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President Biden Lands In The U.K. Ahead Of G7 Summit; Biden Reverses Trump-Era Policies On TikTok And WeChat; Government Offers Incentives To Increase Vaccinations; U.S. President And First Lady Land In The U.K. Ahead Of G7 Summit; Biden Addresses Air Force Personnel Stationed In U.K. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired June 09, 2021 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:17]
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: And the Dow is headed for its third straight loss. A look at the big board there as we can call these markets
really not too much to move the markets today. We will continue, though to keep an eye on the S&P, which is still flirting with an all-time record.
Those are the markets and these are the main events: Joe Biden arrives in England for the G7 summit and he comes bearing vaccines. The U.S. President
is due to speak this hour. We will take you there live.
TikTok fans rejoice, the White House changes course on plans that could have seen the app banned.
And here at the Stock Exchange, it could be a record-breaking session, as I was just saying, as the S&P heads for an all-time high. I'll tell you, it's
pretty flat though right now.
Live from New York. It is Wednesday, the 9th of June. I'm Paula Newton, and this is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.
And good evening. Tonight, Joe Biden lands in England. His message to Europe over the next week, you will hear it again and again, America and
the transatlantic alliance is back. Now, this is the first trip abroad for the U.S. President after serving for decades in less prominent roles.
Now, his diplomatic mission begins, of course, with the G7 Summit in Cornwall, England. You see him and the First Lady arriving there. He will
meet with some of America's oldest and most trusted allies after many of those relationships were tested, of course, by his predecessor, Donald
Trump.
Now, the stakes have rarely been higher in recent decades. Breaking news in the last hour, we have learned that the Biden administration has indeed
purchased 500 million, half a billion doses, of Pfizer's COVID vaccine to be donated worldwide. Now, we're expecting that formal announcement to be
made tomorrow.
Meantime, the U.S. and Europe are experiencing what some call an economic reawakening from the coronavirus pandemic. While much, of course, of the
rest of the world, we have to be reminded, it continues to struggle with access to vaccines.
Now, in the face of growing authoritarian threats, Biden believes he needs to use this Summit to prove democracy can still work. Before departing
Washington, the President told reporters that a united display, a united front from the G7 can help blunt China and Russia.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Back into the alliance. Make it clear to Putin and to China that Europe and the United States are tight
and the G7 is going to move.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now, Mr. Biden, of course, is due to speak. You see the live picture right there to U.S. troops at that air base, RAF Mildenhall at any
moment.
Meantime, Arlette Saenz is with us from Falmouth where the Leaders' Summit will take place in the coming hours. A lot on the to-do list here, Arlette,
and a sense that we have from the White House on what success will look like in this inaugural foreign trip.
I will add, as I was just saying, Biden did not come empty-handed, already wanting to get the news out there that he will be -- he and his
administration will be donating half a billion vaccines, quite a way to announce that America is back.
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and the President is coming here to Cornwall with a very tangible item, as he plans to purchase
and donate 500 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, showing the United States' willingness to be a key player in vaccine diplomacy across the
world.
But President Biden has made clear that he really has two key priorities over the course of the next week. One is strengthening those alliances that
America has after many of the alliances had been under strain during the Trump administration. The President will be meeting here in Cornwall with
both the British Prime Minister and then have the G7 Summit meetings before moving on to Brussels for NATO and E.U. meetings there.
And part of the goal of that week is not just finding cooperation on various areas of agreement when it comes to climate change and trade, but
also the President wants to have a united front so that they can counter China and Russia, showing these adversaries that the U.S. and its allies
are ready to push back on any types of provocation or aggression.
Now, the President's high-stakes Summit will be probably the must-watched item of this week as he has that high-stakes meeting with Russian
President, Vladimir Putin in Geneva, Switzerland, just one week from today. There was some internal debate within the White House about whether or not
to have that face-to-face meeting with the Russian President on President Biden's very first foreign trip.
[15:05:10]
SAENZ: But ultimately, the President believes that that face-to-face interaction, that that is necessary to kind of gauge where these
conversations will head in the future. Part of Biden's international diplomacy, his brand of diplomacy is really focused on those personal
relationships and those one-on-one interactions that he can have with leaders.
So those are all conversations he will be fostering over the course of the next week when he meets with the Russian President, Vladimir Putin. He is
expected to bring up cyberattacks and also human rights violations, but also trying to find some areas of agreement on issues like climate change.
Now, the President landed a short while ago here in England, and his first order of business is speaking to those U.S. troops stationed at Mildenhall
Air Base just northeast of London, and then the President will make his way here to Cornwall as he prepares for that key few days of meetings with G7
leaders and also as he prepares to make that vaccine announcement, as the U.S. has really had faced some pressure to distribute and share more
vaccines with the world as so many countries are still battling this pandemic.
NEWTON: Yes. Certainly, there have been a lot of accusations of vaccine hoarding. I mean, clearly, he wanted to put that behind him. But I want to
ask you, Arlette, you know, I recall at the end of the Trump administration that European allies were pretty blunt, specifically saying that, look, you
may want to rid those transatlantic multilateral ties, but they're not going to be recovered so easily. Is this something that the Biden
administration is acknowledging?
SAENZ: Well, the Biden administration is aware of the situation that they are heading into. There are many skeptical leaders of allied countries who,
one, even as President Biden says that he is going to restore and put America back at the forefront, they are also aware that when President
Biden leaves office in four years or in eight years, there will be another President.
And so, it is unclear where exactly the U.S. strategy will go from there. But for the time being, the President is trying to reassure those allies
that America has their back and wants to find areas of cooperation as he is setting this foreign policy agenda for the U.S.
NEWTON: Yes, certainly a lot at stake as we've already outlined over the next few days, especially with this being so far into his administration
already and yet, his first trip overseas. Arlette, you will be there for it and we will stand by there for live remarks from the President. Thanks so
much.
Now, as we were saying, it is obviously no accident that Mr. Biden's first trip abroad, of course as President, is to Europe. Now, his goal is to
highlight those traditional American alliances that Arlette and I were just talking about after four years of significant strain under Donald Trump.
Now, the G7 Summit is just one event in his week-long journey. Next, he will visit Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle, and then he is off to
Brussels for that all-important NATO Summit. And finally, he will meet Vladimir Putin for high-stakes talks in Geneva.
Biden says the message is that Europe can count on the U.S. once more. Shortly after taking office, he declared the transatlantic alliance is
back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: I know -- I know the past few years have strained and tested our transatlantic relationship, but the United States is determined --
determined -- to reengage with Europe, to consult with you, to earn back our position of trust of leadership.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Peter Westmacott is a former British Ambassador to the U.S., France, and Turkey. He is the author of "They Call it Diplomacy." He joins
us now tonight from Yalikavak in Turkey. Now, I've got to go back and really make a fine point of this.
The restoration ties, and specifically trust as the President was talking about, seems to be the priority here. Yet you get the sense that Biden
needs to turn the clock back not just those years that Trump was in office, but decades to a time when Russia, the Soviet Union, shall we say, and
Communist Russia posed more of a threat.
He really wants to try and pose this united threat, can he be successful at that especially when you're looking at these European allies and they are
quite leery?
PETER WESTMACOTT, FORMER BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S., FRANCE, AND TURKEY: Well, I think he is trying to do a number of different things. It
is not for me to quite predict how the President is going to handle this, but from all the signs that we have seen, it looks to me as though yes, he
wants to reset America's relationship with its close allies and like-minded and the countries that share the same values. I'm not sure that he is
looking to go back to the days of the Cold War.
Russia, clearly, he wishes to treat in a different way to the way President Trump did, which was essentially to give President Putin a pass and really
to avoid any criticism or most criticism of Russian bad behavior, with some exceptions, because he did expel a large number of Russian spies, I recall.
I think it's more about America resuming its natural place, as he would see it, as the, if you like, moral leader of the western world, not in order
just going up and tally on Russia. Russia is an irritant, it can do a lot of mischief, messes about with cyberwarfare, interferes with democracy, has
a nasty habit of murdering dissidents and opponents, and so on, and even supporting states on sort of hijacking civilian aircraft.
[15:10:26]
WESTMACOTT: But there is also the question of what about the very significant strategic challenge posed by China? Very different sort of
exercise, different sort of relationship, and I think thereto, the President is going to be looking for ways of finding a new consensus with
allies, as well as addressing some of the really global issues like vaccine diplomacy and how to deal with coronavirus and what about climate change,
and how do we restore a proper global trading system where it isn't just war by tariffs and sanctions and other measures which discriminate against
countries and have a nasty habit of making everybody worse off.
So, I think it is taking account of the new realities that we've got in front of us, not just resetting the clock back to the days of the Cold War.
NEWTON: What you're getting at, though, I mean, it is just exhausting to listen to the laundry list. And this alliance, let's face it, has been
damaged because even before some people were skeptical as to whether or not any of these alliances would amount to anything, even the G7 is seen with
some kind of impotence, really.
So, a list of priorities, you talked about them -- the security cooperation, the tax harmonization, climate, even vaccines now -- how can
President Biden make those alliances effective again, especially when you outlined so clearly there the complexities of the China and Russia
relationships?
WESTMACOTT: I think when you are bringing together the heads of state and government of the G7, you are looking about, you are looking at
establishing personal relationships with people, some of whom he has met, some of whom he will be meeting for the first time.
Now, how a bit of those cynics can say, well, it is all pointless, it's all just a charade. All the work has done before, drafting the community case
and what's the point, so to speak. But I'm not one of those. Yes, there will be lots of hard work and yes, there's been a tremendous amount of work
on the bilateral relationship between Britain and America, as well as the United States and Europe. That's been going on behind the scenes.
But this is also about establishing personal relationships of trust and of understanding where each side is coming from and what can be done and what
are the real bottom lines. And it may not sound very important to some people, but I suspect that one of these is on President Biden's agenda not
only for Boris Johnson, but also for the European Union, is what about Ireland?
And what about Northern Ireland? And what about the way in which the United Kingdom leaving the European Union with its Brexit potentially is damaging
to the stability of Ireland, which has been created by the Good Friday Agreement back in 1998.
President Biden is a strong Irish-American Catholic. He's also got British roots. But he has cared for a very long time about what happens in Ireland.
So, I think that's an issue where he'll be wanting to talk to the British Prime Minister, as well as his European colleagues, if you like, at the
micro level.
But there are also those very big issues that I was talking about, but they come back to establishing relationships of trust and respect and
thoroughness. And President Biden is somebody who is well-known for doing so, like reading the briefs, going through the folders, informing himself
about the detail.
And I'd like to think that there will be real progress on a number of these very complex issues when these great leaders sit down together in very
formal and very beautiful surroundings of Cornwall.
NEWTON: We're not sure if the weather will cooperate, but they are stunning surroundings even in the rain. As you're speaking, we are looking of course
at a live picture. We see President Biden will be speaking shortly there from RAF Mildenhall there in England. We see U.S. troops awaiting his
arrival.
I'm glad that you went into that very, you know, crucial relationship really between Britain and the United States at such a pivotal time when
Europe and Britain are still at odds over Brexit. I don't have to remind anyone here that the Obama administration was very vocal years ago that it
was against Brexit. And President Biden himself very vocal.
You know, I was shocked to learn that Boris Johnson and President Biden have actually not met. How do you think that that relationship right now,
and you were obviously right on the money in pointing out how crucial that relationship in Northern Ireland is to the entire negotiations going
forward, how do you think that personal relationship now? What happens in the coming days will pivot to really it's in everyone's interest that
Europe and Britain, and they continue to have what is a productive, especially commercially productive relationship?
WESTMACOTT: Well, I think, let's see where the personal chemistry goes. I think there are certain similarities of the personalities. I personally
feel that both Boris Johnson and Joe Biden have a certain sort of back- slapping tactile approach to people who they get along with.
[15:15:16]
WESTMACOTT: Both are interested in other human beings, and so I would rather hope that a good personal relationship can be struck up. It is
rather extraordinary that they haven't met before. But you're quite right, there is a bit of history here, and not only President Obama, but his then
Vice President, Joe Biden were pretty clear that they thought Brexit was a bad idea and I think they probably thought that a good part of the campaign
that was led in, part, by Boris Johnson but also by others was, shall we say, less than straightforward, less than honest in terms of the
commitments that he had made about how everything would be wonderful afterwards, and life would be as easy as pie in terms of Britain's
commercial and economic and other relationships with the rest of the European Union.
What we're seeing now especially in the context of Northern Ireland and not only in that context is that it is a lot more complicated than that.
And of course, President Biden will be aware that there was a certain affinity between Boris Johnson and Donald Trump, and now of course, all
Prime Ministers and Presidents have to have a good working relationship.
But you know, some of that won't be lost, shall we say. But they will be moving on from that, and I have never had the impression that President
Biden was somebody who bears grudges. So, he will want to make a fresh start, and he will be glad, I think, to breathe new life and substance into
the bilateral relationship with the United Kingdom, even though the U.K. is now outside the E.U.
And I think we're going to hear a lot more about that in the next few days about what's going to happen between the two countries, building on the
very strong commercial investment and like soft power relationship as well as the military and the Intelligence and the cybersecurity and the
counterterrorism work that we do together in the way in which British and American soldiers and diplomats have worked so hard together in difficult
theaters like Afghanistan and Iraq and Libya and other places.
So I think there's bags of substance there. I think there's a new relationship to be formed with the new Prime Minister. But I have plenty of
confidence that they can be made to work.
NEWTON: And so it begins, really in the coming hours. Peter Westmacott, I appreciate you standing by for us. We will come to you later in the hour as
we await the words from the President there on the ground now about to start his first foreign trip. Appreciate it and we will speak to you in
just a few minutes.
WESTMACOTT: I look forward to that.
NEWTON: Thank you. Now, Joe Biden is set to speak, as we say, in just a few minutes. Of course, we will bring you all of that live. But first though,
governments are getting creative to try and get people vaccinated. They are seeing whether cash -- get this -- or even cows, will get people to get
their shot.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:20:26]
NEWTON: All right. Let the teenagers make dance videos. We all know, they do worst things than that on TikTok, but whatever.
Joe Biden is reversing a Trump administration order that aimed to ban the popular Chinese apps like TikTok and WeChat. Mr. Biden still wants his
administration to review the national security threat posed by certain foreign-made apps.
Clare Sebastian is in New York. Clare, on these apps, this reverse is, of course, a Trump executive order. But it is still a bit more of a strident
approach, I would call it, in terms of hanging out this whole security review implication.
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Paula. So, the bottom line is that the Biden administration doesn't actually disagree with the
Trump administration in their view that these apps could pose a national security threat when it comes to their use of Americans' data.
But what they are doing is trying to correct the mistakes of the Trump administration. Clearly, the executive orders that were passed under Trump
which aimed to ban the operations of apps like WeChat and TikTok in the United States didn't work. They were never enforced. They were challenged
in court.
So what the Biden administration is trying to do is set a framework. They've asked the Commerce Department to come up with a set of criteria for
assessing whether these apps and software pose a national security threat, the Commerce Department then has to publish a series of reports on the
matter, and that -- you know, it is thought it will hopefully provide a framework for any potential future action against these companies should
the Biden administration want to do that.
So, they are hoping that this will stand up legally. That's what they're doing. And of course, in the broader context here, Paula, as President
Biden arrives at the G7, he is clearly going to be rallying -- trying to rally support around his policies on China, which have been extremely
strident.
You know, the Senate bill that passed this week to sort of invest in the U.S. to counter competition from China, there was an expansion of an
investment law last week banning investing in companies that are linked to the Chinese military.
So clearly, he is opposed to China, he is increasing these strides, and this is another symptom of that.
NEWTON: Yes, Clare, we'll continue to keep an eye on all of this, obviously, because there are a lot of issues with privacy concerns as well
in China and these apps. Clare Sebastian, really good to see you. I appreciate the update.
Now, G7 leaders will discuss how to get vaccines to the world this weekend. Their issue isn't just supply, it is very clearly demand. Some governments
are getting creative with incentives. In Serbia, they are offering the equivalent of 30 bucks for receiving the vaccine. One district in Thailand
is giving residents a chance to win a cow, one cow per week for the rest of the year. Not sure where you're going to put all of them, but anyway.
And in the United States, President Biden said Americans will get free beer -- that's an old trick -- if 70 percent of adults have at least one dose by
July 4th.
Katy Milkman is a Professor at the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania. She is also the author of "How to Change," and
joins me now live via Skype.
This is just so perplexing. I really hope that in your background you can explain this to us, because the issue here is not so much people who are
against vaccines or so-called anti-vaxxers, it is a much more nuanced thing. How do you incentivize these people?
KATY MILKMAN, PROFESSOR, WHARTON BUSINESS SCHOOL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA: Right. I like to call them the moveable middle. These are
people who have thought about it and decided maybe the costs don't quite outweigh, or, excuse me, the benefits don't quite outweigh the costs when
they're thinking about getting a vaccine.
Maybe they're not too concerned that they're going to get the coronavirus and have a really bad outcome. Or maybe it's complicated to get the time
off from work or they're worried about the side effects and how they will deal with that.
So what is happening now is, we are looking for ways to sweeten the deal so that the moveable middle will come along and get vaccinated so we can reach
herd immunity.
NEWTON: Yes, and it is a key point, especially when we have all these variants floating around. But what works and why does it work? It has been
pointed out many times on a serious note that there are parts of the world, entire continents that do not have enough vaccines yet. And yet in some of
our countries, we have to bribe people to take them.
MILKMAN: Yes. I feel that it is unfortunate. I share that point of view. But, frankly, probably in lots of parts of the world, when they reach this
many vaccinated, they will also start to see a drop off in demand and need to figure out what works.
So, we are just a little bit ahead of the curve on that. And what we know is that, these kinds of incentives can be very effective for changing
health behaviors. And I'm particularly bullish about lottery incentives because people tend to get really excited about the potential of a big
jackpot. It generates a lot of marketing buzz.
[15:25:10]
MILKMAN: And we know from behavioral economics that people tend to overweigh the small probability of winning a lottery, right, we don't
differentiate very well in our heads between, say, a one in a million chance of something and a one in a thousand chance. And so hearing that you
could win a million dollars, people tend to value that chance more than the expected value in cash if it were just handed to them.
NEWTON: Yes, it is so interesting, right, as you point out in terms of behavioral economics. One thing that's always confused me is, I kind of
don't understand why a lottery or beer would work, and, yet, just that whole issue of convenience maybe. Maybe you don't need to bribe them, you
just have to make it totally convenient.
Why has it not worked to just say, look, we're going to give it to you, and then this means you can enter a concert, you can go into a place without
wearing a mask?
MILKMAN: Those things are helping, right, it seems like -- I mean, the data looks like these things are all contributing, and different people respond
to different kinds of incentives, and that's really what is happening now is we're trying to understand what resonates with who, what creates
benefits that are large enough to tip the scales for these people in the moveable middle.
And one thing is radical convenience, right, we're giving people free Lyft and Uber rides. We're trying to make the vaccine available at all hours of
the day at your local pharmacy, hopefully eventually your doctor's office. So, that's great.
I've done research showing simple text reminders can be an effective way. Telling people we've reserved a vaccine for you seems like something that
can help. Scheduling them for an appointment. So, there are a lot of different tools in our toolkit, and because this is such an important and
urgent problem, it makes sense to be using all of them.
NEWTON: Again, this is a matter of public health. When we get to that issue, what do you find works? I mean, you talked to us about the lottery.
Is it really just that issue of cold hard cash that seems to work the best in whatever form?
MILKMAN: It probably differs a bit for different people. So, some people need to hear from a persuasive messenger, someone who they trust it. It
depends honestly what the barrier is for the individual. If you're nervous because you don't understand the vaccines, you may need to have a
conversation with your doctor about the science and about why this really is safe and it's been well tested.
If you have an issue with convenience, you have a job that isn't flexible in terms of its hours, then the most important thing for you might be
making it possible to get this vaccine late on a Friday night or late on a Saturday night.
If you simply don't see that the benefits are large enough because you think, you know, I'm 18, I'm invincible and I don't need this, I'm going to
be fine if I get this virus, if that's your mindset, then maybe we need to pay you cash or get you really excited about a big jackpot and how that
could mean you could buy a yacht.
So everybody has a different reason that they're not getting the vaccine at this point, who is still holding out, and all of these different tactics
are a suite of approaches we can use, each with evidence behind them to tackle the different barriers.
NEWTON: Yes, and that's the key, right, there is evidence behind this, and that is going to work especially, as you said, you get to that moveable
middle, in your words.
Thanks so much, really appreciate it. It's fascinating really.
MILKMAN: My pleasure. Thanks for having me.
NEWTON: Now, Joe Biden is set to speak at the G7 Summit. We'll bring you that live when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:30:00]
NEWTON: U.S. President Joe Biden landed about a half hour ago at RAF Mildenhall. He and the first lady are due to speak to U.S. troops at any
minute. They were greeted by troops and their families after arriving in the U.K. for that all-important G7 summit, which officially starts Friday.
Our own Hala Gorani is live there.
And it really is breathtaking, given what we've seen in the pandemic and all of these virtual summits, that we're actually going to have one live
and in person. I'm interested to hear from you what the expectations are on the other side of the pond.
HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: I think world leaders want to welcome the U.S. back into the old world order fold, if you will, after
four years of Donald Trump, Donald Trump, who criticized multinational organizations, who essentially called the G7 outdated, who criticized NATO,
who criticized the United Nations.
These world leaders are probably relieved that they are going to interact this time with a U.S. President of the sort of old guard. Joe Biden has
been in politics, was vice president, of course, for two terms to Barack Obama.
And so this is going to be a lot friendlier than, for instance -- and you'll remember this photo that so embodied the relationship that Donald
Trump had with world leaders in Quebec, Canada, in 2018, where they were all crowded around him.
He was seated at a table, with his arms crossed defensively. This is going to be an entirely different atmosphere. It will be a lot friendlier.
What can be achieved?
What are some of the deliverables?
Well, there are going to be many promises made. The U.S. announced that it would purchase half a billion doses of the COVID vaccine and distribute
them, 200 million, 300 million. This year, 200 million, next year through the COVAX program.
So the U.S., before the President of the United States even landed, signaling that it is back, it is back in its role. The Biden administration
wanting to send a message in its role as a country that is willing to engage with the international community and participate in poverty
alleviation and, in the case of COVID-19, combating this horrendous virus that has paralyzed the world now for almost 1.5 years.
Now interestingly, RAF Mildenhall is a Royal Air Force base but it is the home of a few hundred U.S. troops. This is primarily a U.S. Air Force
operation, refueling operation. So when you have aircraft that travel from one end of the world to the other, on their way to the U.S. or on their way
back from the U.S., this is where refueling takes place.
So as you mentioned there, Paula, we're expecting the U.S. President any minute and we'll be closely following what he has to tell troops today.
NEWTON: Yes. And the president and the first lady many times voicing certainly their admiration for the troops and the priority that they take
for the Biden administration. We will have those comments to the troops shortly. People are standing there, Hala.
[15:35:00]
I guess they're getting ready. They can see the president. Hala, thanks for standing by for us. We appreciate it.
And we will bring you that speech as soon as it happens right after the break.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
NEWTON: And we are back as Joe Biden is set to take the stage there in England. You are listening now. We will listen in to the first lady, Jill
Biden, who will introduce the president as they address U.S. troops. Take a listen.
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
DR. JILL BIDEN, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: Joe, pay attention.
(LAUGHTER)
As the daughter of a Navy signal man in World War II and a mother of a major who was in the Delaware Army National Guard and served a year in Iraq
and now as your first lady, I am so proud to be here with all of you to begin our first overseas trip.
From those of you who have served more than 20 years, to the youngest military kids that I see in the crowd, you are our ambassadors to the world
and thank you for representing us with dignity and pride. Our military may wear the uniform but you are as crucial to our military as radar is to a
fighter jet.
In the United States, we have an all volunteer force and it continues because generations of Americans see the honor, dignity and patriotism of
military service. When you serve, your family serves, too.
That is why supporting made physical, social and emotional health of our military families is a national security imperative. And the leadership
here at Mildenhall is a help, too.
You may be familiar with the term military dependents but for the past 15 months it became abundantly clear just who exactly was depending on who.
Our military families already birthed in sacrifice are the true unsung heroes, end quote.
(APPLAUSE)
And the colonel's right, you are heroes.
[15:40:00]
And your commander in chief and I believe that as well. I'm supporting you. It is so personal to us and one of my top priorities.
Through our White House initiatives to support military families called Joining Forces, we are going to find military spouse employment and
entrepreneurship, makes sure that you can get quality child care when you need it and provide the education that your children deserve.
(APPLAUSE)
No one has more grit and resilience than our military families. But you can't do this alone. We have to help you carry this weight. By improving
access to mental health resources, making sure everyone can put food on the table and supporting caregiving families and survivors.
Joining Forces will expect every government agency to step up and be a part of this effort.
We are going to make sure that the families of our service members and veterans, caregivers and providers have what they need to survive. To
thrive. Our military is a community bound together by love. Love for our country, love for the men and women who serve beside you, your husbands and
wives, are moms and dads.
And it for the communities that you built together. It is our obligation to match that devotion. May God bless all of you, our troops and their
families. And now, I am excited to welcome our next speaker, someone who is so familiar with what it means to be a part of the military family, Sydney
Glascock.
(APPLAUSE)
Sydney, I know growing up as the child of two service members comes with challenges but has also helped you to become the person you are today.
Someone with a broad and beautiful perspective of the world who is able to weather the uncertainty. I hope you know how special you are and we are so
grateful for your and your families service -- so, Sydney.
(APPLAUSE)
SYDNEY GLASCOCK, CHIEF MASTER SGT. KATHI W. GLASCOCK'S DAUGHTER: Thank you, Dr. Biden, for the introduction, all of your support for our military
families and your amazing work tonight. Give her another round of applause.
(APPLAUSE)
Good evening. I am Sydney Glascock and as a military child for my whole 14 years, I can appreciate what they words military family really means.
With both of my parents actively serving in the military, my mom is the command chief and my dad currently deployed, I understand that military
family involves more than just my family unit but rather everyone in this room.
Even those of us -- even if those of us here tonight do not share the same last name or bloodline, we step up for one another at any time. That is
what makes each of you so special. That is what defines us. And that is what makes me incredibly proud to share this community with our next guest.
Ladies and gentlemen, let us welcome our commander in chief, the President of the United States, Joe Biden.
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hello, Mildenhall. Thank you for that introduction and your service leading this team at a difficult
time.
[15:45:00]
We know that it's the whole family that serves. I also want to thank Melissa. I know I know your next assignment is U.S. Transportation Command,
starts soon. So congratulations and thank you, thank you, thank you.
And, Sydney, you are 14 years old. When I was 14 -- pleas, at ease.
I keep forgetting I am president.
(LAUGHTER)
When I was 14 years old, I mean this sincerely, scared to death to stand up in front of a microphone in front of a small crowd or small crowd. As a
child I used to stutter badly, I had great difficulty speaking in front of other people. So I expect that when you are president you will remember me.
You are really quite a polished young woman.
And I know it is going to be hard to have your dad deployed to Afghanistan and I also know how proud you are of him and your mom the chief master
sergeant for being part of our leadership. Our son both served as a U.S. -- our son beau served for a while and they erected a war monument to him.
He joined the National Guard, gave up his job as attorney general of the state of Delaware so he could go with his unit to Iraq for a year. We got -
- when he got promoted to major, I said Beau, you're now a feel-great officer. You should have no illusions. I know who runs the military, chief
magister -- master sergeants.
(APPLAUSE)
So thank you for your dedication and service and I want to thank you all, all of your families, for the sacrifices they have made. Congratulations on
having just a wonderful child. There's an awful lot of history at the space on my proud history for the British people, the bravery and heroism of the
royal Air Force pilots fighting to defend their nation.
I'm sure everyone here knows the history, just six hours after Britain and France declared war on Germany in 1939, three commerce took off from
Mildenhall and bombed. In World War II, they dropped nearly 28,000 tons of bombs on Nazi Germany, flying more than 8000.
This base has been a great source of British airpower, the proud history of a proud nation but there's also an awful lot of American Air Force in this
room tonight, the Air Force formed the 100 bombardment crew and by the way, just so you know, my uncle who was killed in World War II in new Guinea was
the army air corps.
He got shot down in a reconnaissance flight. I know he is looking down and thinking all these years, my God what this Air Force can accomplish. The
100 ran more than 8000 searches in the territory and supported operations from d-day to the battle of the bulge. And when they first arrived in the
U.K. And the bloody 100th. So let me hear it for the bloody 100th.
(APPLAUSE)
And what about 352nd Special Operations Wing?
Team Reconnaissance?
The Mobility Command?
Maybe the 500 Support Combat Wing?
And this may be a historic first for an Air Force base. There might be a few members of the United States Army with us.
Come on, man.
(LAUGHTER)
[15:50:00]
For all you airmen and soldiers, we want to say thank you. We owe you. We are so damn proud of you. So proud. And I only wish my major was here to
thank you as well, thank you for everything you do and everything you are.
There is nothing that Jill and I enjoy more than spending time with our troops and their families wherever we go in the world. I have the great
honor of being to Afghanistan and Iraq well over 27-28 times, I think Jill is only the second first lady in American history who has gone into a war
zone in Baghdad with me as well.
You're the best of our country. That is not hyperbole. You are the ones who sign up and run toward danger when duty calls. Less than 1 percent of
Americans make the choice that you make, that you made but the rest of us, the other 99 percent big.
I have long said -- owe you big. I have long said that as a nation we have many obligations but only one truly sacred obligation. To prepare the women
and men to -- we send in to harm's way, to take care of your families when you come home and when you are deployed.
Now I have the incredible honor of serving as her commander in chief, I believe that even more strongly. I want to give an extra special thank you
to all of the families. As you heard from Jill, we Bidens are a proud military family and I know it is not just the person who wears the uniform
who serves, the whole family has to step up, the whole family makes sacrifices.
There was a quote that says they also serve -- I watched when beau was serving, when he was in Iraq and Jill -- hoping she never got that phone
call. That's even more true during lockdowns and safety precautions to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Everyone in this room knows that our military families are essential to us. We want to make sure we are doing everything we can to support our military
spouses and children and their mothers and fathers as well, just like may support all of you. You not only did an amazing job keeping COVID-19 under
control on the base, you took care of each other and throughout the initiatives like your spouse-to-spouse connection --
(APPLAUSE)
My mother would kill me if she were here, I should have turned around and apologized for my back to you, I apologize, haven't figured out how to
turn. Folks, thousands of hours volunteering spent to make sure everyone got to this. I know the last 15 months have a lot of new pressures but all
of you rose to the task together as one team, Team Mildenhall. And you never let up on your mission.
I am so proud to be with all of you to kick off my first overseas trip as president. I have been out here many times. I visited well over 100
countries as president -- vice president, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, this my first overseas trip as the President of the United
States.
And heading to the G7 and then to the NATO and then to meet with Mr. Putin to let him know what I want them to know.
(APPLAUSE)
And at every point along the way, we're going to make it clear that the United States is back and Democracies of the world are standing together to
tackle the toughest challenges and issues that matter most to our future. That we are committed to leading this plan, defending our values and
delivering for our people.
[15:55:00]
Americans are in a position to advance our natural -- national security and economic prosperity when we bring together like-minded nations to stand
with us. These nations that have shared book -- shed blood alongside of us, defending our shared values, our unrivaled network of alliances and
partnerships are the key to American advantage in the world and have been.
They make the world safer for all of us. And they are how we are going to meet the challenges of today which is changing rapidly, we are going to
meet it at a position of strength. Our alliances are grounded on Democratic ideas, a shared view of the future and where every voice matters.
Where the rights of all people are protected. The same reason some of you signed up to serve, to proudly defend and honor the Democratic values of
our natural strength. If our friends will execute -- our British breads will excuse me quoting the declaration of independence, America is unique
of all the world because we are not forced -- formed from geography or religion but an idea. The only nation in the world founded on the notion of
an idea.
We hold this truth to be self-evident that all men are created equal, endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights including life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Meaning no nation can defeat us as long as we stick to our values. It is our American creed. It makes us who
we are. And it draws friends and partners to our side. For hundreds of years, Americans have fought and sometimes died defending those values.
Folks, look, America leads not by the example of its power but by the power of our example.
All of you are service members stationed around the world, you are the solid steel spine. Around which alliances are built and strengthened year
after year. These partnerships have hardened and inspired war and generations of Americans and service members who have fought them. Like the
original bloody hundred, those pilots and the shared mission of World War II, flying, fighting, winning, done together. These bonds of history and
shared sacrifice run deep and are strong, decent values. And they endure.
U.S. families in the U.K., 20,000 strong, are not only warriors but diplomats and bridge builders. You are the essential part of what makes up
this special relationship between Great Britain and the United States.
Over the next few days, like I said, I will be participating in meetings with many of our closest partners, the G7 in Cornwall and on to Brussels
for the NATO summit, the E.U. summit. This diplomacy is essential because no single nation acting alone can meet all of the challenge we face today
because the world is changing.
To quote another Irish poet, the world has changed, changed utterly, a terrible beauty has been born. We are at a different place than they were
10 years ago, a better position but a different place.
We have to build the shared future we see, the future where nations are free, where a global commons, the seas, the air and space can reopen and be
accessible to the benefit of all.
This century's most precious challenges, we have to do it together. We have to. And COVID-19, not just at home, which we are doing it, but everywhere.
END
