrounded by supporters as you can see in that gymnasium. So this could give him some life to go another day -- Erin.
BURNETT: Yeah, absolutely. And, of course, you know, he will point to and ironically, right, the polls, second polls since the debate to show no change statistically tied, but with Biden up to important. I do -- I do note the irony of a president who has disdain for the polls recently and has made no, no, no bones about that.
But in Michigan and you mentioned having been in that very auditorium or gym where he's going to appear in just a moment, Jeff, it is the latest that we understand from the Biden campaign, right? That any path to victory to 270 electoral votes go through Michigan, goes through Michigan, a state that even prior to this, had challenges for him, given what's going on in Israel with the war in Gaza.
So, what does Michigan look like right now for Biden?
ZELENY: Erin, it is more than just the concern over the war in Gaza. It's the economy, it's inflation. But this is the bottom line. There is no path to reelection for Joe Biden without winning Michigan or Wisconsin, or Pennsylvania. This is central for all to his path. So yes, he's trying to make this
case there, but it is a more difficult case than it was even before the debate. It was complicated for him. But some new comments coming in this evening from the head of the UAW, Shawn Fain, really raising some pointed observations about President Biden. Listen to what he said just a little while ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHAWN FAIN, UNITED AUTO WORKERS PRESIDENT: You know, in this election we cant put our hands in -- our heads in the sand and hide from reality. We tried that in 2016 and it didn't work. People just wanted to buckle down and hope for the best knowing that we weren't meeting the moment, and we see it happening again, though. Very few people are willing to speak up about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: So the translation for that is 2016 -- he's referring to the Clinton campaign. Hillary Clinton narrowly lost Michigan to Donald Trump in 2016. And yes, the UAW has endorsed President Biden. We can and remember those images of the picket line, President Biden being the first sitting president to stand on a picket line in Michigan.
Now the head of the UAW, they are still supportive and endorsing at least the leadership, but calling out this moment, saying we saw in 2016, people wanted to buckle down and hope for the best, but fearing the worst.
So those are very stark comments framing this entire conversation about Michigan. But there is no doubt the roadmap, if President Biden proceeds, as he said, he will, Michigan is more difficult and even more than that, the battleground indeed has expanded.
[19:10:00]
Minnesota now is in play. The Democratic Governor Tim Walz has said so himself. New Hampshire, a blue state, also in play.
So this is where the campaign finds itself so President Biden trying to claw back here, no doubt, but it's a tougher race than it was just two weeks ago, Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Jeff Zeleny, of course, stay with us, and Arlette Saenz, as I said is in that room, has been traveling with the presence press corps today. So were going to see exactly what's happening.
We anticipate walking out on that stage any moment. I did mention though the Democratic lawmakers today, who have -- you've got a few more coming out against the candidacy. Obviously, the poll coming out showing Biden no change since before the debate itself. Let's go to Sunlen Serfaty because she's on Capitol Hill.
So, Sunlen, what are you hearing from lawmakers tonight?
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erin, they're certainly has been a drip, drip, drip of a handful of additional lawmakers today calling for President Biden to step aside. But behind the scenes, we are hearing that there are many others who are in essence waiting in the wings. Two lawmakers telling CNN today that there is a group of additional lawmakers that very likely could come out and call for him to step aside.
But the feeling is that a lot of people are waiting to see this consistent action from President Biden while out on the campaign trail, consistency is the key here, according to many who are watching this.
Now, we know that President Biden and his team has really ramped up the congressional outreach today. I'm holding in a series of call with specific groups here in Congress, many of whom have been behind the scenes critical. He talked to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. He will speak tomorrow to two similar groups that -- progressive caucus as well.
So, very clear that they understand it. They've got to keep up this outreach especially ads and notably as members head back to their districts, lawmakers went back to their home districts late last night. There'll be there for recess all next week, and it's very clear that lawmakers are taking in the opinions of many of their constituents that hearing it out while they're out in their districts. In many of the statements that lawmakers this week issue, they say, we heard from our constituents. This is what I heard and that factored into my decision.
Congressman Cori Bush, notably earlier today, she's a member of the Congressional Black Caucus so far has stood by President Biden. She is not publicly said whether she's with him or not. But she said 100 percent of the calls coming into our office are calling for him to step aside -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Sunlen, thank you very much.
And let's go back to Arlette in that room, that gymnasium in the high school where the president is going to appear in just a moment for his rally. And obviously, he's a bit delayed here.
So, Arlette, what do you understand is happening behind the scenes and also looking at that room behind you and we have a different angle from our camera on the other part of our screen, who's there?
SAENZ: Well, President Biden when he arrived here at the gym actually spend some time backstage and he participated. He went to speak to an overflow room of supporters. He spent just a brief period of time there. So that was really one of those efforts for the credit campaign to try to put Biden in these more off-the-cuff moments where he is engaging with supporters without a teleprompter in hand.
We expect that right now, President Biden is going through a photo line of the various people who are attending this event. But the Biden campaign has also been quite eager to highlight the people who are in attendance. They have leaders from various unions, including the AFL- CIO. They have representatives from the local chapters of the NAACP, National Action Network, as they are trying to highlight the support within the Black community the, that the president has.
There's also people -- leaders from Latino groups, reproductive rights groups, gun safety organizations, as they are all trying to highlight, the coalition that could support Biden in November.
Now, I will note President Biden will be introduced he used by Pastor Cindy Rudolph. She is a reverend at a local AME church, a church that serves a mostly Black community, and that is a group that you seen Biden go to time and time again as he's made his case to voters.
I went with him in Philadelphia just on Sunday when he spoke at another black church and at that service, the president was making his case for saying this race, but you also heard this enthusiastic support from the pastor urging the president to stay the course, to keep running, even as he is facing some serious doubts within his Democratic Party.
The Biden campaign believes that they can really try to rally that support among the Black community, even though even heading into the debate, Biden had been struggling with Black voters in some areas against Donald Trump.
Now, before this event, I also spent some time talking to voters here in the crowd, like this is obviously a crowd that is here to see Joe Biden.
[19:15:01]
They probably have a tendency to the support Joe Biden. The people that I spoke to a really firmly believed that he should remain in this race.
One woman telling me that, yes, there was a weakness on that debate night, but everyone should be allowed to have a night like that. And she's still has confidence that the president can wage this campaign.
So, the president really, he's likely speaking to a friendly audience here, but he still needs to make up the minds of so many voters across the country and in this critical battleground state, as many continue to have questions about the president's age and health and his standing in this race following that debate, just two weeks ago.
BURNETT: All right. Well, Arlette, thank you. And obviously important context you have that 15-minute impromptu campaign stop at a restaurant before he arrived at this gym in Detroit that delayed him a little bit. Then meeting with people on an overflow room as Arlette just reported, and now on a photo line and we'll see when he comes out.
In the meantime, though, I know, Jeff Zeleny, you we talk about what were going to hear from him and what he actually said that at that impromptu campaign stop where he did talk about the debate, he talked about how it was bad. He talked about how he is confident. He says that he can serve another four more years.
Are we going to see a shift from him? I know you've got -- just gotten off the phone with some sources on sort of what we expect to hear from the president.
ZELENY: Erin, one thing we know President Biden is going to do is try and shift the conversation to Donald Trump. That is the biggest worry of Democrats overall that 15 days have been spent talking about Joe Biden's condition, whether people think he is strong enough to run or not?
This was an election about strength in the first place. It was as -- it was designed by the Biden campaigns view, at least to be a referendum on Donald Trump. So he's going to try and turn the conversation back, of course, to the Trump campaign. But that is not going to quiet the concerns.
But, Erin, I was struck last evening watching the final moments of that news this conference and talking to advisers today, they said he did indeed strike a new tone, not nearly as combative or defiant. And in fact, he's listening more and needs to show people that he hears their concerns.
So you heard him joking this afternoon as he made a stop in a diner. He was talking about his age in a joking way. So I expect him to do a bit more of that tonight. But, Erin, someone else who is not on stage there tonight is Governor Gretchen Whitmer. She had a previously scheduled event, but also the Senate candidates.
Michigan is also home of one of the most competitive Senate races in the country. So that also is the backdrop to so much of this just yesterday afternoon, we saw a western Michigan member of Congress, Congresswoman Hillary Scholten, said she believes the president should step down, said she's been hearing from her constituents.
Yes, he's width Debbie Dingell. We can see him walking out here now into this a high school gymnasium. Motown is Joe town. He certainly hopes that is the case, but it is not the people in the audience there he needs to convince. It's his own fellow Democrats, of course, as well as voters across Michigan, and indeed that blue wall.
We can't say this enough. He cannot win reelection without winning Michigan and Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. But so striking how he's here again trying to make his case to Michigan voters, Erin.
BURNETT: And very important, and I were -- I believe he's going to be introduced now.
So as we watch that, Jeff, let me just ask you, I know you have some additional reporting about basically, I don't know why there was a meeting or conversation between Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama about Biden's status in the race. What have you learned?
ZELENY: Erin, we do know this week that Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker, and former President Barack Obama, had a conversation, at least one, perhaps more, about the state of this race. And this is why: so many Democrats are wondering with anxiety what they can do as they've been reaching out to both of them.
So they've been sort of serving as a sounding board, but Nancy Pelosi has been much more out front about this. We remember her comments from Wednesday, of course, saying that this decision has not been made. She opened the door to the very idea that the president may still be deciding what he's going to do.
In fact, he had already decided that he's in the race. So the Obama or Pelosi connection here when the history books of this are written, many Democrats, I believe, who I've been speaking with say that it will show that they are trying to guide this discussion. Now, President Obama, for his part, is trying not to be heavy-handed here.
No one can tell President Biden what to do they're trying to give him the space to make that decision. But you can just hear the applause there and hear the support. This is going to definitely boost and elevate President Biden without question.
BURNETT: Well, listen to the crowd, everyone.
They're chanting four more years, the polls today show it -- the race unchanged since before the debate. Hard to understand how anybody would eagerly jumped out of the race. Let's listen in here to this rally as it begins.
[19:20:01]
REV. CINDY RUDOLPH, OAK GROVE AME CHURCH: It is to present a transformative leader I say -- I say transformative because when our nation urgently needed proven leadership, he not only met the moment but he ushered in life-giving change.
(CHEERS)
When our economy was teetering on the brink of recession, President Biden turned it around remarkably, hallelujah.
And because -- because of the Biden-Harris administration, we have seen lower prescription drug prices and lower health care premiums, nearly 170 billion in student loan forgiveness.
(CHEERS)
More people in the American workforce than any point in history.
(CHEERS)
Nationwide rebuilding of infrastructure.
(CHEERS)
The signing of the first significant gun safety law in 30 years.
(CHEERS)
Tremendous boom in small businesses, over 16 billion in support for historically Black colleges and universities.
(CHEERS) And the list goes on.
As a woman of faith, as a pastor, I am grateful that President Biden operates out of compassion for people, the people he serves rather than serving his own interests like the other side.
You see -- you see while Trump is promoting autocracy, President Biden is bending democracy.
(CHEERS)
Trump spews misinformation and, disinformation, while President Biden fosters transformation at elevation.
(CHEERS)
Trump wants to move us backward in 2025, but President Biden wants to see us bloom and thrive.
(CHEERS)
Trump wants to be a president king, but President Biden wants freedom to reign.
(CHEERS)
Trump wants tax cuts for the wealthy, but President Biden wants to keep America healthy.
And even though there are some who have vocalized their doubts, there are still plenty of us who fully support our president.
(CHEERS)
So, allow me, allow me to paraphrase the biblical Prophet Elijah. President Biden, there are far more who are with you than there are who are against you.
(CHEERS)
And because he has been a transformative leader, we want to get him four more years to finish the job.
(CHEERS)
(CHANTING)
It is my honor and privilege to present the 46th president of the United States of America, Joe Biden!
(CHEERS)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hello, hello, hello!
Well, I tell you what?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We love you!
BIDEN: Well, thank you. I love you back.
Look, I'm not going home unless you give one sign, and that is Motown is Joe town, and it is.
(CHEERS)
[19:25:06]
You know how true that is.
My dad sold automobiles. Got me through high school and college and law school and selling automobiles and everything. We always looked him Motown.
(CHEERS)
UAW!
(CHEERS)
By the way, Pastor Rudolph, her church, she's the AME church. When I was a -- and, you know, I'm still a young guy, but when I was a young fella involved in the civil rights movement in my state, which was segregated by law.
I'd always start at Pastor Beaman, now Bishop Beaman's church, the AME church in Wilmington, for real. I'd go to 7:30 mass and I'd go to 10:00 services. We plan what we're going to do out of desegregate the restaurants and streets of our city.
And I tell you what? Now you know why I spent so much time in the AME church.
(CHEERS)
Pastor, thanks for that introduction and for your spiritual leadership in the community. And by the way, we've got a great crowd here tonight to state the obvious. but my -- if I didn't do this. I'd get in trouble. My dad, looking down on me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We love you!
(CHEERS)
BIDEN: My dad would give me (INAUDIBLE) if I didn't turn and say, excuse my back. I apologize.
Folks, members of Congress, Debbie -- Debbie --
(CROWD CHANTING)
BIDEN: I've got your back and I've got -- I got your back as well.
Members of Congress, Debbie and Haley, and excuse me. By the way, I want you to know that I've spent a lot of time with Debbie. She's helped me a lot. And, last we were, I forget which event we were at, and someone said, you're his wife, aren't you? Because she looks like Jill, my wife and Siri (ph), thank you very much. I want. I can't tell you.
Look, we got state leaders and Lieutenant Governor Gilchrist and he's hard to miss. He's seven foot three, Secretary of State Benson.
(CHEERS)
Lavora Barnes, Democratic chairman.
(CHEERS)
We got civil rights leaders, faith leaders, labor leaders, including SEIU, CWA, AFL-CIO. Thank you all. And by the way, I don't call labor. It's simple. Unions, I say the word.
(CHEERS)
I can't tell you how much this means to me. I really mean it. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.
And folks, look, I'm here for one reason, Kamala and I won Michigan in 2020 because of you. And we're going to win it again in 2024.
(CHEERS)
And here's how we're going to do it. We're going to stand up for women in America. We're going to protect contraception. We're going to protect IVF. And we're going to go to restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land.
(CHEERS)
I mean it. We're going to protect the right to vote. I'm going to fight for Medicare and Social Security, not cut it like the other guy wants to do.
I'm going to -- I promise you, I'm going to keep lowering the cost of prescription drugs in America. Going to keep expanding health care.
No matter how many times Trump and his MAGA Republicans come after the Affordable Care Act, we will stop them and stop them and stop them. I mean it.
Too many people are depending on it. We're going to protect our children. We're going to get weapons of war off the street. Yeah, we're to ban assault weapons.
Folks, look, more children are killed by a bullet than any other reason in America. They die for that for more than anything else, any disease, any problem. It's sick. And above all else, we're going to stand up for our Constitution and save our democracy.
(CHEERS) Folks, you probably noticed there's not a lot of speculation lately. what's Joe Biden going to do? Is he going to stay in the race? Is he going to drop out?
Here's my -- I am running and we're going to win.
[19:30:00]
I'm not going to change that.
(CHEERS)
In fact, yesterday, the Marist poll released a national poll that has me beating Trump 50 to 48. (INAUDIBLE) has drop off (INAUDIBLE) took place. There's so much my narrative, my campaign has fallen apart, they say.
I'm the nominee of the Democratic Party, and the only Democrat or Republican who has beaten Donald Trump ever. And I'm going to beat him again.
I know him, Donald Trump is a loser.
(CHEERS)
(CHANTING)
Folks, I'm the nominee. I'm the nominees of this party, there's 14 million Democrats like you voted for him in the primary.
You made me the nominee. No one else. Not the press, not the pundits, not the insiders, not donors. You, the voters. You decided, no one else. And I'm not going anywhere.
(CHEERS)
I learned a long time ago, when you get knocked down, you get back up.
(CHEERS)
I have led this nation to the depths of the pandemic to the strongest economy literally in the world. And we're not done yet. We're not done yet. I have to finish the job and do what I'm going to do.
Folks, let me tell you something about Donald Trump and his friends down in Mar-a-Lago.
(BOOS)
Wall Street didn't build this country. You did, the working people and the middle class built this country, and unions built the middle class. That's a fact. That's a fact.
Folks, I'm proud to say I'm the first and only president in American history to walk a picket line.
(CHEERS)
Because I know -- labor, when labor does well, everybody does well, that's not a hyperbole.
I came to Michigan to walk that picket line. So shoulder to shoulder with the United Auto Workers, the greatest auto workers in the world.
(CHEERS)
I want you to know, I promise you, I give you my word as a Biden. I'll always have your back because you've always had mine.
(CHEERS)
You know what Donald Trump did when I was there walking the picket line? He gave a speech at a nonunion shop. So Trump comes here to tell you how great he is for the autoworkers, remember this, when Trump was president, we lost 86,000 jobs with union, and I created 275,000 auto jobs.
In fact, what's been true in the auto industry, is true all over America, since I became president, we created nearly 16 million new jobs nationwide.
(CHEERS)
Three hundred and ninety thousand of those jobs right here in Michigan.
We create 800,000 manufacturing jobs nationwide, including 24,000 in Michigan. Unemployment is down to 4 percent, record lows for more than two years. Historic low unemployment for Hispanics, Black, Asian American, including here in Michigan.
Look, just yesterday, as we reported, because of my economic plan, inflation is down again, again.
(CHEERS)
Overall prices fell last month. Core inflation is the lowest it's been in three years. Prices are falling for cars, appliances, airfares, grocery prices have fallen since the start of this year.
We've got more to do. We're going to keep working to take corporate greed, take it on. You know, since the pandemic, corporations have doubled their profits.
I understand corporations. I come from the corporate capital of the world, Delaware. They have more corporations in corporate, in my state than every other state in the union combined. I'm not anti- corporation, but I'm anti-greed. That's what I meant.
(CHEERS)
Meanwhile, Donald Trump ride around his golf cart, filling out a scorecard before he hits the ball. He's calling for -- he's calling for it. This is the God's truth. He's calling for a 10 percent tariff on everything we import, including fruits, vegetables, coffee and other necessities.
[19:35:02]
And the leading economists in this country tell us that his plan would cost working families $2,500 a year in a new tax. That's -- that's a fact, not a joke, folks. The vast majority agree our economy is moving in the right direction. Jobs are up, wages are up. The economy continues to grow, and inflation is down.
And I love telling Trump this, even though I don't own any stock. The stock market is a historic high closed over 40,000, Donald.
People are getting a little worried. There's so many moderate and mainstream Republicans who are -- not all Republican -- mainstream economists support me. Look there are more people have more money in their 401k's than they ever did before.
But folks, you don't have to take my word for it. Sixteen Nobel laureates in economics degree, under my economic plan, they say we're going to continue to grow and keep inflation down. They say that Trump's plan would make -- put the economy in a recession, because 16 Nobel laureates last week say it put us in recession and inflation would soar.
Folks, look, in fact, I guess I should worry about the new "Wall Street Journal" survey of economists says inflation would be worse under Trump. That's "The Wall Street Journal". Great paper. usually not supportive of me.
Do you really want to go back to the chaos of Donald Trump as president?
CROWD: No!
BIDEN: Back when the United States lost 3 million jobs. Oh, by the way. By the way, Donald Trump is the only president in American history other than Herbert Hoover who lost more jobs than he had when he came in. That's why I call him Donald Herbert Hoover Trump!
(CHEERS)
You remember the days when people were dying, literally dying, and we were pushing on the COVID effort? Well, guess what? He told us -- didn't worry about COVID. It's not that bad, he said. Just bleach -- just inject -- really -- inject bleach in your arm.
I think he missed. He hit his head.
Look, remember when Trump was transgressing peaceful protest across the White House lawn who were marching for justice? Look, folks, it's just -- it's, you know, if it wasn't so serious, it would always be like a made up novel what happened.
I'm not complaining. I'm just saying. You may have noticed that since the debate, the press and our good guys and women up there, they've been hammering me. I make a lot of mistakes, but a lot, no, no, no, that's okay.
They've been hammering me because I sometimes confused names. I say that's Charlie instead of Bill, but guess what? Donald Trump has gotten a free pass. He hadn't done a damn thing until like a couple days ago. He'd been riding around on his golf course, golf cart in his course, filling out a scorecard before he picks up his club, rambling about -- this is what he's been talking about, Hannibal Lecter, he says, is a nice guy.
Now, Trump would rather be electrocuted than eaten by a shark, and that whole thing, remember that? Poor Donald, he can't even watch TV this week because of Shark Week. By the way --
(CHEERS)
On more serious note, I had members of the -- of the -- from -- mostly from Europe, but 32 members of NATO in Washington. And by the way, and the press has covered this. They give me credit for strengthening NATO, expanding NATO, and making it what it is.
(CHEERS)
Look, this is deadly earnest. And that butcher Putin, who I know have known for a long time.
(CHEERS)
When he invaded Ukraine, here's what Trump said, I'm not making this up either. He called him a genius and said it was wonderful. What did in the hell is going on?
But people would rather talk about I mix up names. I guess they don't remember that Trump called Nikki Haley Nancy Pelosi.
[19:40:03]
Well, no. No more! Donald, no more free passes. Never to shine a spotlight on Donald Trump. I'm going to do it -- the press, so far, hasn't, but I think they're going to assume.
We're going to say who he is, what he intends to do. Folks, Donald Trump is -- Donald Trump is a convicted criminal.
(CHEERS)
Convicted --
(CHANTING)
He was convicted by -- he's convicted by a jury of his peers of 34 felonies for paying hush money to a porn star and hiding from voter in 2016.
Donald Trump was found liable for sexual assault by a judge who told us not to be fooled by Trump's brushing it off. Here's the judge wrote, quote, the judge in that case wrote Mr. Trump attempt to minimize sexual abuse, finding it frivolous. Mr. Trump raped her.
I mean, it's the judge saying, not mine -- raped her. As many people understand the word rape.
Folks, Donald Trump is a business fraud. Yes, he lost his license to do business in New York state, been fined over $400 million giving false information to banks.
And he's still facing charge for mishandling classified information, which is a criminal offense. He's still facing charges for his role in January 6th, trying to overthrow the outcome of the 2020 election. He's still facing charges in Georgia for election interference.
Remember his phone call? Just steal 11,780 votes.
Maybe another president's done any of that. Look, you don't know how bad a businessman Trump really is, just think about this -- he inherited millions of dollars only to squander it. Yeah he's filed bankruptcy six times.
He went -- he went bankrupt, he went bankrupt running a casino. I didn't think that was possible. Does the house always win in a casino?
Most importantly, I mean this from the bottom of my heart, Trump is a threat to this nation.
He ran a violent mob on January 6th to overturn the 2020 election, to hold on to power, to lie (ph), an election I won by 7 million votes.
(CHEERS)
Folks, by the way, he made these claims about stealing the election. Guess what? What happened was --
(INAUDIBLE)
(CHANTING)
By the way, now, know --
(CHANTING)
Folks --
(CHEERS)
Folks, look, give me one second, folks, look, I understand your passion. I understand your passion. That's why I put together a detailed plan that the United Nations has accepted, that the Israelis accepted, that the Palestinians have accepted, to end this war. This war must end. Must end.
(CHEERS)
[19:45:01]
Well, look, you saw their own eyes, you saw how he sent thousands of people to attack the Capitol, Trump. We saw the police being attacked, the Capitol being ransacked, the mob hunting for the speaker of the house, Nancy Pelosi. Gallows set up to hang Vice President Pence.
We saw -- we saw it here in Michigan, a stark attack on your state capitol, a horrendous plot to kidnap your governor, protests around -- protests surrounding your home, her -- the home of your secretary of state for simply doing her job. She's here tonight.
Madam Secretary, I'm proud of you. Where are you, Madam Secretary?
(CHEERS)
That's why I bestowed on the secretary of the Presidential Citizens Medal, one of the nation's highest honors in defense of democracy.
(CHEERS)
Folks, and now, Trump wants to pardon those January 6th insurrections. It's outrageous. It's wrong. And I will never let it happen.
(CHEERS)
No president has ever attempted to do what Trump tried to do. No president. Trump is even more dangerous now. No, I'm serious.
He's unhinged. He's snapped. And he refuses this time around, he refuses -- he refuses this time around to say he'll accept the results of this election, the results. Can you imagine that?
Look, he says, if he loses, there will be a bloodbath when he loses.
And the United States Supreme Court said there's virtually no limit on the power of a president. Trump said if he wins, he'll be a dictator on day one. He means it, folks.
We're not going to let that happen, over my dead body it will happen.
(CHEERS)
Folks -- not complicated. Just look at this right wing Project 2025.
(BOOS)
There's really focus on. You heard about it? It's a blueprint for the second Trump term that every American should read and understand.
Now, of course, Trump is lying about it now. He said, tries to distance himself, just like he's trying to distance himself from overturning Roe v. Wade because he knows how toxic it is. But we're not going to let that happen and the pressure and the press should neither.
Project 2025 is run and paid for by Trump people, his top policy people, his campaign press secretary. His personal bag man in the White House, the biggest funders and more. It was a project built for Trump.
Folks, Project 2025 is the biggest attack on our system of government, and our personal freedom has ever been proposed in the history of this country.
And here's the nightmare, it would -- what it would unleash. Trump Project 2025 will criminalize the shipping of abortion medications, medication anywhere -- anywhere to deny contraceptive coverage, allow ban nationwide. That's what Project 2024 -- 25 is calling about.
Project 2025 will deploy the Department of Justice to prosecute Trump's energy -- Trump, Trump's enemies. And that's the real deal. Trump's enemies.
Trump himself calls his campaign a campaign, so he calls it, revenge and retribution. That's what he said.
(BOOS)
Well, Trump's Project 2025 will eliminate the civil service. Now, I'm sure, not a joke. Read it.
And he will let and he'll allow him to hire tens of thousands of civil servants that are running only because they support Trump. They have to take a loyalty oath to Trump beforehand.
(BOOS)
Folks, that's not the United States of America.
Trump's 2025 project will cut Social Security, and Medicare, rip away protections for preexisting health conditions, will eliminate $35 a month cap on insulin, allowing drug companies to jack up the prices back up to 400 bucks a month. Stop Medicare from negotiating lower drug prices.
And by the way, I got criticized for taking on Medicare -- I mean, taking on the drug companies, the pharma for that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's all right.
BIDEN: Well, it's not -- damn right it's all right.
But, you know what he did, when I won, they cut the federal budget by $160 billion!
(CHEERS)
Trump's Project 2025 will eliminate the department -- he wants to eliminate the Department of Education. Not a joke.
(BOOS)
[19:50:04] He wants to cut school lunch programs.
(BOOS)
I know this almost sounds like a joke, but it's real.
He wants to eliminate Head Start for low income children.
(BOOS)
This project will allow employers to stop paying overtime for hourly workers but give -- but give the very wealthy another massive tax cut. The tax cut he's proposed is for $5 trillion over the next ten years.
Folks, Project 2025 is going to let him round up over 10 million people in America, and put them in detention camps.
You heard him say it. You heard him say he wants to do. That's what he says he's going to do, ripping them away from their homes and schools because Trump calls them animals who poison the blood of America.
Look, folks, there's only one reason, only some of Trump's plan 2020. It goes on for 900 pages. We've never seen anything like this. And it's not a joke. It's time for us to stop treating politics like entertainment and reality TV.
(CHEERS)
Another four years of Donald Trump is deadly serious, deadly serious. His proposals are deadly serious. America needs to wake up and realize that Trump and his MAGA Republicans, what they're trying to do.
We're going to join them. We're going to engage them, and we're going to stop them.
(CHEERS)
Folks, we all know it's not enough just to be against something. We have to be for something. That's why today, I'm going to start by laying out the first 100 days of my second term.
Here it is. The first bill I'm going to introduce will restore Roe v. Wade to make the law of the land.
(CHEERS)
I will sign the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the Freedom to Vote Act.
(CHEERS)
And we're not only going to stop Trump and the MAGA Republicans from cutting Social Security and Medicare, we'll expand and strengthen Social Security and Medicare.
(CHEERS) And here's how we're going to do it. The press always asks how. Listen, press -- by making the rich pay their fair share of Social Security.
(CHEERS)
And we're going to -- we're going to end medical debt. By that I mean, you've already made sure medical debt can no longer be put on your credit report.
(CHEERS)
You can wipe out a medical debt for pennies on the dollar. We're going to raise the federal minimum wage. We're going to pass the PRO Act, ending union-busting once and for all.
(CHEERS)
And I'm going to ban assault weapons again. I did it once. I'm going to do it again.
(CHEERS)
We're going to keep leading the world. We are on climate and clean energy.
When I signed the American Rescue Plan. The law expanded child care tax credit to cut child poverty in half in America, and it did. Republicans let it expire.
I'm going to make child care tax cuts permanent.
(CHEERS)
By the way, it increases economic growth, it doesn't increase the deficit. People can work in that job. I'm serious. That's the deal.
We capped the cost of insulin for seniors at 35 bucks, totally cost.
No senior beginning in 2025 is going to have to pay more than $2,000 a year for all their prescription drugs, including cancer drugs that are $10,000, $12,000, $14,000 a year.
And my second term, here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to make that same plan available for every single American.
(CHEERS)
Again, saving the federal government hundreds of billions of dollars over time. We're going to make housing more affordable. That means taking out corporate greed and getting the rents down.
We're going to build 2 million housing units and cap rent increases at 5 percent a year so corporate landlords can no longer gouge everyone they can. We can do this.
We're going to end Trump's tax cuts for the very wealthy and the corporations to make the tax code fair.
[19:55:04]
I kept my commitment. I thought, I think a lot of you thought, why is Biden doing what he said? Which is I -- no one making less than $400,000 will pay a penny more in federal taxes. I don't know many people making $400,000. In my neighborhood, no one did.
But I want to be clear, that I wasn't going to be taxing anyone who was a working men or anything close to it.
(CHEERS)
Here's what we're going to do. We're going to make billionaires, billionaires, we have a thousand in America since the pandemic, pay a minimum income -- a minimum tax of 25 percent.
You know what? By the way, you know what they pay now? Billionaires' federal tax is 8.2 percent.
(BOOS)
Not a joke. I'm not making this up because no billionaire should pay a lower tax rate than a teacher, a firefighter, a nurse. It's ridiculous.
(CHEERS)
That one thing alone would generate $500 billion in revenue over the next ten years, allowing us to do more for child care, elder care, bring down federal deficit, and do so much more.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Finish the job.
BIDEN: We're going to continue to secure the southern border. Look, after Trump killed the bipartisan effort we put together that a lot of Republicans supported as well, he called -- he got on the phone and he called all his friends because he said, if in fact, you vote for it, it's going to be a win for Biden and loss for me. So don't do it.
Well, the Republican Party -- I got to meet you. I was a little surprised when Republican Party walked away from it.
So that's what I took executive action. I said -- and since I did, the border encounters have gone down over 50 percent. We're going to keep it going down, fixing our illegal immigration, creating pathways for citizens, for Dreamers.
I made it clear for over half a million spouses in America, married to Americans, who don't have a green card after ten years, they're now going to get their green card.
(CHEERS)
Folks, the days of failed trickle down economics are over. My first hundred days of the second term is going to continue to be all about working people in this nation.
Unlike Donald Trump, I don't work for big oil. I don't work for big pharma. I don't work for the National Rifle Association. I work for you, the American people.
(CHEERS)
Everyone. Look --
(CHANTING)
What's America all about. Everyone in America is entitled to a fair shot, just a fair. No guarantee -- a fair shot.
But in America, we're going to leave no one behind and give everybody a fair shot. That's all they are.
Folks, let me close with this. I know I look 40 years old, I'm a little bit older. Hopefully with age comes a little wisdom.
And here's what I know -- I know how to tell the truth.
(CHEERS)
I know right from wrong.
(CHEERS)
I know how and I demonstrated how to do this job.
(CHEERS)
And I don't -- I know Americans want a president, not a dictator.
(CHEERS)
And I also know no self-respecting American president would ever, ever, ever be putting Putin's puppy like this guy is. That's who he is.
You know, Americans want to protect their freedoms, not give them up. I know what America stands for. We stand for the proposition that all -- all people are created equal and deserve an equal -- no, I mean it.
We've never fully lived up, but we've never walked away from it, though, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let Donald Trump walk this nation away from it.
(CHEERS)
Folks -- this race, this is about your family. It's about your freedom. It's about democracy.
CROWD: Yes.
BIDEN: Are you with me? CROWD: Yes.
BIDEN: Are we going to stop Donald Trump?
CROWD: Yes!
BIDEN: Let's get this done. Let's remember who we are. We are the United States of America. And there's nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together.
God bless you all. And May God protect our troops! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
(MUSIC)
BIDEN: All right. You're looking right now at President Biden on stage at a high school gym in Detroit. That was a raucous rally. Chants "four more years, don't you quit" throughout the rally?
Let's just be honest, energetic, passionate. That is a Joe Biden that many donors and Democrats wish that they saw on that debate stage, obviously a crucial moment to watch. He just spoke there for about 35 to 40 minutes at that rally.
You can see the response now and thanks so much to all of you for joining us.
Let's hand it off now for our continuing coverage with "ANDERSON COOPER 360".
