A Research Guide for Students by I Lee

President-Elect Joe Biden

Victory Speech, Wilmington, Delaware
Videos and Full Text - November 7, 2020

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President-Elect Joe Biden Victory Speech in Wilmington, Delaware, 7 Nov. 2020 Image from https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-11-07/joe-biden-victory-speech-2020-election-transcript
President-Elect Joe Biden
Victory Speech in Wilmington, Delaware
November 7, 2020
Image source: Carolyn Cole, Los Angeles Times

Speeches by Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, and Joe Biden in the Research Guide:
  1   Obama's Victory Speech 4 Nov. 2008
  2   Obama's Inaugural Address 20 Jan. 2009
  3   Obama's Cairo Egypt Speech 4 June 2009
  4   Obama's Moscow Speech 7 July 2009
  5   Obama's Eulogy for Ted Kennedy 29 Aug. 2009
  6   Obama's Speech at United Nations General Assembly 23 Sept. 2009
  7   Obama's Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech, Oslo, Norway 10 Dec. 2009
  8   Obama's Arizona Memorial Speech, Tucson AZ, 12 Jan. 2011
  9   Obama's Speech on the Death of Osama bin Laden 1 May 2011
10   Obama's Speech on Middle East and North Africa 19 May 2011
11   Obama's Victory Speech 6 Nov. 2012
12   Obama's Myanmar Speech 19 Nov. 2012
13   Obama's Second Inaugural Address 21 Jan. 2013
14   Obama's State of the Union Address 12 Feb. 2013
15   Obama's Eulogy for Nelson Mandela 10 Dec. 2013
16   Obama's State of the Union Address 28 Jan. 2014
17   Obama's Speech in Ottawa, Canada 29 June 2016
18   Trump's Nevada Victory Speech 24 Feb 2016
19   Trump's Inaugural Speech 20 Jan 2017
20   Trump's 9/11 Memorial Remarks 11 Sep 2018
21   VP-Elect Kamala Harris Victory Speech 7 Nov. 2020
22   President-Elect Joe Biden Victory Speech 7 Nov. 2020

Videos:

US election: Joe Biden vows to 'unify' country in victory speech - BBC News. YouTube video, 16:39 min. Published by BBC News, 7 Nov. 2020. "Joe Biden has said it is 'time to heal' the US in his first speech as president-elect, vowing 'not to divide but to unify' the country.

'Let's give each other a chance,' he said at an event in Delaware addressing those who did not vote for him.

Mr Biden defeated incumbent President Donald Trump following a cliff-hanger vote count after Tuesday's election.

Mr Trump has yet to concede and has not spoken publicly since his defeat was announced while he was playing golf.

The result makes Mr Trump the first one-term president since the 1990s. His campaign has filed a barrage of lawsuits in various states but election officials say there is no evidence that the vote was rigged against him, as he has claimed.

Spontaneous celebrations erupted in major cities after media outlets announced Mr Biden's victory on Saturday. Disappointed Trump supporters demonstrated in some cities but there were no reports of incidents."

Joe Biden's victory speech in full: 'We must restore the soul of America'. YouTube video, 15:55 min. Published by Guardian News, 7 Nov. 2020. "President-elect Joe Biden promised to 'restore the soul of America' as he declared victory in front of a crowd of supporters on Saturday night in his home town of Wilmington. 'I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide but unify, who doesn't see red states or blue states but who only sees the United States.'

Addressing Trump supporters, Biden said he understood their disappointment because he had lost before. But now, 'let's give each other a chance', he said. Biden and Kamala Harris hardly mentioned Donald Trump directly in their speeches - instead, they focused on the challenges ahead, including tackling the coronavirus pandemic."

President-Elect Joe Biden full victory speech November 7, 2020. YouTube video, 15:10 min. Published by News 19 WLTX, Nov. 7, 2020. "In his first speech after securing the White House, President-elect Joe Biden is making an appeal to supporters of President Donald Trump.

Biden said Saturday night in Delaware, that "this is the time to heal in America" and pledged to be a president to represent even those who didn't support him. Noting, "I've lost a couple times myself," Biden said, "now, let's give each other a chance."

Trump has not conceded the race to Biden, pursuing legal challenges over ballot counts in several states.

Biden said "it's time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature, see each other again, listen to each other again," saying of his political opponents, "they are not our enemies. They are Americans."

Biden is pledging to be a president "who seeks not to divide but to unify." He delivered his first remarks as president-elect at a victory party in Wilmington, after he was officially declared the winner of the presidential election on Saturday."

US election: President-elect Biden delivers victory speech, vows to unify country | FULL. YouTube video, 15:06 min. Published by Global News, 7 Nov. 2020. "U.S. President-elect Joe Biden delivered a victory speech on Saturday evening, telling supporters in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, that the nation has 'delivered us a clear victory, a convincing victory.'

Biden stated he pledges to be a president 'who seeks not to divide, but unify.'

'Now, let's give each other a chance. It's time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature, see each other again, listen to each other again,' he said. 'This is the time to heal in America.'

The president-elect also discussed his mandates, which include addressing climate change and systemic racism. He said he will 'spare no effort' to help curb the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Biden's victory in the battleground state of Pennsylvania put him over the threshold of 270 Electoral College votes he needed to clinch the presidency, ending four days of nail-biting suspense and sending his supporters into the streets of major cities in celebration."

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Full Victory Speeches | WSJ. YouTube video, 37:30 min. Published by Wall Street Journal, Nov. 7, 2020. "Watch the full speeches of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris after winning the 2020 presidential election."

Fulltext speech accessible at:

Joe Biden's victory speech: 'This is the time to heal in America' (Full transcript) by Maclean's, November 7, 2020. "The president-elect of the United States addressed viewers and supporters in Wilmington, Delaware. Here is the full transcript of his remarks."

Read Joe Biden's President-Elect Acceptance Speech: Full Transcript by Matt Stevens, New York Times, Nov. 9, 2020. "In his victory speech, delivered after days of vote counting and uncertainty, Mr. Biden renewed his promise to be a president for all Americans in a polarized time.
President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. celebrated his 'convincing victory' and promised to seek to unify the country.
Folks, the people of this nation have spoken. They've delivered us a clear victory, a convincing victory, a victory for We the People. We've won with the most votes ever cast for a presidential ticket in the history of the nation: 74 million. I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide but unify, who doesn't see red states and blue states, only sees the United States.

Joseph R. Biden Jr., a 77-year-old former vice president and longtime senator who has sought the White House on and off for more than three decades, on Saturday renewed his commitment to unifying and serving all Americans at a time the nation is deeply divided along sharply drawn partisan lines.

In a roughly 17-minute address, Mr. Biden, speaking for the first time as president-elect, promised to lead with compassion, decency and character and heal the nation's soul. As he has for months, Mr. Biden also promised to immediately address the coronavirus pandemic and work to stop its spread, an effort he said would be key to economic recovery.

And to conclude, he returned to the idea that there is nothing Americans can't do if they work together.
'Let us be the nation that we know we can be,' he said. 'A nation united, a nation strengthened, a nation healed.'"

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President-Elect Joe Biden's Victory Speech, 7 November 2020:

Transcript from ABC News: Read the full text of Joe Biden's speech after historic election - Biden is set to become the next president after a historic win by ABC News, 7 November 2020, 21:44.

PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN:

Hello. My fellow Americans and the people who brought me to the dance, Delawareans. I see my buddy Tom -- Sen. Tom Carper down there and I think -- I think Sen. Coons is there and I think the governor's around. Is that Ruth Ann? And that former Gov. Ruth Ann Minner? Most importantly, my sisters-in-law and my sister Valerie. Anyway ...

Folks, the people of this nation have spoken. They've delivered us a clear victory, a convincing victory, a victory for we, the people. We've won with the most votes ever cast on a presidential ticket in the history of the nation, 74 million!

I must admit, it surprised me. Tonight, we're seeing all over this nation, all cities in all parts of the country, indeed across the world, an outpouring of joy, of hope, of renewed faith in tomorrow to bring a better day. I'm humbled by the trust and confidence you've placed in me.

I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide, but unify. Who doesn't see red states and blue states, only sees the United States. I will work with all my heart, with the confidence of the whole people, to win the confidence of all of you. And for that is what America, I believe, is about. It's about people. And that's what our administration will be all about.

I sought this office to restore the soul of America, to rebuild the backbone of this nation, the middle class, and to make America respected around the world again. And to unite us here at home. It's the honor of my lifetime that so many millions of Americans have voted for that vision. And now, the work of making that vision real is THE task of our time.

Folks, as I said many times before, I'm Jill's husband. And I would not be here without the love and tireless support of Jill and my son Hunter, and Ashley, my daughter, and all our grandchildren, and their spouses and all our family. They're my heart.

Jill's a mom, a military mom, an educator. She has dedicated her life to education. But teaching isn't just what she does, it's who she is. For American educators, this is a great day for y'all. You'll have one of your own in the White House. And Jill's gonna make a great first lady. I'm so proud of her.

I'll have the honor of serving with a fantastic vice president, who you just heard from, Kamala Harris, who makes history as the first woman, first black woman, the first woman from south Asian descent, the first daughter of immigrants ever elected in this country.

Don't tell me it's not possible in the United States! It's long overdue. And we're reminded tonight of those who fought so hard for so many years to make this happen. Once again, America's bent the arc of the moral universe more towards justice. Kamala, Doug, like it or not, you're family. You've become an honorary Biden. There's no way out.

To all those of you who volunteered and worked the polls in the middle of this pandemic, local elected officials, you deserve a special thanks from the entire nation. And to my campaign team and all the volunteers and all who gave so much of themselves to make this moment possible. I owe you. I owe you. I owe you everything. And to all those who supported us, I'm proud of the campaign we built and ran.

I'm proud of the coalition we put together, the broadest and most diverse coalition in history: Democrats, Republicans, independents, progressives, moderates, conservatives, young, old, urban, suburban, rural, gay, straight, transgender, white, Latino, Asian, Native American. I mean it. Especially in those moments -- especially in those moments when this campaign was at its lowest ebb, the African American community stood up again for me. You always had my back and I'll have yours.

I said at the outset, I wanted to represent -- this campaign to represent -- and look like America. We've done that. Now that's what I want the administration to look like and act like.

For all those of you who voted for President Trump, I understand the disappointment tonight. I've lost a couple of times myself, but now let's give each other a chance. It's time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature, see each other again, listen to each other again. And to make progress, we have to stop treating our opponents as our enemies. They are not our enemies. They are Americans. They are Americans.

The Bible tells us, "to everything there is a season: a time to build, a time to reap and a time to sow, and a time to heal." This is the time to heal in America.

Now this campaign is over, what is the will of the people? What is our mandate?

I believe it's this: Americans have called upon us to marshal the forces of decency, the forces of fairness, to marshal the forces of science, and the forces of hope in the great battles of our time. The battle to control the virus. The battle to build prosperity. The battle to secure your family's health care. The battle to achieve racial justice and root out systemic racism in this country. And the battle to save our planet by getting climate under control. The battle to restore decency, defend democracy, and give everybody in this country a fair shot. That's all they're asking for - a fair shot.

Folks, our work begins with getting COVID under control. We cannot repair the economy, restore our vitality or relish life's most precious moments - hugging our grandchildren, our children, our birthdays, weddings, graduations - all the moments that matter most to us until we get it under control.

On Monday, I will name a group of leading scientists and experts as transition advisors to help take the Biden-Harris COVID plan and convert it into an action blueprint that will start on January 20, 2021. That plan will be built on bedrock science. It will be constructed out of compassion, empathy, and concern. I will spare no effort - none - or any commitment to turn around this pandemic.

Folks, I'm a proud Democrat. But I will govern as an American president. I'll work as hard for those who didn't vote for me as those who did. Let this grim era of demonization in America begin to end here and now. The refusal of Democrats and Republicans to cooperate with one another is not some mysterious force beyond our control, it's a decision - a choice we make. And if we can decide not to cooperate, then we can decide to cooperate. And I believe that this is part of the mandate given to us by the American people. They want us to cooperate in their interest, and that's the choice I'll make. And I'll call on Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, to make that choice with me.

The American story is about slow, yet steadily widening the opportunities in America. And make no mistake, too many dreams have been deferred for too long. We must make the promise of the country real for everybody, no matter their race, their ethnicity, their faith, their identity, or their disability.

Folks, America has always been shaped by inflection points, by moments in time where we've made hard decisions about who we are and what we want to be. Lincoln, in 1860, coming to save the union; FDR, in 1932, promising a beleaguered country a new deal; JFK, in 1960, pledging a new frontier; and 12 years ago, when Barack Obama made history, he told us, "Yes, we can."

Well folks, we stand at an inflection point. We have an opportunity to defeat despair, to build a nation of prosperity and purpose. We can do it. I know we can.

I've long talked about the battle for the soul of America. We must restore the soul of America. Our nation is shaped by the constant battle between our better angels and our darkest impulses. And what presidents say in this battle matters. It's time for our better angels to prevail. Tonight, the whole world is watching America. And I believe, at our best, America is a beacon for the globe. We will lead not only by the example of our power, but by the power of our example.

I know, I've always believed - many have you heard me say it - I've always believed we can define America in one word: possibilities. That in America, everyone should be given an opportunity to go as far as their dreams and God-given ability will take them.

You see, I believe in the possibility of this country. We're always looking ahead: ahead to an America that's freer, more just; ahead to an America that creates jobs with dignity and respect; ahead to an America that cures diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's; ahead to an America that never leaves anyone behind; ahead to an America that never gives up, never gives in.

This is a great nation. It's always been a bad bet to bet against America. We're good people. This is the United States of America. There's never been anything we've been not able to do when we've done it together.

Folks, in the last days of the campaign, I began thinking about a hymn that means a lot to me and my family, particularly my deceased son, Beau. It captures the faith that sustains me, and which I believe sustains America. And I hope it can provide some comfort and solace to the 230,000 Americans who have lost a loved one through this terrible virus this year. My heart goes out to each and every one of you. Hopefully, this hymn gives you solace as well. It goes like this:

And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
bear you on the breath of dawn,
make you to shine like the sun,
and hold you in the palm of His hand.

And now together on eagles' wings, we embark on the work that God and history have called upon us to do, with full hearts and steady hands, with faith in America and in each other, with love of country and thirst for justice, let us be the nation that we know we can be: a nation united, a nation strengthened, a nation healed - the United States of America.

Ladies and gentlemen, there has never, never been anything we've tried and not been able to do. So remember, as my grandpoppy said when I walked out of his home, when I was a kid up in Scranton, he said, "Joey, keep the faith." And our grandmother when she was alive, she yelled, "No, Joey, spread it."

Spread the faith. God love you all. May God bless America and may God protect our troops. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

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