00:00The American people sent a message.
00:03They want leaders who fight for affordability, for health care, for the right of people to
00:12participate in their democracy.
00:16Americans want leaders who fight for them.
00:21And that is what we will continue to do in 2026.
00:26As we compete in every state, in every district, and every level of government.
00:34And obviously, we must focus on the midterms, but Democrats, we must also have a clear vision
00:45for what comes after the midterms and then after Trump.
00:52We need to answer the question, we need to answer the question, what comes next for our
01:00party and our democracy?
01:03So let me just say, let me just start by saying thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you,
01:10all of you.
01:12Not only for the support you have given me and our campaign in 2024, but most importantly,
01:20thank you for what you do for our country.
01:23You know, I know the hard work that you all do every day.
01:26It is the work that is about the weekends that just vanish.
01:34It's about the work that does not trend on social media.
01:38It's about the work that may not garner you a standing ovation after you have completed
01:44an important task that is in furtherance of what is best for our country.
01:50But you all are changing lives.
01:53We are changing lives.
01:55And we are shaping elections.
01:59And all of that strengthens our country.
02:03So I start by just saying thank you.
02:08Because I am a public face of a lot of the work that we do.
02:13And people then come up to me in various places.
02:18And when they thank me, they are thanking you for standing up for our democracy, for the rule
02:27of law, for values and principles, for community, for the breadth and depth of who we are with
02:36all of our beautiful differences as a nation.
02:40When they thank me, they are thanking you for the work that you do that are about upholding basic principles
02:47that are at the foundation of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.
02:55So thank you for everything that you have done, that you are doing, and you will do.
03:05And I know, look, this year has not been easy, certainly for any of us.
03:11But the leaders here, you've not been deterred.
03:16And last month provides proof of that.
03:20Last month provides proof of that.
03:22In Virginia, Abigail Spanberger will be the first woman governor in that state's history.
03:31In New Jersey, Mikey Sherrill won the governor's mansion.
03:36In New York, Zorin Mamdani is mayor-elect, having inspired a broad coalition.
03:45In California, we passed Proposition 50.
03:53And in the Deep South, where maps were intentionally, over a long period of time, been drawn to silence black
04:03voters,
04:04the people were undeterred.
04:07In Mississippi, Democrats broke the Republican supermajority in the state Senate.
04:15In Georgia, Alicia Johnson and Peter Hubbard.
04:20I hear you over there, my Georgia friends.
04:23Flipped two statewide seats.
04:25From Richmond to Trenton, from Jackson to Atlanta, from Sacramento to New York.
04:34The American people sent a message.
04:38They want leaders who fight for affordability, for healthcare, for the right of people to participate in their democracy.
04:51Americans want leaders who fight for them.
04:56And that is what we will continue to do in 2026.
05:00As we compete in every state, in every district, and every level of government.
05:09And obviously, we must focus on the midterms.
05:15But Democrats, we must also have a clear vision for what comes after the midterms and then after Trump.
05:27We need to answer the question, what comes next for our party and our democracy.
05:38And in so doing, we must be honest that for so many, the American dream has become more of a
05:48myth than a reality.
05:50Whether it's the cost of food, energy, healthcare, transportation, or housing, America is facing an affordability crisis.
06:02A crisis that we are witnessing is fueling cynicism, fear, frustration, and a lack of confidence in our systems.
06:17At the same time, AI has started to displace jobs, reshape the future of work, and cause Americans across the
06:29country to fear being left behind.
06:35Meanwhile, social media, which once promised us to make us feel more connected, is increasingly making us feel more isolated
06:48and divided.
06:49And all of this is happening against the backdrop of a political system that appears to not only be fractured,
07:00but broken.
07:03Both parties have failed to hold the public's trust.
07:09Government is viewed as fundamentally unable to meet the needs of its people.
07:22In these and in so many other ways, the people feel that the very institutions that were designed to support
07:32them have failed them.
07:35And they are not wrong.
07:38We must see what is happening.
07:42People are done with the status quo.
07:45And they're ready to break things to force change.
07:51And so, real talk, right?
07:54So, in comes Donald Trump, casting himself as the change agent, but with empty promises to the American people.
08:04Under his leadership, we all know prices are up.
08:08Inflation is up.
08:09Unemployment is up.
08:10Health care costs for millions of Americans are about to double.
08:16We all know that in the midst of all this, the truth and reality of the moment, that just a
08:22few days ago, he said the economy was, I had to count the pluses.
08:26They're five.
08:29A, plus, plus, plus, plus, plus, plus.
08:31That's what he said when asked, rate the economy.
08:34A, plus, plus, plus, plus, plus, plus.
08:38There is nothing A plus about any of this.
08:49But real talk, we must be candid and clear.
08:55Donald Trump is not the only source of our problems.
08:59He and the rise of the MAGA movement, I believe, are a symptom of a failed system that is the
09:10result of years,
09:11of outsourcing and offshoring, financial deregulation, growing income inequality, a broken campaign finance system, and endless partisan gridlock.
09:30All contributing to how we got here today.
09:36So, as we plan for what comes after this administration, we cannot afford to be nostalgic for what was, in
09:49fact, a flawed status quo and a system that failed so many.
10:02We cannot advocate for nor settle for a simple return to what existed in the past.
10:11The work ahead requires us to reinvent, to innovate, to inspire, and understand that the task before us is not
10:27just a political project.
10:30It must be a project of civic renewal.
10:36It must be a project of civic renewal.
10:41Many of you know, throughout my career, I have invoked a consistent mantra, the power is with the people.
10:49Well, this idea, we all know, comes from the founders.
10:52It's not an original thought.
10:54It comes from the founders.
10:56That in a functioning democracy, we, the people, have the power to shape our own fate.
11:05But today, Americans are skeptical of whether this remains true.
11:11Americans wonder whether hard work alone is enough to ensure a good future for themselves and their families.
11:21They worry that the forces impacting their day-to-day lives are beyond their control.
11:30And is it any wonder when today, so many of our nation's political and economic power is concentrated in the
11:40hands of the very few?
11:42Is it any wonder that the people feel this way?
11:47Is there any doubt that such concentration of power is the mark of a corrupted system?
11:56That it is corrosive to our democracy?
12:02So a primary task, I believe, must be to confront this excess concentration of power and provide greater agency, provide
12:17greater agency to everyday citizens.
12:22We must reform our institutions in ways that will put the people back in charge in a way that actually
12:32promotes the general welfare.
12:39And while a project of civic renewal may sound lofty, especially given the challenges of this moment,
12:47I believe that it is a necessary endeavor and that it be grounded in certain values that I know we
12:58all share.
13:00The values that all forms of work contribute to the public good and deserve dignity.
13:09And all Americans performing that work deserve to be rewarded fairly.
13:19That in addition to economic security, Americans' well-being also depend on health, safety, and connection with family and community.
13:33That technology should be harnessed on behalf of the public interest.
13:39And at its best, it should always seek to enhance human ingenuity, not replace it, to deepen our connections, not
13:54so distrust among us.
14:00That the government derives its legitimacy from the people.
14:07And so it must be responsive to the actual needs of the people, be more transparent in its activities, and
14:16most of all, that it cannot be bought by outside interests.
14:28That the advancement of justice and equality strengthens society as a whole.
14:37And upholding the rights of the marginalized fortifies the rights of everyone.
14:47That to reinstate a sense of civic solidarity, we should provide more opportunities to perform national service.
14:58And we must invest in public education, public spaces, and ambitious national projects that remind us of what we can
15:09achieve together.
15:14And that the strength of a pluralistic society requires that we embrace our differences with more than just tolerance.
15:30But with mutual respect and trust.
15:34With the belief that though we are different, each of our fellow citizens is a neighbor.
15:44These are the values that I believe must guide our project of civic renewal.
15:54So going forward, let us make a new commitment to the common good.
15:59One that declares our country will be commanded not by big corporations or career politicians, not by the elite or
16:13wealthy, but by everyday citizens.
16:15Each working to fulfill their potential, not just for the betterment of themselves, but for the betterment of the country.
16:26A commitment that declares that the power of this country does not belong to any king or set of oligarchs.
16:42It belongs to we the people.
16:48And I'll close by saying the stakes have never been higher, but we are clear eyed with grit, determination, and
16:56fire that this moment demands.
17:00That when you know what you stand for, you go out and fight for it.
17:06We fight for the future.
17:08We fight for the people.
17:11And we love our country.
17:13I thank you all very much.
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