Remarks by Vice President Harris and Liz Cheney at a Campaign Event | Royal Oak, MI

Royal Oak Music Theatre
Royal Oak, Michigan

4:31 P.M. EDT

MS. SHRIVER:  Okay.  Here we go.  Sit back.  We’ve got 40 — 40 minutes, and we’re going to move quick.  Okay?

So, I want this to be like a kitchen table.  Like, just think that we’re sitting around the kitchen table and we’re jamming about all kinds of stuff.  That’s the feeling I want to have at this —

     MS. CHENEY:  This is like a Kennedy family kitchen table.

     MS. SHRIVER:  It — yeah.  (Laughter.)

     MS. CHENEY:  Most people don’t have this many, you know?

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  That’s good.  That’s good.

MS. SHRIVER:  That’s right.  It’s raucous.  It’s — it’s hot, but it’s fun.  That’s what it’s going to be like. 

So, this is — I was saying before both of you walked out, this is historic — so I hope everybody takes this in for a minute — to have a leader of the Republican Party and the vice president of the United States.  (Applause.) 

So, let me begin with you, Madam Vice President.  Did you ever think in your wildest dreams that you would be running for president alongside Liz Cheney, who would be advocating for you, campaigning for you — a member of a opposing party putting herself on the line for you?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  So, let me just start by thanking everyone.  Thank you all for taking time out of your busy lives to be here and have this conversation. 

And I think we are all here together because we have many things in common.  First and foremost, we love our country.  We love our country.  (Applause.) 

You know, so, Maria, perhaps not, but — (laughter).

MS. SHRIVER:  Perhaps.

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Perhaps not. 

But let me say this.  So, you mentioned, you know, my background.  So, I started my career as a prosecutor, and most of my career has been spent outside of Washington, D.C., not in Washington, D.C.  And for most of my career, let me just tell you, I never once asked a victim of crime, a witness, “Are you a Democrat, or are you a Republican?”  Never.  It never would have even occurred to me to ask that.  What I did ask everyone: “Are you okay?” 

And when I think, then, about what is at stake in this election, I think that’s the biggest question.  And it is a moment where, born out of our love of our country, born out of, for me, having taken the oath of office to the Constitution of the United ta- — States at least six times, I believe what is at stake in this election is so fundamental for us as Americans.  And it is about: Do we take seriously the importance of a president who obeys the oath to be loyal to the Constitution of the United States?  Do we prioritize a president of the United States who cares about rule of law, much less the spirit with which they approach this most powerful position? 

There’s so much about this last era — when I talk about “turn the page,” that’s what I’m referring to, like the last decade — that has been about some powerful forces suggesting that the measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down instead of what I think most of us believe, regardless of your party affiliation, that the real measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you lift up.

And — (applause) — and so, for that reason, I’m not surprised that Liz Cheney and I are on the same stage 15 days before the election.  (Applause.)  You know?

MS. SHRIVER:  Okay.  Well, maybe you’re not surprised, but I’m surprised.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  (Laughs.)

MS. SHRIVER:  And I think a lot of people are surprised.  So, I want to know: Are you surprised?  Are you surprised that you’re out here campaigning for a Democrat, campaigning for Kamala Harris, against the party that you’ve been a part of your entire life?

MS. CHENEY:  You know, what I would say, first of all, is we all know — everyone who watched January 6th knows, you know, what Donald Trump is willing to do.  He lost the election, he tried to overturn it and seize power, and then he sat in his dining room and he watched the attack on television.  He watched it.  People pleaded with him to tell the mob to leave, and he wouldn’t.  And he watched law enforcement officers be brutally beaten.  He watched it. 

That’s a depravity that, to me and — and, you know, I think to anyone who’s taken the oath of office, makes someone absolutely unfit ever to be president again.

Now — (applause) — I — I could have just said, you know, I’m going to do everything I can to work against Donald Trump, and there are a lot of Republicans who have said that.

MS. SHRIVER:  Yes.

MS. CHENEY:  I have decided — and I am very proud and I’m honored to have made the decision — to endorse Vice President Harris.  (Applause.) 

And — and I have gotten to spend time with Vice President Harris.  I have had the chance to talk with her about how important it is that we have two strong parties in our country, about the kind of president that I know she’ll be. 

And I think all of us — it doesn’t matter what party you’re in — we all know this is a good and an honorable and a great nation, and we have to have leaders — you might say, “I’m not going to agree on every issue” — but we have to have leaders who take that seriously.  We have to have leaders who are going to be sincere. 

And — and as a mother, I want my children to know that there is someone sitting in the Oval Office that they can look up to, someone who can be a role model.  And I’m incredibly proud and I know that Vice President Harris will be that.  (Applause.)

MS. SHRIVER:  Right.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And — and, Maria, let me just add one thing also, because it bears repeating.  I have seen a lot of Republicans go up to Liz Cheney and thank her.  And they may not be doing it publicly — they may not be doing it publicly, because I think she has shown, to your point, extraordinary courage, especially in this environment, post January 6th, where there’s something — an undercurrent that is violent in terms of the language and the tenor. 

And for her to show the courage she has shown is extraordinary.  But she’s — I’ve seen Republicans come up to her and — and I — from my vantage point, she’s actually not alone.  (Applause.)

MS. SHRIVER:  And so, I want to talk about that, because there are a lot of people who are scared.  Scared to vote —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.

MS. SHRIVER:  — for you.  Scared about the environment.  Scared to talk about politics. 

How scary was it for you, personally, to make this decision?  What has been the personal cost for you to do so?

MS. CHENEY:  It — it was not — it wasn’t scary at all, in terms of making this decision, because when I look at the — the nature of the threat that Donald Trump poses and — and, look, Donald Trump is doing everything he can to try to get people to forget about what he did — what he did on January 6th. 

And — and when you think about that level of instability, the level of erratic decision-making, the misogyny, that’s not someone that you can entrust with the power of the Oval Office. 

And so, I — I think that we are facing a — a choice in this election.  It’s not about party; it’s about right and wrong. 

And — and I certainly have many Republicans who will say to me, “I can’t be public.”  They do worry about a whole range of things —

MS. SHRIVER:  Right.

MS. CHENEY:  — including violence.  But — but they’ll do the right thing. 

And I would just remind people: If you’re at all concerned, you can vote your conscience and not ever have to say a word to anybody.  (Applause.)  And there will be millions of Republicans who do that on November 5th — vote for Vice President Harris.

MS. SHRIVER:  Yes.

I — I love that you said you weren’t scared at all, because most people will talk today about “I’m afraid to say anything on social media.”  “I’m afraid to speak in my place of worship.”  “I’m aprai- — afraid to speak where I work.”  “I’m afraid.” 

How are you not afraid?

MS. CHENEY:  Well, I think that — that the point you’re making is a really important one.  Think about what’s happened in our country, the level of vicious, vitriolic attack. 

You know, when — when Donald Trump says that his political opponents are the enemy within and when he contemplates deploying force against them, the response that we all have should not be to be so afraid we don’t act.  It should be: Vote him out.  Defeat him.  Defeat him.  Vote for Vice President Harris.  (Applause.)

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And, Maria, I’m going to add to that.

MS. SHRIVER:  Yeah.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I — I would add to that an additional point, which is — and don’t think it’s a sick sense of humor and relegate it to simply being that.  You know, I’ve said many times, I do believe Donald Trump to be an unserious man, but the consequences of him ever being in the White House again are brutally serious.

And — and take it from the people who know him best: his former chief of staff when he was president; two former Defense secretaries; his national security advisor; and, of course, his vice president, who have all in one way or another used the word that he is “unfit” to be president again and is dangerous. 

Listen to the report that — what his former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a general, said about him: that he is “fascist to the core.” 

And these are people who were in his administration, who worked closely with him in the Oval Office and the Situation Room. 

And so, I would caution us also — you know, because some people find it humorous what he says and — and think it’s just silly.  But understand how brutally serious it is.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Lock him up!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, the courts will take care of that.  We’ll take care of November, yes.  (Applause.)  (Laughs.)  We’ll take care of November. 

But it is brutally serious, because to — to the congresswoman’s point, anyone has — who has openly said, as he has, that he would terminate the Constitution of the United States should never again stand behind the seal of the president of the United States — never again.  (Applause.)

MS. SHRIVER:  So, Madam Vice President, I wanted to ask you — several people that I talked to in preparation for this — when I asked them, they said, “Well, I — I want to vote for the vice president, but I just don’t feel like I know her.  I don’t know enough about her.  I see the ads, but I don’t have a feel for her.”  What are three things you can tell this audience about you that aren’t in your ads, that people aren’t telling people on the robocalls, that perhaps they just wouldn’t know that might give them a feeling for who you are as a woman?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  How much time do we have?  (Laughter.)

MS. SHRIVER:  We’re at the kitchen table. 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I — I have lived a full life.  (Laughter.)

I am a wife.  I am a mother.  I am a sister.  I am a godmother.  I love to cook. 

I started my career as a prosecutor, in large part — there are many reasons but one very fundamental is, when I was young, one of my best friends in high school, I learned, was being molested by her stepfather.  And I told her, when I learned, she had to come live with us.  I talked to my mother about it.  “Of course, she has to come live with us,” and she did.  And I decided I wanted to take on a career and a life that was about protecting the most vulnerable. 

I served as attorney general of California two terms.  I was the — the top law enforcement officer of the biggest state in the country.  And doing that work, it included prosecuting transnational criminal organizations for the trafficking of guns, drugs, and human beings.  I did the work of taking on the big banks during the foreclosure crisis and delivered $20 billion for homeowners who had been targeted with predatory lending practices.  (Applause.)  I took on the big pharmaceutical companies on behalf of consumers.

As vice president of the United States, my priorities have been many, including, to your point, the work that you and I have done over the years focusing on women’s health.  One of my priorities is — has been maternal mortality. 

But I — I have only had one client in my career: the people.  And my belief is that there is great nobility in public service if one understands that they hold the office in the public trust.  It is not about personal power.  It is about what you can do that lifts up the condition of people. 

And there is so much about how I think about my responsibility, and I am here to ask for your vote — is that I do — I intend to be a president for all Americans, understanding that the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us. 

And this era that was kind of initiated by Donald Trump has not only been exhausting, it has been harmful to us as a nation.  The notion that a president of the United States would encourage Americans to point fingers at each other, that — that there would be a suggestion that we are a divided country, that — instead of knowing we have so much more in common than what separates us.

I have, as vice president, met over 150 world leaders: presidents, prime ministers, chancellors, and kings.  My most recent overseas trips as vice president — which were relatively close to, then, the election — our allies have expressed real concern. 

I’ve shared this before, but, you know, when we walk in a room representing the United States of America, we should walk in that room, especially leaders, chin up, shoulders back, knowing that we have the self-appointed and earned authority to talk about the importance of democracy and rule of law. 

But the thing about being a role model — it’s all role models who are here — people watch what you do to see if it matches up to what you say.  People around the world are watching this election, I promise you.  And my — one fear I have is I hope and I pray that we, the American people, understand not only what is at stake for us in this election but how much we mean to the rest of the world. 

     There is so much at stake in this election.

     MS. SHRIVER:  Liz Cheney, tell us real quick — I want to get to our first question.  But you’ve been traveling with the vice president.  You’ve been working with her.  You’ve been spending human time with her.  Tell the audience what you see that perhaps, you know, the camera doesn’t get or the ads don’t get so that they can get a sense of her that you have. 

     MS. CHENEY:  Well, I — I think that what I can tell you is that what the vice president is saying about wanting to be a president for all Americans, caring deeply about this country, those are things that — that come across very, very clearly and very directly. 

     And — and, look, I — I’m a conservative.  The very first campaign I ever volunteered in was for President Gerald Ford in 1976, and — and ever since then, I have been voting for Republicans.  I’ve never voted for a Democrat.  And —

     MS. SHRIVER:  Wow.

     MS. CHENEY:  And so, the — the fact that — that I — I believe so strongly that in this election — in this election, we need to elect the person who is the responsible adult — (laughter and applause) — and — and we need —

     And — and there is a lot — both parties do it.  There is a lot of vilification that goes on.

     MS. SHRIVER:  Yeah.

     MS. CHENEY:  And — and I think it’s really important for people to — to think very carefully about the power that we’re going to invest in the president of the United States and what it would mean to — to give that power to Donald Trump. 

     Don’t take my word for who he is.  Listen to him every day.  Look at what he did.  Remember that the people, as the vice president said, who are opposing him are the people who know him best, the people who worked most closely with him. 

     And so, I would just say I — I know that the vice president has had the range of experience, has — as vice president, as senator, as attorney general of California.  She is supremely qualified to be president of the United States.  I think there — there — sometimes there are some men who suggest that she’s not.  But if you look at her qualifications, there’s no question.  And that she’s somebody that I know I can count on who will put the good of this country first, there’s just no question.  (Applause.)

     MS. SHRIVER:  Okay.  I want to go — I want to go over here to Cecelia.  Cecelia Borland, can you stand up?  You have a question.

     Cecelia grew up in Birmingham, Michigan, which was a Republican stronghold as she grew up.  She now lives with her husband.  They’re raising two children in Berkley, Michigan, and she’s here with a question for the vice president.

     Q    Thank you both for coming to Michigan today for this important event.  I’d like to start by saying, personally, thank you, Representative Cheney, for — to you and your father for exemplifying putting country over party.  (Applause.) 

     And, Madam Vice President, I hope you had a wonderful birthday yesterday. 

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  (Laughter.)  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you.

     Q    From the shootings at Oxford High School to my alma mater, Michigan State University, to an attack at a kid’s splash pad this summer just a few miles away from here, the issue of gun violence hits very close to home for our community. 

     Just yesterday, I learned from our school district that my preschooler will be going through his first active shooter drill.

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.

     Q    As a gun violence survivor and mother of two young children, the issue of gun violence and the safety of my children in their schools and in our community is my top priority.

     Madam Vice President, if you are elected president and there is a Republican majority in Congress, how will you work with them to make impactful and immediate progress around gun violence, especially in our children’s schools?

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Right.  Thank you —

     MS. SHRIVER:  Thank you.

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — Cecelia.  And thank you and — for your courage to speak up about this.

     So — well, we have done it, actually, in the last four years.  We had a bipartisan group of — of folks in Congress who came together for the Safer Communities Act, which is the first meaningful piece of gun safety legislation in 30 years.  And so, it’s a good step, and it really does tell us that we have a will within the United States Congress to work in a bipartisan way.  And — and then-Congresswoman Cheney was one of those Republicans that actually voted for it. 

     I — this is how I think of the issue.  And it is through the — the lens of many experiences, including act- — I’m so sorry about your kids going through active shooter drills.  It’s — our kids did.  It’s traumatic that our children — you know, growing up, I’ll speak for myself, we had fire drills.  Right?

     Our children are now learning how to keep themselves safe if there’s an active shooter at their school. 

     I did a tour last year of — of colleges — with college-aged kids, so I also did some trade schools.  And I would ask the room — the auditorium would be packed — college-age kids — and I’d ask them, “Raise your hand if at any point between kindergarten and 12th grade you had to endure an active shooter drill.”  Almost every hand went up. 

     Our kids are growing up where they are learning that they may be unsafe in the classroom where they should be absorbing the wonders of the world. 

     One kid said to me, “Yeah” — we were talking about this — and said to me, “Yeah, that’s why I don’t like going to fifth period.”  I said, “Why, sweetheart?  Why don’t you like going to fifth period?”  “Because in that classroom, there’s no closet,” in which to hide. 

     So, we — when we think of this issue, we must also consider the trauma that is the trauma of — the direct trauma for those who have been directly affected by gun violence, including that to our kids who are in schools across our country doing this — not to mention their teachers, who want to teach and not also have to worry about will they be able to physically protect a child from a bullet.

     Here’s how I think about it in terms of the macro point.  We have been pushing, as a country, I think, a false choice that suggests you’re either in favor of the Second Amendment or you want to take everyone’s guns away.  And that’s a false choice. 

     I’m in favor of the Second Amendment.  I have talked about the fact both Tim Walz and I are gun owners.  I also believe we need reasonable gun safety laws, assault weapons bans, red flag laws, universal background checks.  (Applause.)  And — and reports say that the majority of NRA members agree on, for example, universal background checks. 

     What is a universal background check?  It’s just common sense.  Here’s what it is: You just might want to know before someone can buy a lethal weapon whether they’ve been found by a court to be a danger to themselves or others.  You just might want to know.  It’s common sense.  (Applause.)  We need commonsense gun safety laws. 

     And I will continue — I’ve done it throughout my career — work with all of our colleagues across the aisle.  And I know that we can make progress. 

     But this is not — I’m not trying to take anybody’s guns away from them.  But we need reasonable gun safety laws.

     MS. SHRIVER:  Okay.  I want to come back to the issue of public safety in a minute.  But first we want to go to Martin.  Thank you, Cecelia, very much.  Martin Howrylak.  He’s a former Republican member of the Michigan House of Representatives, and he’s here with a question about national security.

     Q    Well, thank both of you for being here this afternoon.  I really appreciate your coming to the state of Michigan to — to be here.  I would like to ask: What can the U.S. do politically, economically, or militarily to deter Russia from continuing its war on the independent nation of Ukraine while simultaneously strengthening our own U.S. security interests?

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Martin. 

     MS. SHRIVER:  Go ahead.

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  So, I was actually in Munich at the Munich Security Conference delivering a speech when I first met with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine, and it was just days before Russia invaded. 

     I’ve now met with President Zelenskyy, I think, seven times, because the United States has rightly taken a position as a leader — a global leader on international rules and norms — that we must stand in support of one of the most important international rules and norms, which is the importance of protecting sovereignty and territorial integrity, the importance of standing strong in opposition to the notion that, in this case, Russia would attempt to change borders by force, to invade another nation — a sovereign nation by force. 

     And sadly, there is a huge difference between my opponent and me on this very fundamental issue. 

     Back to the conversation about — there was a time when we used to — there was a phrase that I’ll paraphrase that, basically, politics ends at the — at the sea line, at the — at the — you know, at the — the boundaries of our country, that there are certain things — in particular, the matters of national security — where it’s not about partisanship; it’s about where should America stand in terms of supporting our allies and standing for certain principles.

     I’ll — I’ll give you, as a — as a point of reference for me in terms of how I feel about this, on the partisan issue.  

     I — for the four years that I was in the United States Senate, my favorite committee was the Senate Intelligence Committee.  And I served on that committee, and we would meet in a room that’s called a SCIF.  And it’s — it’s basically a — (laughs) — it’s a very secure room.  No press, with all due respect, is allowed in.  No cameras.  Everyone has to leave their cell phone outside. 

     It’s a bipartisan committee, and we would go in that room and receive classified information from America’s intelligence community, sometimes our military leaders, about hot spots around the world and threats to our national security.  And when we went in that room — and this is why it was my favorite committee — people would take off their suit jacket, roll up their sleeves, have a cup of coffee on the table.  And we weren’t Democrats or Republicans; we were Americans. 

     And that is so important on a number of issues we are discussing this afternoon but, in particular, on national security. 

     My opponent, however, has made it a thing of his to admire dictators and autocrats around the world.  He exchanged love letters with Kim Jong Un.  Remember that?  He has openly praised the president of Russia. 

     Most recently, the report is, in the height of COVID — remember everyone was scrambling to get their hands on COVID tests?  Remember when Americans were dying by the hundreds every day?  And Donald Trump secretly sent COVID tests to the president of Russia for his personal use. 

     He has said — Donald Trump — “I will solve the matter of Ukraine and Russia in a day.”  Read through and understand what he is saying.  He would surrender.  He would have Ukraine surrender its fight against an aggressor violating its sovereignty. 

     If Donald Trump were president, Vladimir Putin will be sitting in Kyiv.  And understand what that would mean for America and our standing around the world. 

     But thankfully, there has been bipartisan support — and to your point of what — where you stand — on this very fundamental issue.  But this is a — this is a very vivid example of what is at stake in this election.  Because Donald Trump has been very clear: He would give away the shop.  He has been manipulated and is so clearly able to be manipulated by favor and flattery, including from dictators and autocrats around the world. 

     And America knows that that is not how we stand.  That is not how we fight.  We fight in favor of our strength and our role as a leader in bringing the Allies together and standing for foundational and fundamental principles.

     MS. SHRIVER:  Congressman Cheney — (applause) — I know, kind of, the issue of national security is one of the big reasons you’re here and supporting the vice president.  Can you expand on that answer and add your thoughts to it?

     MS. CHENEY:  Yeah.  You know, I think that if — if you look at where the Republican Party is today, there’s been a really dangerous embrace of isolationism, a dangerous embrace of tyrants. 

     The president, you know, even just today, he heaps praise on the world’s most evil people while he attacks, you know, with venom, his political opponents here at home. 

     And, you know, the — the reality is that since the end of World War II, America has led.  And we’ve led — and that has been necessary to defend our freedom.  And we can’t do it by ourselves, though.  We need our allies. 

     And when Donald Trump says that he’s going to withdraw from NATO, when he invites Vladimir Putin to invade NATO, when he suggests that it is Zelenskyy’s fault that Ukraine was invaded, I mean that is — that i- —

     For anybody who is a Republican who is thinking that, you know, they might vote for Donald Trump because of national security policy, I ask you, please, please study his national security policy.  Not only is it not Republican, it’s dangerous.  And without allies, America will find our very freedom and security challenged and threatened. 

     And one final point on this: Don’t think that Congress can stop him. 

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.

     MS. CHENEY:  People say, “Well, you know what, he can’t really do the worst, you know, because Congress will step in.”  All he has to do is what he’s doing — is say, “I won’t fulfill our NATO treaty obligations,” and — and NATO begins to unravel. 

     So, it is — it is an incredibly dangerous thing to think about a foreign policy, a national security policy led by somebody who is — is as unstable as Donald Trump is.  And it’s a risk we just simply can’t take as a nation. 

     MS. SHRIVER:  Thank you.

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And I’m going to add for emphasis that — let’s also be clear about on the subject, specifically of Ukraine, Donald Trump’s approach would be to surrender.  Understand what that would mean.  That is signaling to the president of Russia he can get away with what he has done. 

Understand — look at the map — Poland would be next.  NATO, our Allies, are — the reason that they have been so thankful for the position of strength we have taken in bringing the Allies together is because they are fully aware of and remember — to the congresswoman’s point — World War II.  Remember, this — this concept of isolation — we were once there as a nation, and then Pearl Harbor happened. 

Let’s remember recent history.  Europe remembers it well.  We — then when we got attacked, Pearl Harbor, we jumped in, and it is because America jumped in that we were ultimately able to win that war, and it should be a constant reminder to us — we have to remember history — that isolationism, which is exactly what Donald Trump is pushing — pull out of NATO, abandon our friends — isolationism is not insulation.  It is not insulation.  It will not insulate us from harm in terms of our national security. 

So, I say that to emphasize a point that the congresswoman made, and the other point I’d make is also check out where he’s been on how he thinks about America’s military and service members.  One of the great, great American heroes, a prisoner of war, John McCain.  Remember how he talked about John McCain?  He said he didn’t like him because he got caught. 

You look — he’s called members of our military “suckers” and “losers.”  And then look at how some of the highest-ranking members of our military, including what I mentioned earlier, the chairman — the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a dedicated member, leader in our mil- — in America’s military, how he has assessed Donald Trump — fascism “to his core.”

So, there we are.

MS. SHRIVER:  There are your talking points for the kitchen table.  (Applause.)

Our final question is from Courtney.  Courtney, can you stand?  Courtney is — Courtney Gabbara Agrusa is a wife, a mom, an attorney, and she’s a proud Chaldean, and she is here with a question.  Courtney.

Q    Thank you so much.  Good evening, Madam Vice President Harris and Representative Cheney.  My name is Courtney Gabbara Agrusa, and I am a first-generation Chaldean American.  Chaldeans are Indigenous Iraqis who are Catholic, and we are predominantly in the metro Detroit area.  Chaldeans are a very close-knit community, but the recent political climate has really begun to divide us. 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.

Q    While I know that you have discussed several bipartisan proposals over the course of your campaign, what would you say to people like myself who are part of these traditionally conservative communities who want to move forward, but are feeling the pref- — the pressures of the political divide?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  And I’ve actually met with — with members and leaders in the Chaldean community, and thank you for being here. 

You know, I think that there is something at stake that is about core values, as well as what is at stake in terms of the risk and the danger.  And I would offer you an example of what I think would be an important issue that would affect the Chaldean community and all Americans, for example, the issue of — of how we think about health care in America. 

So, I know enough about the culture and to know that it is reflective of who we are as Americans in general.  We respect our elders; we take care of them.  So, I will share with you a specific proposal that is an extension of how I think about things. 

I — actually a personal story, I took care of my mother when she was sick.  And for anyone taking care of or who has taken care of an elder relative, you know what that is.  It’s about trying to cook something they feel like eating.  It is trying to find clothes that don’t irritate their skin or help them put on a sweater.  It’s about trying to figure out something you can say that will bring a smile to their face or make them laugh.  It’s about dignity. 

And we now have, in particular in our country, a lot of people doing that and also raising young kids.  We call them the sandwich generation, right in the middle.  It’s a lot.  And the way the system currently works — well, God willing, you may have enough resources, you can hire somebody to come in and help. 

If not, you may have to spend down all of your savings to be able to qualify for Medicaid or you may have to quit your job to be able to do what you need to do to take care of your children and take care of your relative — your older relative.  That’s just not right, and it’s not fair. 

So, part of my proposal and the plan is that we’re going to now reconfigure so that Medicare covers home health care for our seniors, right?  It’s about dignity.  (Applause.)

So, in addition to everything that we’ve discussed already about national security, what is at stake — something like this, because I absolutely do believe America is ready for a new generation of leadership that is taking on issues clear-eyed about what is going on that affects everybody — it doesn’t matter their political party; issues that are fundamentally about dignity, also about economic issues; and taking it on in a way that we relieve the American people of the burdens that get in the way of productivity and a certain quality of life.  And this is one example of that. 

I believe we need to have an economy that I call an opportunity economy, where everyone has the opportunity to thrive — not just get by but get ahead. 

And this is one example I would offer under the broader point, which is about, let’s move forward, taking on problems from a commonsense approach that is about just practical work. 

Look, I am a capitalist.  I am a pragmatic capitalist.  I will work as I have with the private sector.  I believe we have to invest in America’s economy and in America’s industry and America’s entrepreneurs, and we can, at the same time, take care of those that are the most in need of just a little support to be able to not just get by but get ahead.

MS. SHRIVER:  Thank you, Courtney. 

Liz, I just want to — we have two minutes left — (applause) — and when you hear the phrase a “new way forward,” when you hear “country over party,” what does that mean to you? 

We’re two weeks out, what does a new way forward mean for families like everybody here, for your children, my children, everybody’s children, young men?

MS. CHENEY:  Yeah, I —

MS. SHRIVER:  What is it like?

MS. CHENEY:  I think that, you know, we’re — we’re at a moment now where, when you think about America and — and the beacon of hope that we have been for so many years for so many communities, also how tremendously enriched we have been by communities — immigrants who want to come here and build a life, all of that depends upon fundamentally defending the rule of law, fundamentally defending our Constitution.  That’s — that’s what makes all of our opportunity and our freedom possible.

And — and at the same time that we’re that beacon for the world, you know, it’s also because — because we’re a good nation —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.

MS. CHENEY:  — and because you know when — when you — when you look at who our leader is going to be, what — what Donald Trump represents is — is, in many ways, just cruel and — and not — not the kind of dignity and — and the kind of person that we all want to be able to look up to. 

But — but what I would say is that if people are uncertain, if people are thinking, “Well, you know, I’m a conservative, I don’t know that I can support Vice President Harris,” I would say I don’t know if anybody is more conservative than I am.  (Laughter.)  And — and I understand the most conservative value there is is to defend the Constitution.  And if we don’t come together to do that then — (applause) —

And so, just to — to finish that, I would say, to me, a new way forward is this: It’s what you’re seeing up here.  It’s having a president who will listen, having a president who will say, “I’m not, you know, necessarily sure I agree with you on this issue or that issue, but let’s talk about it.”

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.

MS. CHENEY:  “Why do you want, you know, that policy?  Why do you believe that?”  Someone who is willing to honor and respect all perspectives and points of views.  And there’s only one candidate in this race who does that, and that’s Vice President Harris.  (Applause.)

MS. SHRIVER:  In fact, a lot of polling of undecided voters who call themselves “the exhausted majority” said, I just want leaders who listen —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.

MS. SHRIVER:  — to one another.  I just want leaders who speak respectfully to one another.  I want to see decency.  I want to see people I can look up to.  And, unfortunately, that’s considered a new way forward as the — as Representative Cheney —

MS. CHENEY:  Yeah, let’s do that.  Let’s do that. 

MS. SHRIVER:  Yeah, let’s do that.

MS. CHENEY:  Yeah, let’s do that. 

MS. SHRIVER:  Let’s make that a way forward. 

The final word, Madam Vice President.  You know, everybody I talked to says, you know, “I have to turn off the news.  I can’t read anything.  I’m meditating.  I’m doing yoga.  I’m doing — I’m so anxious.  I just don’t even know.  I’m eating gummies.”  All kinds of things, you know?  (Laughter.) 

What are you doing?  What are you doing —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Not eating gummies.  (Laughter and applause.)

MS. SHRIVER:  Okay, we got that clear.  But how do you — I mean, how do you handle this — the anxiety, the stress, the turmoil?  Everybody is freaked out.  I — I talked to the gentleman up there, and he’s like, “I’m so scared.” 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.

MS. SHRIVER:  A woman was like, “I’m so anxious.  I can’t sleep.”  Do you sleep?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  You know, I wake up in the middle of the night usually these days, to be honest with you, but I work out every morning.  I — I think that’s really important to just kind of — you know, mind, body, and spirit. 

But let me — let me just say this —

MS. SHRIVER:  No, say more about that.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — we — but I —

MS. SHRIVER:  Say more.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — but — I will.  I work out.  I try to eat well.  You know, I love my family, and I make sure that I talk to the kids and my husband every day.  We’ve been — Doug and I’ve been kind of tr- — you know, traveling.  We’re trying to cover a lot of ground, so we’re not with each other every day these days, but my family grounds me in every way. 

But let me, if I can just speak to the — what people are feeling.  You — we cannot despair.  We cannot despair.  You know, the nature of a democracy is such that I think there’s a duality. 

On the one hand, there’s an incredible strength when our democracy is intact, an incredible strength in what it does to protect the freedoms and rights of its people.  Oh, there’s great strength in that.  And it is very fragile.  It is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it.  And so, that’s the moment we’re in. 

And I say, do not despair, because in a democracy, as long as we can keep it — in our democracy, the people, every individual has the power to make a decision about what this will be, and that’s — and so let’s not feel powerless.  Let’s not let the som- — and I get it — overwhelming nature of this all make us feel powerless, because then we have been defeated, and that’s not our character as the American people. 

We are not one to be defeated.  We rise to a moment, and we stand on broad shoulders of people who have fought this fight before for our country.  And in many ways, let us look at the challenge then that we are being presented and not be overwhelmed by it.  The baton is now in our hands to fight for — not against, but for — this country we love. 

That’s what we have the power to do.  So, let’s own that — dare I say, be joyful in what we will do in the process of owning that, which is knowing that we can and will build community and coalitions and remind people that we’re all in this together.  Let’s not let the overwhelming nature of this strip us of our strength. 

That’s how I feel about this.  (Applause.)  You know, that’s how I feel about this.  You know?  Yeah.  

MS. SHRIVER:  So, I want to — I want to thank everybody here.  You heard from the vice president, from Congresswoman Cheney, do not despair.  I think you got a great glimpse into who this woman is, who this woman is, what brings them together, why they’re here, why they want to earn your vote, why they wanted to speak with you today. 

And I want to leave you with this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson that I think speaks to this moment.  It says,

“Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you’re wrong.  There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right.  To map out a course of action and follow it to the end requires great courage.” 

So, I leave you with that.  All of you are courageous people.  Do not despair. 

Thank you so much for spending your time.  Brava.  (Applause.)

                             END                5:18 P.M. EDT