that can bring people together. in this environment, it has proven to be hard over the last 12 years to do that. >> there's the sentence that each side can have, which is yes, its may be good for the country to compromise but it's not good for our party to compromise. four years from now, things will -- or two years from now -- >> compromise is easy on little things. it's really hard on big things. >> yeah. >> obama got little things done and donald trump got some things done. >> baker was not done. >> no, no. compromise. he got baker because he had 60 senators. you go back through the last time you saw, i would say, a big compromise was the medicare part b expansion that george bush puts through. he got down with teddy kennedy. a lot of folks on the republican side didn't vote for it.

but enough together did. so can you do big things? you can. but it takes a lot of skill to do it. s. >> let's go back to jake. jake? >> we are expecting the remarks at any moment. obviously, kamala harris, vice president-elect. kamala harris will be introducing the president-elect joe biden. this is a -- you know, we eat and live and breathe this stuff. there are a lot of americans that this will be the first time they ever hear kamala harris speak. >> that's true. >> yeah. and she is something of a fresh face on the national stage but someone who democrats have had an eye on for a long time. kamala harris is someone who is in her owning right very accomplished. she was the attorney general of the largest state in the union and is known to be a prosecutor and a tough attorney, but today i've been talking to people who

are very close to her and so many people are actually talking to me about kamala harris's mother who died of cancer years ago and is not here tonight to watch her daughter give this speech and to become the vice president-elect of the united states. but the idea that i think kamala harris is someone who we call a person -- a woman of color, a black woman, an indian-american woman. she's the daughter of a single mother and a civil rights activist and a scientist. there's so much groundbreaking in her family story that i know based on the people who i've been talking to, it's top -- it's going to be top of mind for her. because she really represents for a lot of black women in this country, a lot of black women who have fought for her to be elected. those women i think see in her

both the fight and the promise. the fight and the hope. she's done it now. and i think it makes an enormous difference from them and i'm hearing from them. people are extremely emotional about it. i feel like black women feel like they've poured everything into the political system and it hasn't always given back to them. tonight is a moment of celebration for black women across the country. >> the last question i asked senator harris when we were walking through howard university was what would your mother think? and without missing a beat, she said you better beat them. no heart springs were pulled. it was the fight. i thought that was so telling about the way she was brought up, about the fact that clearly her mother as a single mother, as you said, as a scientist. her mother was incredibly

accomplished in her own right came to this country in order to work as a scientist and get an education in that field. obviously, she taught both of her daughters that that is what she should pursue. the fact that she also has said -- not to me but separately -- that her mother -- she didn't think her mother would necessarily be surprised by what's going on now. >> yeah. >> that's before she was actually the vice president-elect. but it shows the confidence that was instilled in her by a very strong woman. >> her father is still alive. he's from jamaica. her mom has passed. she was from india originally and i know the vice president-elect harris in addition to being a tremendous source of pride for the black community is also a source of tremendous pride within the indian community. i'm sure in india, they're celebrating as well. what an exciting thing to see the election of one of their

own, so to speak, in h the united states. it's also i think, for a lot of people from scranton, pennsylvania, where joe biden was born and where he grew up until his father lost his job and they moved from skrantdon when he was ten years old. this is also a moment. we saw a lot of joe biden on the stage during the campaign talking about, i don't know, some journalist -- unnamed journalist, he'll be the first p who didn't go to an ivy league school, which is not true. plenty others went to ivy league schools. it was a way to convey to the crowd, whether the story's true or not, that he did not go to an ivy league school. i think he went to university of delaware and syracuse law school. you know, donald trump, because he likes to tell us, liked to

remind us went to h wharton at the university of pennsylvania. president obama went to columbia university. there's a lot of that. there's the motorcade. it's arriving in wilmington, delaware. lots of celebrants. for a certain segment of the country, small town folks or state school attendees, this is also a moment of pride. i mean, i know the democrats get tagged as the party of elitists. there are reasons for that, but that's not really where joe biden's from. he -- he was not to the manor born. he was somebody who worked his way where he is. >> i've been thinking about this. the perseverance of joe biden and every president to some extent getting to the president si is a story of perseverance

against really tremendous odds. it's not easy to do this. but for joe biden -- >> anyway, keep going. >> except for almost everybody. >> except for john quincy adams. >> i do think that this is such a constant theme for joe biden that, you years ago today, he reached what would have been the highest heights of his life at that time, and it was followed immediately by intense tragedy. and he's seen so much tragedy time and time again. i think probably you'll hear this from him tonight, talking about the fact that at the end of all of that tragedy, also still hope. he is in the lar part of his life and he is finally getting to a place where he perhaps wanted to be about 30 years ago. >> the motorcade is pulling in, we're told. let's check back in with the person who covers the biden campaign for us. i guess we should start saying

the biden transition team. i just saw former delaware governor jack markel behind a mask. that's how big a political nerd i am. are you seeing other individuals in the crowd? >> yeah. you know, this is really a hometown crowd who has come out to see joe biden deliver his first remarks as president-elect. a little while ago, i spoke to congressman lisa rochester who was one of his earliest supporters from day one. she was really overwhelmed with this moment that they are facing today. you are seeing people of all ages here coming out to support the former vice president. not just right here on site but also those hundreds of people that are gathered outside. you know, one thing i also want to note is talking a little about the campaign staffers on this campaign. back in march during the

coronavirus, the campaign shuttered their operation in philadelphia. which got hundreds of campaigners back to their homes across the country. a lot of times these victory events is that moment of events where these people who have poured their heart into this campaign, they're celebrating. but others are not able to be here because of the pandemic. you have advisors and advance staff who are running the show in pimg wilmington. there are many, many staffers who are celebrating across the country for all of their hard work. one of those groups even had a virtual dance party in the middle of the afternoon to celebrate joe biden's victories. in a short while we're going to hear from the president-elect joe biden. this is a moment that has been decades in the making for him and his family, and really, this is such a personal moment for the entire biden family after

all of these losses that they've endured. joe biden has been knocked down many, many times but has continued to persevere as he has tried to get to the highest office. over the course of the campaign, biden has stuck to that message of this being a battle for the soul of the nation and that he is the person to are unite it. he's fielding text messages from aides and advisors throughout the day. they said this was joe biden's moment. he is the perfect person to take on these challenges that are currently facing the country, including trying to bring together what is a very, very with divided nation. and we're going to hear a bit from him later tonight on how he hopes to achieve that in the coming months and years. i talked about this a little bit before, but joe biden's also been part of two history making tickets. he served alongside barack obama, the first black man to

become president. joe biden often talks about how right before the inauguration, president obama came down on the train from philadelphia and picked him up right here in wilmington to take him with him to the white house. now joe biden is going to be taking the first woman, the first woman of color with him to the white house. this is a moment that is not lost on joe biden. he has talked about how he wants to be a bridge to the generation and that is something that you've seen in his choice of a vice president, but also as he has tried to reach out and trying to bring together people of all stripes within the democratic party and in the country. you know, joe biden came -- overcame many contentious battles during that democratic primary. he brought his party together, heading into the general election. now he is faced with that task of uniting the country. something that those around him

really believe that he's primed for. >> it's a tall order but certainly one he's been talking about for quite a lock time. let's go to our other reporter covering the biden-harris campaign, jeff zeleny. jeff, i think it's fair to say the beginning of the biden presidency starts tonight. >> no question, jake. watching the motorcade go by, it was the third time this motorcade has traveled this route singles wednesday. he came here in the early morning hours of wednesday morning, has been watching. he was fairly confident this was coming but has not taken the ride he took tonight or the speech he will give tonight. i'm so struck, remembering 12 years ago, the turmoil that he and then barack obama inherited in a country in an economic sense. it is certainly in a coronavirus sense.

he knows the difficulties he is facing. this the hard work has been done. even if the nation was not divided, even if the nation was not questioning presidential election, which many aren't. 10s of millions of persons are. there's still challenges. that's his burden tonight. i'm told he's going to give space to president trump. he's going to give space for republicans to come along and accept his victory. so that's -- we know from joe biden's years in the senate s. even as vice president, he works across the aisle. we'll see if that happens. that is what his hope. that is what we're going to hear tonight, saying that we are americans. he'll be talking to those who didn't vote for him as well as twheez did, jake. >> while we wait for president-elect biden and vice

president-elect harris to speak and we anticipate that the joe biden will talk about the need to heal the country. it is worth noting that there is a good chunk of the republican party. the leaders of the republican party, not individual republican voters but the leaders of the republican party who seemed determined to not let this happen. we see governor's -- republican governors giving credence to just these completely mendacious allegations about fraud, nonexistent. we've seen members of congress putting forward all sorts of lies about the election. this was a remarkably smooth and efficient election. it took longer than people wanted but i wonder about the potential for any sorts of healing or reconciliation when you have the leaders of the republican party, many of them, not all of them, many of them determined not only to refuse

any hand shake, any offering of a hand, not just refusing, but lying and smearing about what happened for whatever reason, because they want to run for president in 2024 or because -- who fwheez the reason is? it doesn't matter. >> there is a reason why the protocol in our times since george washington, really, has been to see the states and do it in a very bub way. the reason is so encourage that person's supporters to say it's ok. it's ok. we're going to be ok because we're still americans. certainly not in our lifetime, we have never seen that not happen, and we don't expect this to happen anytime soon, certainly until at least until

the president is -- grows through the process that we've been talking about for five days. that process is -- part of the process is, you know, being convinced that these lawsuits that his lawyers are trying to fight in the places like pennsylvania have been, you know, exhausted, to no avail, likely. then the next part of the process is electors have -- the results have to be certified by all 50 states and territories and then -- so the process goes along. that is part of the constitution, electors are chosen, so on and so forth. at some point in that process, the president's got to realize, assuming that it goes smoothly. there's no reason to think it won't. the president's got to realize the jig is up. it is still an open question, to your point, jake, whether or not that realization is accompanied with communicating that to his

people. it is so important. in the absence of that what joe biden is going to do tonight is reach out himself. >> i don't think it will be accompanied by communicating back to his people, unfortunately. >> i agree. >> at any point. >> really at any point, i think the supporters and the president has signalled that that is not in the cards for him. and it doesn't matter because the people have spoken. but this idea that republicans have convinced themselves that it is necessary or appropriate to have to give such an extensive off troomp a sitting president is not in the practice of this country. it is just not. and many presidents have happens, i imagine, maybe thought that they could just push back until the very last moment and they have chosen not to.

they've chosen not to because holding on to power for the sake of power is exactly the kind of thing that our founders tried to protect against. and i think every president up until this moment has recognized that and has ceded the stage when necessary. he may not do it. it probably will not matter but i think we should just recognize that there is a new standard that is being set by this president and endorsed by republicans in washington, and it should not be that way. and has not been that way. >> he's not a seven-year-old kid who lost an ice skating competition and we all need to understand that feelings have been hurt and, you know, that there's some maturation that we shouldn't expect. he is a 74-year-old. of the united states and he lost re-electi re-election, and you know what? that's ok. that happens.

it happened to george h.w. bush, jimmy carter. it's happened to eight other previous presidents and he's the 11th to not be reelected his emotional needs frankly are irrelevant. and i don't think that we should -- i mean, i think we should note it because it's historical, but i don't think we need to bend over backwards and pretend that the country moving on and maga nation moving on depends upon what joe biden does, like joe biden is going to do what he can, and if a chunk of the leaders of the republican party want to drag the nation down with them, that's up to them. >> yep. >> he's going to be governing and they can even join him or get out of the way. >> one of the big reasons we are looking at the pictures we're looking at and preparing for a speech from president-elect joe

biden and not a speech from aren't trump talking about his second term is because of the characteristics that you were both talking about. >> exactly. >> it is because he came in with a lot of promise that he was a norm buster and somebody who is going to do things differently and drain the swamp and all of the bumper sticker alliance that he had, and that's not how he governed, and he didn't reach out. there was no sign of the art of video except for a few -- there were a few exceptions but for the most part it was about him and his wants and his needs and not so much about the country, and the reason we saw so much fervor and enthusiasm in this election was to get rid of that and to return to the notion of maybe not -- maybe not every institution is great and there certainly need to be changes and updates, but to return to the

basic tenants of what people expect the presidency to be about. >> one of the things -- turning to a friendlier sub. one of the things that i think the american people who have not been paying super close attention to this race or to joe biden's career over the past -- i don't even know how long it's been -- 47 years might not realize he's an ok speaker. he's a fine speaker. he's not barack obama. and -- but one of the things that he missed a lot during this race because of the pandemic was because he is, as he calls himself, a tactile politician. he likes to get in there and talk to people. sometimes he loses his temper a little bit on rope lines if somebody says something to him he doesn't like, but there haven't been a lot of moments like that because there hasn't been a lot of campaigning like

that. his best moments -- and we've seen some of these in viral videos on social media -- his best moments are when he meets somebody who has an emotional need of some sort. >> like the town hall with anderson when he talked -- >> right. the little boy who had the stutter who spoke at the democratic convention. we said there was a virtual video not long ago of the surviving family members of the coach that was killed at marjory stoneman douglas high school in parkland, florida. the little boy, the son of the coach who had been killed has suffered some disability and just -- he's so good in that t setting. the american people haven't seen it because he's been denied that kind of campaigning. i don't know how good a speech he'll give tonight. i assume it will be perfectly lovely but his real strength as a politician is in the

one-on-one personal relationships. >> i think the realty of the new world we're living in is not something we're not going to see for a while. i think especially for joe biden and their campaign that they've been so -- trying to be very dill gent about the precautions they take around the coronavirus, but i do think the other thing about joe biden is that he is in a lot of ways a student of history, and i think he appreciates the importance of his trade. i imagine that we will hear a little bit of that today as biden tries to reach back into the foundations of the country that we were just discussing to help guide the nation forward. that is what a lot of presidents do, frankly, to get americans through these tough moments. >> yes. >> -- of tension and of friction, and in the absence of

joe biden being able to physically be around a lot of people and show that kind of humanity, i think he's going to find other ways to do it. and i think he will tonight try to reach to our shared resist to bring the country together. >> joseph robinette biden jr., born in scranton almost 78 years ago, elected to the united states senate from delaware in 1972, experienced a great deal of tragedy in his life. he lost his wife and daughter in a car crash just after getting elected to the senate? 1972. he lost his son beau to brain cancer a few years ago. beau, who lot of people thought was the better version of his father, joe biden, 2.0. barack obama, president barack

obama once joked. it has been a long journey for joe biden, president-elect joe biden. from scranton, almost 78 years ago to this moment right now where he is about to speak to the country for the first time as president-elect of the united states of america. wolf? >> you know, jake, we're all about to witness history. the president-elect -- the vice president-elect of the united states kamala harris about to deliver victory speeches. truly important and historic speeches. we're told the message tonight will be one of upity as biden prepares to lead a very polarized nation in the middle of a deadly pandemic. the vice president-elect will give her first address as the vice president-elect of the united states as she becomes the first woman, the first black and south asian person to serve in that potion.

we've covered them for quite a while. we know them. they've been waiting a long time, especially biden, for this moment. >> this is a night of celebration. the hard work will begin very quickly. president trump will be in charge of the country and the pandemic for 74 days, record breaking case counts this week here. it's a fascinating home. you wane to celebrate. you want to get the are country ready for the transition. we covered the clinton white house. bill clinton chose al gore. donald trump picked mike pence at the time there was a conserve revolt. joe biden picked senator harris to embrace the role of women and blacks and other diverse members of the democratic party. the role of vice president hack defined so far.

barack obama had joe biden travel the world. many think senator harris will as well. >> let's listen in. the haven't elect will speak first. she will introduce the president-elect and then he will speak. there's going to be a lot of music we're going to hear as well. let's listen to that as well. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> please welcome 2 vice president-elect of the united states of america, kamala harris! [ cheers and applause ] ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ [ cheers, horn honking ] >> good evening! good evening. good evening. good evening. thank you, thank you. good evening. so thank you, good evening. so john lewis, congressman john lewis before his passing wrote "democracy is not a state-it is

an act." and what he meant was that america's democracy is not guarante guaranteed. it is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it. [ cheers and applause ] to guard it and never take it for granted and protecting our democracy takes struggle. it takes sacrifice. but there is joy in it. and there is progress, because we, the people, have the power to build a better future. [ cheers and applause ] and when our very democracy was on the ballot in this election with the very soul of america at stake and the world watching,

you ushered in a new day for america. [ cheers and applause ] to our cam pine stacampaign sta volume tooergs, thank you for bringing more people than ever before into the democratic process. [ cheers and applause ] and so making this victory possible to the poll workers and election officials across our country who have worked tire leslie to make sure every vote is counted. our nation owes you debt of gratitude. [ cheers and applause ] you have protected the integrity of our democracy. and to the american people who make up our beautiful country,

thank you for turning out in record numbers to make your voices heard. [ cheers and applause ] and i know times have been challenging. especially the last several months. the grief, sorrow, and pain, the worries and the struggles, but we have also witnessed your courage, your resilience and the generosity of your spirit. for four years, you marched and organized for equality and justice, for our lives and for our planet and then you voted! [ cheers and applause ] and you delivered a clear message. you chose hope and unity,

decency, science, and yes, truth! [ cheers and applause ] you chose joe biden as the next president of the united states of america! [ cheers and applause ] and joe is a healer, a uniter, a fested a etested and steady han whose own experience with loss gives him a sense of purpose that will help us as a nation reclaim our own sense of purpose, and a man with a big heart who loves with abandon. it's his love for jill who will be an incredible first lady -- [ cheers and applause ]

it's his love for country and ashley and his grandchildren and the entire biden family. and while i first knew joe as vice president, i really got to know him as the father who loved beau. my dear friend who we remember here today. and to my husband doug -- [ cheers and applause ] -- and our children cole and ella and my sister maia and our whole family. i love y'all more than i can ever express. we are so grateful to joe and jill for welcoming our family into theirs on this incredible journey and to the woman most responsible for my presence here

today, my mother, shamala gopal harris, who is always in our hearts. when she came here from india at the aiming of 19, she didn't imagine this moment. but she believed so deeply in america where a moment like this is possible, and so i am thinking about her and about the generations of women, black women [ cheers and applause ] asian, white, la tina, native american women women who paved the way to tonight, women who fought and sacrificed so much for equality and liberty and justice for all. including the black women who

are often, too often overlooked but so often proven they are the backbone of our democracy. [ cheers and applause ] all the women who have worked to secure and protect the right to vote for over a century, 100 years ago with the 19th amendment. 55 years ago with the voting rights act and now in 2020 with a new generation of women in our country who cast their blots and continued the fight for their fundamental right to vote and be heard. [ cheers and applause ] tonight i reflect on their struggle, their determination, and the strength of their vision to see what can be unburdened by what has been. and i stand on their shoulders.

and what a testament it is to joe's character that he had the audacity break one of the most substantial barriers that exist in our country and slek a woman as his vice president. [ cheers and applause ] [ horns honking ] while i may be the first woman in this office, i will not be the last. [ cheers and applause ] because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities and to the children of our country regardless of your gender, our country has sent you a clear message: dream with

ambition, lead with conviction, and see yourselves in a way that others may not simply because they've never seen it before. but know that we will applaud you every step of the way. [ cheers and applause ] [ horns honking ] and to the american people, no matter who you voted for, i will strive to be a vice president like joe was to president obama, loyal, honest, and prepared, waking up every day thinking of you and your family, because now is when the real work begins, the hard work, the necessary work, the good work, the essential work to save lives and beats this epidemic. to rebuild our economy so it works for working people to root out systemic racism in our justice system and society, to

combat the climate crisis, to unite our country and heal the soul of our nation. [ cheers and applause ] and the road ahead will not be easy. but america is ready. and so are joe and i. [ cheers and applause ] we have elected a president who represents the best in us, a leader the world will respect and our children will look up to. a commander in chief who will respect our troops and keep our country safe and a p for all americans. [ cheers and applause ] and it is now my great honor to

introduce the president-elect of the united states of america, joe biden! [ cheers and applause ] [ horns honking ] ♪ ♪

[ cheers and applause ] >> hello. my fellow americans and the people who brought me to dance, delawarans. i see my buddy senator tom corner down there and i think senator concerns is there and i think the governor's around. is that roseanne? and that former governor? most importantly, my sisters in law, my sister valerie. 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 won with the most votes ever cast on a presidential ticket in the history of the nation, 74 million! [ cheers and applause ] i must admit it surprised me. tonight we're seeing all over the nation, cities across the country, indeed across the world outpouring of joy and hope and renewed faith. tomorrow will bring a better day. and 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've worked with all my hearts with the confidence of the whole people to win the confidence of all of them. 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 [ cheers and applause ] 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 work of making that vision is real, it's a task of our time. foerks, as i said many times before, i'm jill's husband.

and i would not be here without her love, entire support of jill and myself hunter around lynn my daughter and all our grandchildren and their spouses and all our family. they're my heart. joe's a mom, a military mom, an educator. she's 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. [ cheers and applause ] you'll have one of your own in the white house. and jill will make a great first lady. i'm so proud of her. i'll have the honor to serve with a fantastic vice president in kamala harris whom you just

heard. 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! 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 universe more towards justice. kamala does, like it or not, your family, you've become an honorary biden. there's no way out. all those of you volunteered and worked the polls in the middle of this pandemic, local elected officials, you deserve a special thanks from the entire nation.

[ cheers and applause ] [ horns honking ] >> and my campaign team, all the volunteers have all given so much of themselves to make this moment possible. i owe you. i owe you. i owe you everything. and all those who spoerd 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, progressives, moderates, conservatives, young, old, urban, suburban, rural, gay, straight, transginter, white, latino, asian, native american. especially those moments and especially those moments when this campaign was at its lowest ebb, the african-american community stood up for me. you always had our back and i have yours.

[ cheers and applause ] i said at the outset i wanted to represent this campaign to represent and look like america. we've done that. now for all those of you who voted president trump, i understand your disappointment tonight. i've lost a couple of times myself, but now let's give each other a chance. [ cheers and applause ] 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. [ cheers and applause ] 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. [ cheers and applause ] now this campaign is over, what is the will of the sneem what is your mandate? i believe it's this: america called upon us to marshal the forces of decency, to marshal the sources of science and the forces of hope and 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 rule out systemic racism in this country. [ cheers and applause ] and the battle to safe our plant by getting the climate under control. the battle to restore decency,

defend democracy and gave 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 restore the economy, our vitality or relish life's most pressures moment hugging our grandchildren, birthdays, graduations, all the matters that matter most to us until we get it on control. on monday i will name a group of leading scientists and experts as transition advisors to help take the biden-harris plan and convert it into an actual blueprint that will start on january the 20th, 2021. [ cheers and applause ] that plan will be built on bedrock ions. it will be constructed ought 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 d did. let this era of demonization in america begin to end here and now. [ cheers and applause ] refusal, democrats and republicans to cooperate with one another is not some myst mysterious force. it's a decision, a choice we make. if we decide not to cooperate, then we can decide to cooperate.

and i believe this is part of the map date given to us from 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 inflection points, by moments in time where we've made hard decisions about who we are and what we want to be.

i lincoln in 1860 coming to save the union. fdr 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. 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 th that 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, 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 america more just. an america that creates jobs with dignity and respect. america that cures diseases like

cancer and alzheimer's. ahead to america that never leaves anyone behind. a head of 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, and there has never been anything, never been anything we've been able 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 substance america. and i hope, and i hope it can provide some comfort and solace to 230,000 million americans who

have suffered terrible tragedy. i hope this hymn gives you solace as well. it guess like this. and he will raise you up on eagles' wings, bear you on the breath of dawn, and make you to sign 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 us to do with full hearts and steady hands, with faith in america and each other, with love of country, a 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 we've not been able to do. so remember, as my grandpa said when i walked out of his home when i was a kid up in scranton, he said "joey, keep the faith." and my grandmother when she was

alive said, "no, joey, spread it." spread the faith. god bless you all. may god bless america and may god protect our troops. thank you, thank you, thank you. ♪ higher than i've ever been lifted before ♪ ♪ so keep it up, quench my desire, i'll be at your side for ever more ♪ ♪ your lift keeps on lifting, higher, higher and higher ♪ ♪ i said your love ♪ bring me a higher love ♪ bring me a higher love, bring me a higher love ♪

♪ there's that higher love i keep thinking of ♪ ♪ bring me higher love, bring higher love ♪ ♪ bring higher love, bring me to higher ♪ ♪ bring higher love ♪ bring higher love ♪ bring me a higher love ♪ we're just hanging on, facing our fears ♪ ♪

♪ well, i won't back down, no i won't back down ♪ ♪ you send me up, but i won't back down ♪ ♪ no, i stand my ground, won't get turned around ♪ ♪ and i keep this world from dragging me down, stand my ground ♪ ♪ and i won't back down, i won't back down, hey baby, ♪ ♪ there ain't no easy way out, i won't back down, hey, ah, i stand my ground ♪ ♪ and i won't back down

♪ i know what's right ♪ ♪ ♪ because you're a sky, you're a sky over us all ♪ ♪ i'm going to give you a hug ♪ because you're a sky, you're a sky full of stars ♪ ♪ because you light up the path ♪ ♪ i don't care, go on and tear me apart ♪

♪ i don't care, if you do ooh ♪ cause in a sky, cause in a kai full of stars, such a heavenly view ♪ ♪ ♪ cause you're a sky, cause you're a sky full of stars ♪ ♪ what i want you've got me,

last night turn the candle, ♪ ♪ what i got won't stop ♪ well, you, you make my dream come true, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ well you, you make my dreams come true ♪ ♪ on a night when bad dreams become a screamer, when they're messin with the dreamer ♪ ♪ i can laugh it in the face, twist and shout my way out, and wrap yourself around me ♪ ♪ cos i ain't the way you found