Remarks at the 2024 Democratic National Convention – Aug. 19, 2024

Hello, Democrats! Are you ready to elect Kamala Harris the first…president of the United States? Yes, you are! Yes, you are!

Friends, like so many of us, my grandparents came from Ireland as teenagers with nothing but hope in their hearts and fire in their bellies. They built their lives in the promised land of Buffalo, New York. A union card meant good work at the steel plant, the steel plant that lifted in my parents from living in a trailer to the middle class. Like other families in my blue-collar community, they believed that with hard work they could build a better future. Not just for themselves, but for those with less hope and less opportunity.

I'm proud of my roots and the values I learned—grit, determination, compassion. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz grew up with those same values. And those values have always defined the people of my state.

Well, most of us anyway. Donald Trump was born a New Yorker. But ended up a fraud, a philanderer, and a felon. He wasn't raised with the New York values that I know. He never had to worry about child care costs or groceries or rent. He never had to worry about anything or anyone but himself.

Trust me, America. If you think you're tired of Donald Trump, talk to a New Yorker. We've had to deal with him for 78 long years. The fraud, the tax dodging, the sham university, the shady charities. We've seen him stiff contractors, rip off workers. He abuses women, brags about it, and then takes away their rights. And New Yorkers are sick of it. It's no wonder he had to flee to Mar-a-Lago. Sorry about that, Florida. Sorry about that. Trump hasn't spent much time in New York lately. Except, that is, to get convicted of 34 felonies.

And that's just fine with us. Because New York's motto is Excelsior—ever upward. And Trump takes us ever downward.

Because here's what Trump never understood. America isn’t a luxury good to be bought and sold by the privileged and powerful few. America, we just can't afford another four years of that. We have kids to feed, roads to build, jobs to create, real problems to solve. And we need leaders who can get it done.

Trump talked big about bringing back manufacturing jobs. But you know who actually did it? President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Thank you, Joe. Thank you, Kamala.

And look no further than the city of Syracuse where a company called Micron is building a $100 billion microchip factory with union labor. It's the largest private investment in American history. And it's going to create 50,000 good-paying jobs.

The Biden-Harris administration has made the most significant investments in our economy in generations. And as president, Kamala Harris will continue to build an opportunity economy for all. My friends, history's watching us. Together we must protect abortion rights. Together we must protect the middle class. Together we must protect the American dream. And together we must elect Kamala Harris president of the United States. Thank you.

PBS NewsHour. “WATCH: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks at 2024 Democratic National Convention | Night 1.” YouTube video, 5:45. Aug. 19, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97ASVvZXCwE