Kamala delivers remarks on Trump's coronavirus, economic failures
Good afternoon. On the eve. Of the 57th. March on washington. I will speak about. The recent events, in kenosha, wisconsin. The wildfires. Raging across the california. Coast, to the rocky mountains. The storm. Which is working its way through texas. Louisiana. And the gulf coast. And most of all. About who we are, as a country. We are a nation. That at its best. Loves. Protects. And helps. Our fellow, americans. Today. We see pain. Hurt. And destruction. In the ashes, of wildfires. And the damage of hurricane. Laura. We encourage, everyone, to continue, following, guidance, from your local authorities. To stay safe. And joe and i, pledge. To be there, for those whose lives, have been turned upside, down. Those who will need help. From neighbors. Strangers. And our government. To make it through. To build back. To restore. Your lives. And your communities. We also see pain. Hurt and destruction. In the aftermath. Of yet, another black man. Shot by police. Jacob blake. Shot seven times, in the back. In broad daylight. In front of his three, young. Sons. Seven, times. In the back. In broad, daylight. In front of his three. Young. Sons. As vice president biden, put it, the shots, fired. At mr blake. Pierced. The soul. Of our, nation. It's sickening, to watch. It's all, too familiar. And it must. End. Thankfully, he is alive today. But he is fighting for his life and he shouldn't have to be. My heart goes out to the blake family. As they endure. An ordeal. That is tragically. Common. In our country. Joe and i spoke with them yesterday. They are an amazing. Group of people with extraordinary. Courage. Even, in their pain and their grief. Even as they seek justice, for their son. They spoke, about the need. To end the violence. And heal. Our nation. I've had conversations. Like this with far too many mothers and fathers. But you will see and hear no one with more courage. More character. And more, moral, clarity. People are rightfully. Angry. And exhausted. And after the murders. Of brianna. And george. And ahmad. And so many others. It's no wonder. People are taken to the streets. And i support, them. We must, always, defend. Peaceful, protest. And, peaceful, protesters. We should not confuse. Them. With those looting and committing acts of violence. Including, the shooter, who was arrested, for murder. And make no mistake. We will not let, these vigilantes. And extremists. Derail, the path, to justice. Here is my promise, to those mothers, and fathers and all who stand, with them. In a biden, harris, administration. You will have a seat, at the table. In the halls, of congress. And in the white. House. We all, grew up, reciting. The pledge of allegiance. But now. We must give real meaning. To its words. One. Nation. Under, god. Indivisible. With liberty. And, justice. For all. Justice. Let's talk about that. Because the reality. Is that the life of a black person, in america, has never been treated as fully human. And we have yet. To fulfill, that promise. Of equal justice. Under. Law. We will only achieve that when we finally, come together. To pass, meaningful. Police reform, and broader. Criminal justice, reform. And acknowledge. Yes, acknowledge. And address. Systemic, racism. We will only come closer. To achieving, that. When we finally, come together. We have come a long way in our country. Toward building a more perfect union. And the time is now right now. To take the next. Step. Forward. And even as we experience. This reckoning. With racial. Injustice. We must also confront. Another crisis. The pandemic. That has torn apart. So many lives. The numbers that define, this crisis, are, staggering. We cannot, look the other way or allow, ourselves, to become numb to them. Nearly, 6 million, confirmed, cases. Of the coronavirus. 180. 000, lives. Lost. More than 50, million, claims for unemployment. This year alone. We need to see and we need to hear, what is happening. In our country. The quiet, desperation. That has taken, over. So many lives in america. The family. Packing into their car at five o'clock in the morning. Hoping the local food bank still has something, left.
When They get to the front of the line. The 50 year old store manager. Who's been laid off. And knows he can't pay the rent on the first of the month. The mothers and fathers. Stretched. To the breaking, point. Working from home. While helping their kids with their online, classes. Just trying to hold it all together. The small business owners. Economic. Engines. Of our communities. Who are shutting their doors, every, day. The nurse. Getting ready for her afternoon, shift. Who has seen so much suffering, and death in recent, months. And wonders. How much, more. Can she bear. To witness. The family. Grieving, the loss of their grandmother. Who's been in a nursing home, and who they couldn't even visit over the last three months, of her life. The alarming, and disproportionate. Rate. At which black. Latino, and, indigenous. Families. Are contracting. And dying. Of covet 19.. That. Is the reality, of america, right now. A reality. Completely. Absent. From this week's, republican. National convention. Because unlike the democratic, convention. Which was very clear-eyed. About the challenges, we are facing and how we will tackle them. The republican, convention. Is designed. For one purpose. To soothe. Donald, trump's ego. To make him feel good. But here's the thing. He's the president, of the united, states. And it's not supposed. To be about, him. It's supposed, to be. About the health, and the safety, and the well-being. Of the american. People. And on that measure. Donald trump has failed. You see, at its most, basic, level. Donald trump, doesn't, understand. The presidency. He thinks it's all about him. Well it's not. It's about you. It's about all of us. The people. As a lawyer and advocate. When i would rise to speak in a courtroom, i'd say the following, words. Kamala, harris. For the people. And that is why i stand today. To speak. For the people. Because we know the truth. Donald trump has failed at the most basic. And important. Job. Of a president, of the united, states. He failed. To protect. The american. People. Plain and simple. Trump showed. That we in the legal profession, would call. A reckless, disregard. For the well-being. Of the american, people. A reckless. Disregard. For the danger, a pandemic, would pose, to american, lives. For the devastation. It would do to our economy. For the damage. It would do to communities, of color who have been subjected. To structural. Racism, for generations. For the chaos. That would upend our daily, lives. Make it impossible. For many of our children to go to school. Make it impossible. To live normally. And with the, sense of certainty. He never appreciated. That a president, swears. An oath, before, god. And country. To protect. America. Against. Threats. Seen. And unseen. It's his duty. It's his obligation. To protect, us. And yet. He has, failed. Miserably. Here's the thing. Donald trump's incompetence. Is nothing new. That. Has always been on full display. But in january, of this year it became. Deadly. That's when the threat of a virus. That it would endanger, the world. First emerged. Trump, dismissed, the threat. But joe biden. Sound. The alarm. It would be the beginning. Of a pattern that persists. To this day. Trump. Telling us not to worry. That the virus, will quote disappear. That a quote miracle. Is coming. Joe biden. Saying we need a plan. A national, strategy. A president. Who is willing to lead. Willing to be a role model, for our nation. For our children. Trump still doesn't have a plan. He still, doesn't have a plan. Joe biden. Released, his first plan, in march. And here's what you have to understand, about the nature, of a pandemic. It's relentless. You can't stop it with a tweet. You can't create, a distraction. And hope it'll go away. It doesn't go away. By its nature. A pandemic. Is unforgiving. If you get it wrong at the beginning. The, consequences. Are catastrophic. And it's very hard to catch up, you don't get a second, chance. At getting it right. Well. President, trump. He got it wrong from the beginning. And then. He got it wrong. Again. And again. And the consequences. Have been catastrophic. And here's, why. Trump has been so unwilling. And unable. To deal with this crisis. First. He was fixated. On the stock market. Over, fixing, the problem. He tweeted about it, consistently. During this period. He was convinced. That is if his administration. Focused on this virus. It would hurt the market. And hurt his chances, of being reelected. That mattered to him more. Than saving, american, lives. Second. Right at the moment that we needed donald trump to be tough on the chinese, government. He, caved. On, january, 24th. He praised. The transparency. Of the chinese, government, he said quote. China has been working hard to contain, the coronavirus. The united, states, greatly, appreciates.
Their Efforts. And transparency. It will all work out well. But they weren't being transparent. They blocked. Public health inspectors. From our cdc. From getting, access. And information. That they needed, to protect, american, lives. Donald, trump. Stood, idly. By. And folks, it was a deadly. Decision. Instead of rising. To meet the most difficult, moment. Of his presidency. Donald trump froze. He was scared. And he was petty. And vindictive. On a call with governors, across the country on march 16th. He told them it wasn't, his job. To get personal, protective, equipment. To front line workers, he said quote. Respirators. Ventilators. All of the equipment. Try, getting it yourselves. Unquote. On that day. We had about, 5 000 cases, as a nation. Today. We have nearly 6 million. Even now. Some eight months into this crisis. Donald, trump still, won't take responsibility. He still, won't, act. And the tragedy, in all of this. Is it didn't have to be this bad. Just look around. It's not like this in the rest of the world. All we needed. Guys, all we needed was a competent, president. One who was willing to listen. Willing to lead. Take responsibility. Have a plan. Do their job. Well joe biden. Will be that president. He's got a national, strategy. He's more than ready to lead. Every month since march. As this pandemic, has unfolded. Joe biden has updated, the steps, he would take to save american, lives. And he's done it based on what every, scientist. Every, expert, every economist. Said, we should be doing. As president. Joe biden. Will put a plan, into effect, on day one. Develop. And deploy, rapid tests with immediate, results. Make sure testing. Treatments. And ultimately, a vaccine. Reach, all americans, including, communities, of color who have historically, been left behind. Manufacture. The medical, supplies, and protective, equipment, we need. And make them right here. In america. So we're never again at the mercy of china and other foreign countries. To protect, our own people. Joe and i will make sure. Our schools. Have all the resources. They need, to be open. And safe. And effective. Put politics, aside. And not silence, the experts. So the public gets the information. They need. And deserve. And. Put in place, a nationwide. Mask. Mandate. Because in joe's words. It's not a burden. To protect, each other. And he says that, because the thing about joe is he knows. We're all in this. Together. Donald trump. Says there's nothing he could have done to prevent all this death. Here's the truth. Barack obama, and joe biden. Had a program, called predict. That tracked, emerging, diseases, in places like china. I'm going to repeat that. The program. Tracked. Emerging. Diseases. In places, like. China. Trump cut it. They.
Detected. A team. And and, and created, that team. In the national security, council. To global, health and security. Dedicating. Them, to the work. Of global health and security, and biodefense. Donald trump. Eliminated. It. They implemented, standards. For nursing homes. To improve, infection. Control. Donald, trump, is erasing. Them. Before the virus, hit. Trump made our country, vulnerable. After, it was struck. He failed. To do what was necessary. As it continues. He's making it worse every day. Just this week. Just, this week. The social, security, administration. Said a cut to social security. Like the one trump is proposing. Would end, disability. Benefits, within one year. And end, all benefits, within three, years. So let me be as clear as possible. If donald. Trump's. Extreme. Proposal. Goes into effect. The checks, that american. Seniors, are relying, on. That you rely, on. To pay your bills. To buy your medicine. To live. Will stop coming. The very people. Who have suffered, so greatly, in this crisis. It's unthinkable. And in the middle of a health crisis, made worse. By his own actions. Donald trump is in court right now. Trying to throw out the entire, affordable, care act, including. The protections. It provides, for people with pre-existing. Conditions. So that means. If you are fortunate. Enough to survive. Covid19. Insurers. Could deny, you coverage, for treating. Any long-term. Effects. Now, president, trump. Won't tell you any of this. At the republican, convention, tonight. And we all know. He's not changing. The president he has been. Is the president, he will be. But we have a chance. To right. These wrongs. And put america. On a better. Path. Forward. One where, the leaders, we elect. Listen. To the experts. And follow the best medical guidance, to keep us. And our families. Healthy, and safe. One. Where we take, meaningful. Action. Against, systems. And traditions. Of oppression. One where we stop. Fanning, the flames, of hate, and division. And treat, one another. With the respect. And the dignity, that each one of us deserves. As joe biden, said, in his acceptance, speech.
We Have a choice. Between the light. And the dark. I believe. America. Will choose, the light. Thank. You. You.
2020-08-30 00:20
