00:00What an amazing crowd. I am so excited to be standing before you in our vibrant city,
00:29home of MacDill Air Force Base with the First Lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden.
00:41As you all know, this great city has been built on strength and service. It houses thousands
00:49of our nation's bravest active duty military and our veterans. And it is an absolute privilege
01:00to me, for me, to be able to serve each and every one of them every day here in the city
01:06of Tampa. You know, as a Tampa police chief, my former role before the mayor, I was fortunate
01:13enough to work side-by-side with military members and veterans. And these men and women
01:19committed their lives to something greater than themselves. They showed bravery and integrity
01:27in every aspect of their duty. And their commitment to service deeply influenced my own work and
01:35my leadership as chief and mayor of this great city. But there is a stark contrast
01:42in leadership that we have witnessed in recent years. That's right. The previous administration
01:50showed time and again an inability to grasp or even respect the sacrifices made by our
02:00veterans and their families. And that is in sharp contrast to President Joe Biden's
02:12actions and words as the commander-in-chief. It speaks volumes, what he has done. His understanding
02:26of the military sacrifice is personal. As you all know, his son served in the military
02:34and unfortunately came back with a disease that ultimately took his life. President Biden
02:41understands what our service members and their families go through, and he's making sure
02:48that they have the support they earned by expanding benefits for veterans. The largest
02:55gain in over 40 years. That's right. He's focused on making sure that our veterans can
03:05find jobs. He's prioritized their mental health. He is combating veteran suicide and homelessness.
03:13Joe Biden promised these things in 2020 and he has delivered. And you know what? Those
03:27are signs of true leadership. That's what Joe Biden is, a true leader. So when we all
03:34go to the polls this November, our choice will not only impact the lives of our veterans,
03:41it will impact the lives of all Americans. And I cannot underscore this enough. It is
03:48imperative for the democracy of our country that we re-elect President Joe Biden.
03:55One more year! One more year! One more year! One more year! One more year! One more year!
04:13Very good. Now it is my distinct honor to bring up our very own veteran and president
04:20of the Democratic Veterans Caucus of Florida, someone who dedicated his life serving this
04:27nation proudly, Mr. Danny Fuqua.
04:53Hello, Tampa! Hello, Tampa! And the surrounding areas! Hello, my name is Danny Fuqua and it
05:07is a privilege to stand before you today, not just as a veteran, but as a proud Democratic
05:15committed to our community. For 29 years, I had the honor of serving our nation in uniform,
05:23now as a business owner and a state president, and now the president of the state Veterans
05:31Caucus. I continue to fight to make sure our veterans' voices are heard and respected by
05:39all levels of government. My small business in Daytona Beach helped reach their, my small
05:51business in Daytona Beach helped many families by reaching their goals and achieving homeownership.
06:00Now as firsthand, I know how President Biden's policies have helped rejuvenate our economy
06:08and given young families the opportunity that they desperately need to get back on their
06:14feet. This is the kind of leadership that we need to make a change in lives. See, I
06:22grew up in Edwards, Mississippi, where my dad and uncles, all veterans, were my first
06:30heroes as a kid, watching the National Guard roll down through the towns of Edwards, Mississippi,
06:38being at firsthand superheroes. And in my 29 years of service, this country, I tend
06:48to develop a knit for supporting people who are genuine people. And when I look at President
07:01Biden, when I look at a man who is genuine leader, he get it. President Biden, he gets it. The
07:12Bidens are a military family. They are one of us. He doesn't just see the uniform, he
07:20sees the person in it, the family behind it, and the dream above it. Now look, there's this other guy,
07:41Donald Trump. The one who can spare a piece of dignity for our disabled veterans. There's no one
07:56other choice for us in November. We need to make sure that we have a leader who has stood with us,
08:03President Biden, who understands the strife of life because he felt them in his own family. We need
08:15President Joe Biden to be reelected in November. By his side is an amazing partner in this journey.
08:29Dr. Jill Biden, a lifelong educator. Dr. Biden has dedicated herself not only to teaching, but to actively
08:43support military families. Her initiative, Joining Forces, is a testament to her dedication to promoting
08:59wellness, education, and employment for service members, veterans, and their family. Please, welcome to the
09:09podium, First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden.
09:14Danny, like so many veterans across our country, you continue to serve your community long after your time in
09:42uniform. So thank you for your leadership of the Democratic Veterans Caucus of Florida and all that you do to lift up
09:49voices of veterans. And it's also great to be with my friend, Mayor Castor. Jane, from your time as the police chief to
10:10today, you're making sure that Tampa is resilient for generations to come. And thank you for your many years of dedicated
10:18public service. And let me thank the members of the Florida legislature who are here, State Senator Rusan and Representatives
10:32Valdez and Keene. And we also have members of the Veterans Caucus of Omega Psi Phi. And I also want to thank Ione Townsend, who
10:51chairs the Hillsborough Democratic Executive Committee. So it's great to be back in Tampa. So I'm so glad to be here at Seminole Post
11:09111. And so when Jane and I were on our way here, she told me this was the place to be. So let me say a special word of thanks to
11:20Commander David Toll for welcoming us. So I really appreciate all the work that the American Legion does to support veterans, military families,
11:34and this community. Four years ago, Joe went from being a military dad to commander in chief. It's a responsibility he stepped into with pride.
11:50Because as Joe reminds everyone any chance he gets, our U.S. military is the finest fighting force in the history of the world.
11:59Of all the obligations that Joe has shouldered since he took the oath of office, he believes that the only true, truly sacred obligation is to prepare
12:19those we send into harm's way and to care for them and their families when they return. Anyone can tell you what they want to do, but Joe Biden can tell you
12:36what he's done. For our military and their families, he signed the first and only executive order to make sure that military spouses can build their careers the ones they want
12:52for themselves. He's lowered the cost of child care and mental health services. He ended the war in Afghanistan because the sacrifice asked of our military families was too steep for too long.
13:11Then, for our veterans, he expanded access to IVF and maternity care. He signed the PAC Act to give veterans the benefits that they've earned.
13:31And he's working to end veteran suicide by expanding counseling programs and launching 9-8-8. As Commander-in-Chief, President Biden wakes up every morning ready to work for you.
13:51And that's what this election is all about. For all the talk out there about this race, Joe has made it clear that he's all in.
14:22That's the decision that he's made. And just as always, as he has supported my career, I'm all in too. And I know you're in or you wouldn't be here today.
14:38We're all in. Thank you. And with four more years, Joe will continue to fight for you, the military community that he, that we, are humbled and proud to call our own.
14:52My dad served in World War II as a Navy signalman. And in 2003, our son, Beau, joined the Delaware Army National Guard and served for a year in Iraq.
15:04This is personal to us. We know what it's like to wait on the other end of that lagging phone call from across the world.
15:13To smile through another holiday with an empty chair at the table. Let me ask you this. Does Donald Trump know what any of that is about?
15:25He disparages those who sacrifice for our country. His own chief of staff said he called POWs and those who died in war losers and suckers.
15:38Said he didn't want to be seen with injured veterans because it didn't look good for him. It's disgraceful. But it's not surprising.
15:54Donald Trump wakes up every morning thinking about one person and one person only. Himself.
16:03We know what Donald Trump was like as commander in chief. He dismissed the military community and diminished America's leadership around the world.
16:19And it could be worse this time. He says he wants to become a dictator on day one. He called the January 6th insurrectionists great patriots.
16:34And last week, the Supreme Court ruled that there are virtually no limits on what a president can do.
16:43Our democracy cannot withstand a Trump presidency with virtually no limits.
16:52Service members honor their oath to support and defend the Constitution. We cannot trust Donald Trump to do the same.
17:04The military community deserves better. You deserve a commander in chief who serves with integrity and wisdom and character.
17:14And that's my husband, Joe Biden.
17:24I want you to remember what it felt like on that morning after the 2016 election when we fell short.
17:34Remember that feeling about how you woke up and you said to yourself, oh, my God, what just happened?
17:44We can't let that happen again. I don't want to wake up with that feeling like, oh, we should have started earlier.
17:53We should have given more money or we should have voted. No, we can't take anything for granted.
17:59We have to meet this moment as if our freedoms are at risk.
18:04Because they are. As if our democracy is on the line. Because it is.
18:11Today, we are launching veterans and military families for Biden. Because we need you in this election.
18:22Talk to your families about what's at stake. Sign up for phone banks and canvassing shifts.
18:33And help us make sure that everyone in this community has the ballots they need to vote, no matter where they are stationed.
18:41Together, we are going to win this and we will build an America that can live up to the service and sacrifice that you all make.
18:53Thank you so much.
19:10Thank you.
19:40Thank you.
20:10Thank you.
20:40Thank you.
20:42Thank you.
20:44Thank you.
20:46Thank you.
20:48Thank you.
20:50Thank you.
20:52Thank you.
20:54Thank you.
20:56Thank you.
20:58Thank you.
21:00Thank you.
21:02Thank you.
21:04Thank you.
21:06Thank you.
21:08Thank you.
21:10Thank you.
21:12Thank you.
21:14Thank you.
21:16Thank you.
21:18Thank you.
21:20Thank you.
21:22Thank you.
21:24Thank you.
21:26Thank you.
21:28Thank you.
21:30Thank you.
21:32Thank you.
21:34Thank you.
21:36Thank you.
21:38Thank you.
21:40Thank you.
21:42Thank you.
21:44Thank you.
21:46Thank you.
21:48Thank you.
21:50Thank you.
21:52Thank you.
21:54Thank you.
21:56Thank you.
21:58Thank you.
22:00Thank you.
Comments