Fired Up and Ready to Go!

My remarks as delivered at a Pittsburgh, PA rally in support of Vice President Kamala Harris

Hello, Pittsburgh. Are you fired up? Are you ready to go? It is good to be back in Pennsylvania. It is good to be back in Pittsburgh. I love Pittsburgh. I love the people of Pittsburgh. I love the food in Pittsburgh. I don’t usually do this, but this is a little bit of a Yelp rating. Just had some of Kamala’s pancakes. I first had those ten, 15 years ago when I was running, and I was like, “I need some of those pancakes this time out.” Even though I’m from Chicago, some of you may know when I was a kid, I was a Steelers fan. Watching the Steelers this season, it seems I’m not the only guy from Chicago who likes being in Pittsburgh, because so far, Justin Fields is doing pretty good.

Now, before we get started, we have a little bit of work to do here. I want everybody to just settle in; we got some work to do. Before we get started, I did want to say that we are heartbroken about the loss of life in Florida and North Carolina, states across the South[east]. We are thinking about people, families whose lives have been upended by the storms over the last couple of weeks. I could not be more grateful for the first responders and FEMA professionals who have put themselves in harm’s way to try and help. It’s times like this when you realize having honest, competent leadership in government really matters. It makes a difference.

Today, I’m asking you to vote for some of those leaders, including some folks we need working with your outstanding governor, who you just heard from, Governor Josh Shapiro. We need them in Harrisburg. We need you to vote for your next auditor general, Malcolm Kenyatta. Your next attorney general, Eugene DePasquale. Your next state treasurer, Erin McClelland. And my buddy, your outstanding United States Senator, Bob Casey.

Now, here in Pennsylvania, there are three ways to vote. You can vote early in person at the county election office or at a satellite office. You can also vote by mail. And if you need to figure out how to do that, just go to IWillVote.com/PA to find a place to vote early or to request a ballot. And of course, you can vote at your polling place on Election Day, November 5th. But if you’re at this rally, let’s face it, you’re probably voting, unless you are 12. You also have to help your friends and family make a plan to vote. And even if you’re 12, you can do that. Talk to your mom, dad, aunts, and uncles, because together, we have a chance to choose a new generation of leadership in this country and start building a better and stronger and fairer and more hopeful America.

Now, you’ve already heard tonight, this election is going to be tight because there are a lot of Americans who are still struggling out there, who’re still striving to make life better for themselves, for their families, and for their kids. Let’s face it, as a country, we’ve been through a lot these last few years. We had a historic pandemic wreaking havoc on communities and businesses. Disruptions from the pandemic then caused prices to spike, and that put a strain on family budgets. And in many ways, it felt like the aspirations of working people have taken a back seat to the priorities of the rich and the powerful. I get it why people are looking to shake things up. I mean, I am the hopey-changey guy, so I understand people feeling frustrated and feeling we can do better.

What I cannot understand is why anybody would think that Donald Trump will shake things up in a way that is good for you, Pennsylvania. I don’t understand that. Because there is absolutely no evidence that this man thinks about anybody but himself. I’ve said it before, Donald Trump is a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago. You’ve got the tweets in all caps. the ranting and raving about crazy conspiracy theories. the two-hour speeches, word salad. It’s like Fidel Castro just on and on. Constant attempts to sell you stuff. Who does that? Selling you gold sneakers and $100,000 watch, and most recently, a Trump Bible. He wants you to buy the word of God: Donald Trump edition! It’s got his name right there next to Matthew and Luke.

You could not make this stuff up. If you saw it on Saturday Night Live, you’d say, “Well, no. That’s going too far.” No! He’s doing that. It’s crazy. And the reason he does it is because all he cares about is his ego and his money and his status. He’s not thinking about you. Donald Trump sees power as nothing more than a means to an end. He wants the middle class to pay the price for another huge tax cut that would mostly help him and his country club buddies. Doesn’t care if he costs more women their reproductive freedoms because it won’t make a difference in his life. Do not boo. Vote! They can’t hear your boos, but they can hear your votes. Most of all, Donald Trump wants us to think that this country is hopelessly divided between us and them, between the “real Americans” who support him and the outsiders who don’t. Because having people divided and angry, he figures boosts his chances of being elected. And he doesn’t care who gets hurt.

Think about it. Just the other day, we learned that on January 6th, a couple years ago, Donald Trump was told that Mike pence was in the Capitol about 40 feet from an angry mob chanting “Hang Mike Pence!” And his response was “So what?” Don’t boo. If Donald Trump does not care that a mob might attack his own vice president, do you think he cares about you? Pennsylvania, we do not need four more years of that. We don’t need four more years of arrogance and bumbling and bluster and division. America is ready to turn the page. We are ready for a better story. One that helps us work together instead of turning against each other. Pennsylvania, we’re ready for a President Kamala Harris.

The good news is Kamala Harris is ready to do the job. This is a leader who has spent her life fighting on behalf of people who need a voice and a chance. Somebody who was raised in the middle class; who worked a summer job at McDonald’s while she earned a degree; who believes in the values that built this country. Somebody who has served with distinction in every office that she has ever held. I think we probably had a fainting spell back there, so let’s make sure we make space for the emergency folks. This happens sometimes. Everybody, bend your knees a little bit. You’ve been standing for a while. You can dance if you want. I just suggest you bend your knees. She’ll be okay.

Kamala is as prepared for the job as any nominee for president has ever been. That’s who Kamala is. And in the White House, she will have an outstanding partner in Governor Tim Walz. Tim is a veteran. He is a teacher. He’s a coach. He’s a hunter. He’s been a great governor, working with Democrats and Republicans to get stuff done. He can also take a vintage truck apart and put it back together again. You think Donald Trump can do that? For that matter, do you think Donald Trump has ever changed a tire in his life? No. I’m just trying to picture it. But the point is: If you elect Kamala and Tim, they won’t be focused on their problems, they’ll be focused on yours. They understand that to many folks here in Pennsylvania and across the country are struggling to pay the bills. Even though wages are steadily growing, and inflation is finally slowing, the price of everything from healthcare to housing to groceries, it’s still too high. That takes a real bite out of paychecks. It hurts. So, the question is: Who’s really going to do something about it? That’s what you should be asking yourself.

Now, Donald Trump’s plan is to do what he did last time, which was give another massive tax cut to billionaires and big corporations. Don’t boo. I’m going to break you of this habit. And the reason some people think, well, I don’t know. I remember that economy when he first came in being pretty good. Yeah, it was pretty good because it was my economy! We had 75 straight months of job growth that I handed over to him. It wasn’t something he did. I spent eight years cleaning up the mess that the Republicans had left me the last time. Just in case everybody has a hazy memory, he didn’t he didn’t do nothing except those big tax cuts. His other big economic plan now is to slap tariffs on everything from food to TVs.

Now, understand what tariffs are. Anything that’s made elsewhere and comes here, you slap extra money on top of it. And if other countries are cheating, in some cases it makes sense because you want to have a fair playing field. But what he’s proposing is basically a “Trump sales tax” that could cost the average family almost $4,000 a year. If you’re concerned about higher prices, that is not the way to get lower prices. That’s going to come out of your pocket. You think prices are high now? Donald Trump’s message basically is you ain’t seen nothing yet. All right. As far as you can tell, that’s his plan, right? Because it’s not written down anywhere. When it comes to healthcare, you heard it in the debate. Donald Trump’s got one answer: Ending the Affordable Care Act that 45 million people rely on.

The other day, his running mate, JD Vance, had — you got to vote. the other day, his running mate had the nerve to say, “Donald Trump salvaged the Affordable Care Act.” Donald Trump spent his entire presidency trying to tear it down. And by the way, he couldn’t even do that right. And now, eight years after he was elected, when he was asked about what he was going to do, he says he’s got “concepts” of a plan for how he’d replace it. Now, I want you all to think about this for a second. Let’s say your boss gives you an assignment, a project. He says, “I need this on Friday.” Friday comes around and he says, “so, did you finish that project I asked for?” You say, “Well, I actually haven’t started, but I have a concept of a plan.” Or you could try it at home. “Honey, did you do the dishes?” “I have a concept of a plan to do the dishes.” How’s that going to go over? Ha! If it wouldn’t work for you, why in the heck should it work for the president of the United States?

But the good news is Kamala Harris, she doesn’t have concepts for a plan; she has an actual plan to make your life better. To bring down the cost of things like groceries, she’ll go after corporations that are jacking up prices, just like she went after big banks and for-profit colleges when she was an attorney general in California. Believe me, when she does, nobody’s going to want to stand in her way. I remember after the home mortgage crisis; Kamala pushed me and my administration harder than any other attorney general in the country to make sure homeowners got a fair settlement. It did not matter that she was pushing a Democratic administration, she was not going to let anybody stop her from winning as much relief as possible for the families who deserved it. Because of the work she did, those families got billions more than they would have otherwise got. That’s the kind of president Kamala Harris will be.

To lower housing costs, Kamala will cut red tape and work with governors like Josh Shapiro, as well as the private sector, to build 3 million new homes. And shall give first time home buyers up to $25,000 to help with the down payment. Plans. Concrete plans. And for a lot of folks, that could be the difference between watching their dreams pass them by of finally owning a place of their own. To lower healthcare costs, Kamala already worked with Joe Biden to take on the drug companies and bring down the cost of insulin and hearing aids and more than 50 prescription drugs. And as president, she will never stop working to limit out-of-pocket costs and protect your care. That’s who Kamala is. She’s got a track record of doing it.

Here’s the big one. Instead of giving more tax breaks to billionaires and raising prices on working families, Kamala will give a tax cut to 100 million middle class and working people here in America. If you’re a new parent, you could qualify for a $6,000 tax credit during the first year of your child’s life. Because I don’t have to tell a lot of you, raising kids is hard, and she wants to make it easier to afford stuff like a crib or a car seat or diapers. I remember buying diapers. I remember the first time I went in the store right after Malia was born. I was like, “What? That’s how much diapers cost?” I remember changing diapers. Do you think Donald Trump ever changed a diaper? Yeah. I almost said that, but I decided I shouldn’t say it. If you’re starting a small business, Kamala Harris will give you a $50,000 tax credit to help you get it off the ground. That’s who Kamala Harris is. That’s what she stands for. With Kamala, you’ve got actual plans. Trump, concepts of a plan.

Now, if you challenge Trump to elaborate and enumerate his concepts, he will fall back on one answer. JD Vance does the same thing. Doesn’t matter what the issue is: Housing, healthcare, education, paying the bills. Their only answer is to blame immigrants. They want you to believe that if you let Donald Trump round up whoever he wants, by the way, and ship them out, all your problems will be solved. Now, we’ve got real issues at the border. We are a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants. We have to make sure it’s fair. There are communities at the border that can be overrun. We’ve got to actually solve a problem.

But when I hear Donald Trump talking, I’ve got one question. As I recall, Donald Trump was president for four years. If rounding up and deporting millions of desperate people and building the beautiful wall, and didn’t matter whether some of those folks you rounded up were women and children, if that’s the answer to everything, well, why didn’t you solve the problem? Why were the number of immigrants basically the same when you left office is when you took office? I’ll tell you why. Because he didn’t have a real plan, he had talking points. He had concepts of a plan. And the plan was mean and ugly, and it was designed to enhance his politics and make people angry, not to solve the problem.

You know what would actually help bring order to the border and fix our immigration system? the bipartisan deal that Kamala Harris supported, even though it was written by one of the most conservative Republicans in Congress. the same bill that Donald Trump tanked on purpose because he thinks fear mongering is how he’s going to win this election. He told Republicans, even the ones who had originally supported, “Don’t vote for it” because he doesn’t want the problem solved. We don’t need a president who will make problems worse just to make his own political circumstances better. We need a president who actually cares about solving problems and making your life better. That’s what Kamala Harris will do.

To help her do it, she will need a Senate full of serious public servants like Bob Casey. I’m going to talk about this man just for a second. I’ve known Bob for almost 20 years. I’ve watched his daughters grow up. I know his brothers and cousins. Let me tell you, there are a lot of brothers and cousins. And I can tell you that no one is more humble and more honest and more rooted in his community and has more integrity than Bob Casey. In Washington, folks make a distinction between workhorses and show horses. Bob Casey, he’s not a show pony. All the guy cares about is doing the job and looking after you, the people he was elected to serve. That’s the kind of person we need to send back to Washington. That’s the kind of person who’s going to help Kamala get stuff done. Folks who share our values and will do what they can to move this country forward rather than backward. That’s who Bob Casey is.

Now, one of those values is freedom. During election time there are a lot of flags and there’s a lot of talk about freedom. Let me talk about that just for a second because I don’t think we’ve ever had an election with candidates who understand freedom more differently. For Donald Trump and his cronies, freedom means that the powerful can do whatever they please. Fire workers for trying to organize a union. Dodge paying their fair share of taxes. Try to throw out your votes when they lose an election. Control what women can and can’t do with their bodies. In other words, for Trump, freedom is getting away with stuff. It’s like he said in the middle of the pandemic, “I don’t take any responsibility at all.” People were dying. “I don’t take any responsibility at all.” I’m not sure any other president has ever uttered that statement.

We have a broader idea of freedom. We believe in the freedom to provide for our families if we’re willing to work. the freedom to breathe clean air and drink clean water and send our kids to school without worrying if they come home. We believe that true freedom gives each of us the right to make decisions about our own life. How we worship. Who we marry. What our family looks like. Real freedom also means that we’re going to disagree on how each of us should live our lives. We have to respect other people’s views on these issues. I’ve always said there are good people of conscience on both sides of the abortion divide. I respect anyone whose faith tells them that it isn’t something they support. But if we believe in freedom, then we should at least agree that such a deeply personal decision should be made by the woman whose body is involved and not by politicians.

It has been fascinating to watch Donald Trump just tie himself into a pretzel on this issue. When he ran for president the first time, he said he would support punishing women who got an abortion. That’s what he said. Thank you. Now, well, a couple of weeks ago, what did he say? He said, “Don’t worry, women, I’ll be your protector.” I’ll tell you how he protected you. He handpicked three of the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe versus Wade. Went out there and bragged about it. And now there are Trump abortion bans in 20 states, many of them with no exception for rape or incest. When he’s asked about it, he says, “Well, everybody wanted it this way.” Really? He thinks women want to have to drive hundreds of miles to find a doctor who can help them? Does he think doctors want to choose between letting a woman die or going to jail for giving her the lifesaving care that she needs? That is not something people chose.

Now, Donald Trump may be confused about that issue, but let’s not be confused, let’s be clear about what’s at stake here. If you send Bob Casey back to the Senate, he’ll vote to restore reproductive freedom that women had for nearly 50 years. And if Congress passes that bill, Kamala Harris will sign it into law. Because they understand what freedom is about being able to make the right choice for ourselves and our families. It’s about recognizing that other people have the freedom to make their own choices, even if they’re different from ours. It’s an example of how at the end of the day, this election isn’t just about policy, it’s about values. It’s about who we are and how we treat each other, and the example we want to set for children and for their children. And it’s about character.

Some of you know that when I was growing up, I didn’t have a father in the house, but I did have plenty of people around me: Stepfather, grandparents, teachers, coaches, and most of all, my mom, who taught me the difference between right and wrong. She showed me what it meant to have integrity and to be honest and to be responsible and to work hard and to treat other people like we wanted them to treat us. I had a bunch of role models out there who helped raise me to become a man. And I made mistakes, and sometimes I didn’t live up to those values that had been taught the way I should have. I was checked and I was corrected, and I internalized those values, and I tried to live up to them. I suspect most of you grew up the same way.

That process of trying to live out your best self, trying to live out your values, that doesn’t stop after the age of 20 or 21. It keeps going. And as I got older, I continued to benefit from friends like Bob Casey and Josh Shapiro and others who would reinforce those values and who I didn’t want to disappoint. And obviously, my wife and my daughters. Malia and Sasha are watching. I want to make sure that I don’t disappoint them and that I’m passing on these values to them. Here in Pittsburgh, I’m thinking about another example. Somebody who was a dear friend of mine and who’s passed away now, Dan Rooney. Here was a guy who won six Super Bowls, eight AFC championships, and had enormous wealth and power. I remember walking around, I guess it was Heinz Field by that time. I’m old enough to remember Three Rivers Stadium; now I know as something else.

But Dan knew the name of every single person in the Steelers organization. We’d pass by a custodian, and he’d say, “Hey, Jimmy. How are you doing? How’s the family?” All the front office staff, he cared about them. He used his influence to get more Black and Brown head coaches hired in the NFL. He gave back to his community. He was known for his integrity. He helped support the peace process in Northern Ireland. Became my ambassador to Ireland, and continued to help encourage people who were so far apart to come together. He had character. That’s what I think about so much these days because it’s so different from what we see out of the Republican nominee. It’s been one of the most disturbing aspects of this election season, about Trump’s rise in politics, is how we seem to have set aside the values that people like Dan stood for and Bob stood for, and that I was taught. Those didn’t used to be Republican and Democratic values.

It used to be we’d have arguments about tax policy or foreign policy, but we didn’t have arguments about whether you should tell the truth or not. We didn’t we didn’t make excuses for people who just violated basic norms of treating people fairly and with respect. Just last week — I talked about this — we had one of the deadliest hurricanes in American history. The beautiful town of Asheville, North Carolina, one of my favorite places in the country. Spent time there. Amazing people. Devastated. Hundreds of people killed. President Biden and Vice President Harris were down there meeting with local officials and comforting families, asking how they could help. Donald Trump at a rally just started making up stories about the Biden administration withholding aid from Republican areas and siphoning off aid to give to undocumented immigrants. Just made the stuff up. Everybody knew it wasn’t true. Even local Republicans said it was not true.

Now the people of Florida are dealing with another devastating storm, and I want you to watch what happens over the next few days, just like the last time. You’re going to have leaders who try to help, and then you have a guy who will just lie about it to score political points. This has consequences, because people are afraid, and they’ve lost everything, and now they’re trying to figure out, how do I apply for help? Some of them may be discouraged from getting the help they need. the idea of intentionally trying to deceive people in their most desperate and vulnerable moments. My question is: When did that become okay? I’m not looking for applause right now. I want to ask Republicans out there, people who are conservative, who didn’t vote for me, who didn’t agree with me. I had friends who disagreed with me on every issue. When did that become okay? Why would we go along with that?

If your coworkers acted like that, they wouldn’t be your coworkers very long. If you’re in business and somebody you’re doing business with just outright lies and manipulates you, you stop doing business with them. Even if you had a family member who acted like that, you might still love them, but you’d tell them you got a problem and you wouldn’t put them in charge of anything. And yet, when Donald Trump lies, cheats, or shows utter disregard for our Constitution, when he calls POWs “losers,” or fellow citizens “vermin,” people make excuses for it. They think it’s okay. They think, well, at least he’s owning the libs. He’s really sticking it to him. It’s okay as long as our side wins.

By the way, I’m sorry, gentlemen. I’ve noticed this especially with some men who seem to think Trump’s behavior, the bullying, and the putting people down is a sign of strength. I am here to tell you that is not what real strength is. It never has been. Real strength is about working hard and carrying a heavy load without complaining. Real strength is about taking responsibility for your actions and telling the truth, even when it’s inconvenient. Real strength is about helping people who need it and standing up for those who can’t always stand up for themselves. That is what we should want for our daughters and for our sons, and that is what I want to see in a president of the United States of America.

The good news is that you have candidates to vote for in this election that demonstrate that kind of character. Who know what real strength looks like. Who will set a good example, do the right thing, and leave this country better than they found it. Pennsylvania, that is the choice in this election. It’s not just about policies that are on the ballot, it is about values, and it is about character. Whether this election is making you feel excited, scared, hopeful, or frustrated or anything in between, do not just sit back and hope for the best. Get off your couch and vote. Put down your phone and vote. Grab your friends and family and vote. Vote for Kamala Harris as the next president of the United States. Vote for Tim Walz as the next Vice President of the United States. Vote for Bob Casey and this whole incredible Pennsylvania Democratic ticket.

Help your friends and family members and neighbors and coworkers do the same. Because if enough of us make our voices heard, we will leave no doubt about the election outcome. We’ll leave no doubt about who we are and what America stands for. Together, we’ll keep building a country that’s more fair and more equal and more just and more free. That is our task. That is our responsibility. Let’s go do it. Thank you, Pittsburgh. Thank you, Pennsylvania. Let’s go vote.