Joint Base Andrews
Prince George’s County, Maryland

11:31 A.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good morning.  Good morning. Good morning.   

Well, briefly, I think, last night, Donald Trump’s event in Madison Square Garden really highlighted a point that I’ve been making throughout this campaign: He is focused and actually fixated on his grievances, on himself, and on dividing our country. 

And it is not in any way something that will strengthen the American family, the American worker.  It is — nothing about what he is saying that is actually going to support the aspirations, the dreams, and the ambitions of the American people. 

It is absolutely something that is intended to and is fanning the fuel of trying to divide our country.  And as I’ve said many times — I’ll say tomorrow night in my speech — there’s a big difference between he and I. 

If he were elected, on day one, he’s going to be sitting in the Oval Office working on his enemies list.  On day one, if I’m elected president of the United States, which I fully intend to be, I will be working on behalf of the American people on my to-do list. 

I’ll take any questions you have.

Q    Madam Vice —

AIDE:  Let’s go to Tarini.

Q    Madam Vice President, Michelle Obama said recently that you’ve faced a double standard in this campaign.  Do you feel like you’ve had to clear a higher bar every day than Donald Trump?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  My role and responsibility of running for president of the United States is to make my case to the American people and to earn their support, and that is why I’m spending time traveling the country to listen to folks and to talk with them about my plans — my plans for strengthening our small businesses, my plan for helping people with homeownership, my plans to help young families with children.  And that’s the work that I’m going to continue to do, not taking anyone for granted, but knowing that I have to earn their support. 

And my plans and policies — including economists who have reviewed them — point to one fact, which is that my approach will strengthen America in many ways, including our economy. 

Donald Trump will weaken America and our economy. 

Q    Madam Vice President —

AIDE:  We’ll go to Ebony at CNN.  Ebony. 

Q    You’re — you’re making several stops in Michigan today.  Can you talk about your final pitch to Michigan voters today?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  So I’m — I’ll be — I’m heading back to Michigan to talk with these working people, with families, with young people about the issues that they care most about.  They want to make sure that we’re going to lower prices.  They know that the price of groceries, for example, is too high; I know it too.  So, I have a plan to deal with that in terms — of a number of things, including dealing with price gouging. 

They want to know that they have an opportunity to live the American dream around homeownership.  That’s why my plan about giving people a $25,000 down payment assistance if they are first-time homebuyer matters to the people of Michigan. 

They care about American manufacturing.  I’m going to be talking about that again.  My plan includes what we will do to continue to invest in American-based industries, American manufacturing, and American workers.  That is how we are going to remain strong and globally competitive and win the competition for the 21st century with China and anybody else.

Q    One follow-up to your remarks about President Trump’s ra- — rally last night.  Some people who watched that made comparisons between a rally that happened at Madison Square Garden in 1939 with neo-Nazis or Nazis back then.  Do you see those comparisons? 

And can you also expand on what he said and what you said yesterday about Puerto Rico?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Donald Trump has — this is not new about him, by the way.  What he did last night is not a — a discovery.  It is just more of the same and maybe more vivid than usual. 

Donald Trump spends full time trying to have Americans point their finger at each other, fans the fuel of hate and division.  And that’s why people are exhausted with him.  That’s why people who formally have supported Donald Trump, have voted for him, are supporting me, voting for me. 

People are literally ready to turn the page.  They’re tired of it.

In terms of Puerto Rico, I — you know, even when I was in the United States Senate, I — knowing that Puerto Rico does not have a United States senator, I was intentional about doing what I could as a United States senator to make sure that among my priorities, it included paying attention to the needs of the people on that island, including in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. 

I have announced also my plan that is about my opportunity economy writ large, but a specific target that will include a task force focused on the needs of Puerto Rico, understanding that it has very specific needs in terms of upgrading and repairing its electrical grid, what it needs in terms of investment that will be public-private partnerships, and I’m going to continue to do it. 

I’m very proud to have the support of folks like Bad Bunny and Jennifer Lopez and others, who were supporting me before that nonsense last night at Madison Square Garden and are supporting me because they understand that they want a president of the United States who is about uplifting the people and not berating, not calling America a “garbage can,” which is what Donald Trump — those are the words he has used. 

So, there you go. 

I’ll see you later.  Okay, bye.

                        END                11:36 A.M. EDT