Mary Mac’s Tea Room
Atlanta, Georgia
2:59 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, thank you, thank you. (Applause.)
Now, look, I realize I’m surrounded by Morehouse men. (Applause.) I want you to know I’m a Delaware State guy. Okay? (Laughter.) And the Vice President is Howard. So, you know, you guys are okay. But, you know, I mean — well, you — okay?
AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible) take it.
THE PRESIDENT: Better take it. (Laughter.)
You realize how insufferable it’s going to be now with my chief guy — used to be — what’s his name? I can’t think of it now. (Laughter.) Used to — he used to be a Morehouse guy.
Wh- — what’s his name?
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Cedric.
THE PRESIDENT: Yeah, Cedric something! (Laughter.)
I tell you what, I’m going to Morehouse tomorrow. And, by the way, let’s wish this guy happy graduation, man. (Applause.) Tomorrow.
And he made a commitment to me: When he’s elected president and they say, “Joe Biden is in the waiting room,” he won’t say, “Joe who?” (Laughter.) That’s the commitment.
Well, look, it’s good to be back. I was — the last time I was in this room was, I think, 2014, 2015 — in that range. And, you know, as they say in Claymont, Delaware, where I — when we moved from Scranton, Pennsylvania, moved to a little steel town in northern Delaware called Claymont. And — and you all brung me to the dance.
The reason we’re here is because — and all the electeds that are here — and I don’t want to start naming; I’ll leave somebody out — but you really made a gigantic difference. And everybody — it’s easy to forget, but I don’t forget — little elections in January elected two senators — (applause) — two.
And every- — and re- — I want you all to remember that when we first got elected, we were told that because everything was so close in terms of numbers, we couldn’t get anything big done. We got everything done. (Applause.) Because of you. No, I’m not joking. Because of you.
From the Recovery A- — all the way around the horn, all of it. And we’re going to do a lot more.
You know, I’m — I really appreciate you giving me the opportunity to do this again. And I really mean it when I say — the Congressman knows what I’m talking about — we got a — we got a tight operation. And — and it’s going to be — I think we’re going to do well.
I think — and, you know, look, here’s the deal. You hear about how, you know, we’re behind in the polls. Well, so far, the polls haven’t been right once.
Now that — look, we’re all — we’re either tie or slightly ahead or slightly behind. But what I look at is actual election results. And election results are in the primaries. Look at the primaries.
Well, Mr. Trump has — he doesn’t have an opponent, but he lost 120,000 votes in Pennsylvania — didn’t vote for him. (Laughter.) They voted for a woman who’s no longer in the race. A hundred th- — I’m — they’re rough numbers; I think it’s 120,000, I think. In — in Indiana, I think it was 100,000 votes.
And my point is that this is — I’m not going to take a lot of time. I want to talk to you individually. But the fact is that this election, a lot is at stake — lots at stake. It’s not about me; it’s about the alternative as well.
You know, he — I think it’s fair to say — I won’t use the exact phrase that I’d use if I was still playing ball, but my opponent is not a good loser. (Laughter.) But he is a loser. (Laughter and applause.)
And — and I — (laughs) — oh, I don’t want to get started. I’m going to get in trouble. (Laughter.)
But — but the thing is, he’s laid out — and the Republicans in House, they can tell you; my colleagues can tell you — they’re laying out exactly what they’re going to do if they win.
Everything you let me do, everything you helped me do, everything we’ve done, they want to undo — from the climate legislation to taking — not allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices. Ameri- — people — instead of 400 bucks a month, seniors are paying 35 bucks a month for their insulin.
There’s a lot more. There’s a lot more. But, look — (applause) —
And I’ll end by saying I honest to God — and I think you think it too; I’m not sure, but I think you know — that our democracy is really on the line. Listen to things he said.
They asked him what happens, is he going to accept the loss. He said, “It depends.” And then he said if he loses, there’s going to be a “bloodbath.”
This is the guy who is going to — they’re his phrase.
By the way, get this week’s TIME Magazine. Read what he said — in his own words, what he said.
So, this is an important election for all the people we care about, and we care about all the American people out there. And there’s a lot of hardworking folks that are trying to figure out what’s going on. And we got a lot more work to do — we made a lot of progress — a lot more work to do.
But any rate, as my mother would say if she were here, “Joey, hush up. You’ve spoken too much.” (Laughter.)
But thank you all for being here. And I’d like to come around and talk to each one of you individually, answer your questions. Okay?
Thank you, thank you, thank you. (Applause.)
END 3:04 P.M. EDT
