Remarks by Vice President Harris in a Moderated Conversation with Andrew Ross Sorkin at the New York Times 12th Annual Deal book Summit | New York, NY
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
New York, New York
MR. SORKIN: The Vice President, everybody. (Applause.)
The Vice President is with us this afternoon, and it could be — could not be a more timely time to speak with you. During her time in office, she has now visited 19 countries, met with more than 100 leaders.
You are a trailblazer in every way: first woman, first Black American, South A- — South Asian American to be elected vice president in the United States.
We’re going to talk about a lot of things today. We’re going to talk about inflation, the economy, geopolitics, AI and tech, abortion laws. I think we’re going to go to a lot of different places this afternoon.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I’ve got time. (Laughter.)
MR. SORKIN: And I’m hoping that as a result of this conversation, we can all understand you and the way you think. And that’s my hope from this — from this discussion.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Good.
MR. SORKIN: Just — so, thank you for being here.
The entire country is looking at you, I think you know, in so many ways. Let me ask you this — and this is where I want to start. You can look at where we are in the economy today and take credit for the following things, I think — or you would you would like to think: near record low unemployment, near record high housing prices, oil prices are coming down, rate of inflation is slowing, near record stock prices, actually — quite high. You passed the CHIPS Act. All of these things.
And yet, despite that — and you know this because you look at the polls, former President Trump not only on a national level appears to be beating the Biden-Harris ticket but uniquely in those five of the six key swing states, that seems to be the case.
And so, I’m trying to understand the way you think about when you see these polls — what you think is happening and what you think the American people feel.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, it’s good to be with you, Andrew. Good to see everyone.
So, most of the setup of that question related to the economy, so we can to discuss that first. But there are many factors that the American people consider during election cycles. And the midterms and then recently in Ohio and Virginia prove that point.
When we look at the economy, I appreciate you recognizing that we have accomplished quite a bit, especially when we reflect on where we started in January of ’21, when we, of course, were looking at record unemployment, we were looking at a crisis that was global in proportion.
Fast forward to today, we have actually dealt with inflation in a better way than most advanced economies, we have had record unemployment for an extended period of time, wages have surpassed inflation in many ways. So, we’ve seen great progress.
And I think the American people know it on some level. But these are also macroeconomic measures and don’t necessarily connect with the heart and the experience and the feelings of the American people.
For many Americans, prices are still too high. And we still have work to do to address that. And we’ve been doing that in a number of ways, capping the cost of insulin at $35 a month, what we are doing in terms of student loan debt, over $120 billion in forgiveness, what we’re doing to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices.
MR. SORKIN: Right.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So, the work is happening. And frankly, when you look at polls, I will tell you: If you poll insulin at $35 a month, if you poll Medicare negotiating drug prices, if you poll what we have done with a historic investment in an existential crisis, which is the climate crisis, when you poll on you have done on gun safety — polls incredibly.
MR. SORKIN: So, that’s so interesting. So, on individual issues, you’re absolutely right —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: And our challenge is just to let folks know who brung it to them. That’s a big part of our challenge. It’s all these individual accomplishments —
MR. SORKIN: So, were you surprised when you see the polls?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — they are very popular.
MR. SORKIN: When you see the — when you see the — what do you what do you think when you see the polls?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Listen, if I listened to polls, I would have never run from my first office or my second one. And here I am as vice president. (Laughter.)
MR. SORKIN: One of the other things you have said is that this election — and you said it for the last election, but this election, in particular, democracy is at stake.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: It is.
MR. SORKIN: And so, if it’s at stake and the polls are as close as they are, what does that say to you either about your message or the American people?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So, let’s put polls aside for a moment. I think we all can agree that we are living in a time where we’ve seen great instability and destabilizing — historic destabilizing events. And it is having an effect on all of us, on everyone. Most recent event, starting October 7. Many of us are carrying a very heavy heart.
We just survived — the lucky ones — a historic pandemic where there was an extraordinary loss of life, loss of normalcy. People lost their jobs, their sense of identity.
And we are, then, at a moment where it requires us to have a certain level of faith in the integrity of certain institutions, including democracies.
You know, as you said, I’ve met now with over 100 world leaders — presidents, prime ministers, chancellors, and kings. When we walk in those rooms representing the United States of America, we walk in those rooms chin up, shoulders back, with the appointed authority — the self-appointed and earned authority to talk about the importance of rule of law, of democracies.
But the thing about being a role model is that people watch what you do to see if it matches what you say. People around the world are watching what’s happening in our country —
MR. SORKIN: What do you think of the American —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — to see if we are measuring up to our ideals.
And — and then, when we think about the election and in the context of that, we must understand the duality of the nature of democracy.
On the one hand, it’s very strong in its nature, in terms of what it does to protect individual rights and freedoms. And there’s great strength in that.
And on the other hand, it’s very fragile. It will only be as strong as our willingness to fight for it. And this is one of those moments in time —
MR. SORKIN: Do you think the American public under- — to the degree that you’re right, if you are, do you think that the American public understands that?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I think at their core, they do. I travel our country. I was just, in the last couple of days, in Houston and Atlanta, D.C., and now New York. I’ve tra- — and, before that, California.
I traveled our country, and I’ll tell you something: They may not talk about it in the — using the term “democracy,” but they understand the importance of freedom, of liberty, of human rights.
You talk about freedoms. And — but, by the way, there is a full-on attack by some against hard-won, hard-fought freedoms in our country: the freedom to make decisions about one’s own body, the freedom to love who you love with pride and openly, the freedom to be free from gun violence and of fear, of hatred, antisemitism, Islamophobia.
There are fundamental freedoms that are at stake right now, and the American people do understand that.
And again, I will point to the midterms and the most recent elections. When freedom was on the ballot, be it from Kansas to California, Ohio to Virginia —
MR. SORKIN: Do you think the polls —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — the American people voted in favor of freedoms.
MR. SORKIN: Do you think the polls are just wrong?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: That’s a little too simplistic. I — with all due respect, I don’t think that we should use polling as our only measure of who we are as Americans and our values and our principles and our priorities.
That’s — that’s something you can’t necessarily poll, but it is something you know when you’re sitting around with your — with your family, with your neighbors, with the people that you may pray with, the people you may work with.
MR. SORKIN: Let me ask you a question that I know you get asked a lot. And I know it’s a question that I imagine you don’t like. And it is —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I expected many of those today. (Laughs.)
MR. SORKIN: This is the headline. It ran in the Wall Street Journal and it ran as a question. So, I’m just going to ask it directly to you.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
MR. SORKIN: Is a vote for Biden a vote for President Harris?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: A vote for President Biden is a vote for President Biden and Vice President Harris.
We are a ticket. It’s called “Biden-Harris.” That’s the administration. That’s on the ticket.
MR. SORKIN: Right. Okay.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes. I was elected. And I intend to be reelected, as does the President.
MR. SORKIN: Let me ask it in a different way then. (Laughter.) No — no, no.
Do you think — and this is a very, just, personal question — when you voted historically before — before you —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I voted for myself.
MR. SORKIN: No, but be- — (laughter).
Before you were in this role — before you were in this role —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes.
MR. SORKIN: — you voted for presidents and tickets before.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Indeed.
MR. SORKIN: Okay. So, here’s the question. Do you accept the idea, the conception that when people in this room and other places vote for your ticket — this is the Biden-Harris ticket — that they have to believe — everybody in this room has to believe that you would make an exceptional president?
Are they voting affirmatively for you in that role? Or are they voting for something different?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Oh, they’re voting for so much when they vote for president. They’re voting for what are the accomplishments, when you’re talking about reelection; the values, the principles that — that those leaders stand for and exemplify.
They’re voting, for example, when we’re looking at increasing instability around the world — I mean, a war in Europe. Seventy years where we took for granted basic international rules and norms, such as sovereignty and territorial integrity, upended by Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine.
We look now at what is happening in the Middle East, with one of our longest friends and allies, Israel, being the subject of a terrorist attack where 1,200 people were killed and now what we look in Ga- — at Gaza and what has happened where far too many Palestinians civilians have been killed.
And the world pay — the world pays attention and Americans pay attention. And I think it does us all a discredit to underestimate the intelligence of the American people to see what’s happening in the world and their desire for consistency and stability and moderation and leadership versus chaos.
The American people have the ability to see a split screen and understand what will be presented as a difference in November of ’24, much less what you have seen over the last four years in terms of establishing stability that was lost in the previous administration.
It is Joe Biden — and I spend a whole lot of time with our president — who was able to reestablish the strength of NATO. Don’t forget — from our friend Macron to others, who at one point presented an existential question, “Does NATO have a reason for being?”
Joe Biden, I would dare say, singularly, as a world leader, who often receives phone calls — because I’ve been there — from world leaders asking his advice, who was able to strengthen NATO to the point that now two more countries will be joining.
MR. SORKIN: Okay, so —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: The American people watch and understand. It may not be part of what keeps them up at night and — and figures out how to pay their bills on a daily basis in terms of what I’m now discussing, but they appreciate the leadership of the United States.
MR. SORKIN: The reason why I’m asking the question is because of his age. I say it objectively. That’s — that’s the issue.
Kevin McCarthy was here this morning. And he was — in very stark terms, effectively said that he did not believe that President Biden was the same President Biden that he used to talk to. Went so far as to say that when they were having the debt negotiations, that he didn’t even think he was negotiating with him, that he thought he was looking at cards and that if the information effectively wasn’t on the cards, he wasn’t able to do it.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: With all due respect — (laughter) — when anyone who has had the experience that he has most recently had, I don’t think he’s a judge of negotiations. (Laughter and applause.)
But that being said — that being said — that being said, to the point, because it is a point that has been made, first of all, I would say that age is more than a chronological fact. I spend a whole lot of time with our President, be it in the Oval Office or the Situation Room and in other places. And I can tell you, as I just mentioned, not only is he absolutely authoritative in rooms around the globe but in the Oval Office, meeting with members of Congress, meeting with leaders in industry, meeting with community leaders.
I will tell you that he is in front of, often, everyone in the room in terms of thinking about how we can resolve issues, negotiate in a way that is about concession where necessary but for the sake of accomplishment and actual work.
Remember, so many talked about — and one in particular — “Infrastructure Week.” It never happened.
Under Joe Biden’s leadership, there were many who said, “Don’t give concessions on this” or “Go a different way on that.” He was steady. He was mature. And he made the call every time.
Only one person sits behind the Resolute Desk.
MR. SORKIN: Let me ask you in a more complicated way. I think there’s a lot of people would say, “She can’t say anything else. She — she couldn’t tell — if there was a problem…”
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I’m not lying. (Laughs.)
MR. SORKIN: If there was a —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I’m telling — but I’m telling you a fact.
MR. SORKIN: But if there ever is a problem —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
MR. SORKIN: — do you think that you could go tell the American public? Do you think, in your role, that you’re — that you’re in a position to do that?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Of course, if necessary, but there’s no need for that. I don’t —
There is a political argument that is being made that is not based on substance. And you’re asking me to hypothesize around what are my duties to the American people as vice president of the United States that are based on ethics and morals and the law.
I will always follow those rules. But I am suggesting to you that it is important we not be seduced into one of the only arguments that that side of the aisle has right now on this issue in a way that is int- — is intended to distract from the accomplishments.
We have an historic investment in a pro-growth economy.
We have done the work that has been about saying that we will create alignment with our allies, that we will invest in the American economy around workers and industry and business.
We have done the work that is about an investment in chips and science. The Inflation Reduction Act, may I remind everyone, not one Republican in Congress voted for.
If you look at the track record of accomplishment under this president on infrastructure alone, many historians would argue not since Eisenhower have we seen that kind of investment in America and a- — the creation of American jobs, not to mention recovering from an historic economic decline because of the pandemic.
One person makes the decisions ultimately on all these big issues and many that are less known, and that is the president. And in our case, that is Joe Biden.
He has proven himself to be able to do the work that I do believe the American people want.
MR. SORKIN: Let me ask you about you and your own popularity.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Sure.
MR. SORKIN: You’ve seen the polls, also. Your ratings, 38.5 percent. Biden’s, 40.4 percent. And Trump is higher.
Ron Klain says this, and — and you’ve — you’ve seen press about yourself over — over the years. He says that he believes that your popularity — or unpopularity or whatever rating you want to put it as — is a function of sexism and racism. He says that’s part of the problem. He says, “She doesn’t get the credit for all that she’s done.” Do you think that’s true?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, are we talking about the media or people? As it relates to the media, I’m sure some of that is true.
MR. SORKIN: As relates to people?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: No, that — that’s — let me tell you, I just finished a college tour where I — I started in September. I’ve now, through that college tour, by the end of it, met with over 15,000 college-aged Americans — universities, community colleges, and also trade — trade schools. Every auditorium was packed. And in almost every school, there was an overflow room. And the excitement was palpable.
When these folks, meaning the American people, have an opportunity to hear firsthand where we are and what we are committed to in terms of the issue —
MR. SORKIN: Do you think it’s a winning strategy?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — of essential freedoms, on a lot of these issues, they believe in the leadership and they applaud the leadership. And I will tell you, that was the case everywhere I went.
MR. SORKIN: I want to pivot to Israel for just a moment. We had the President of Israel with us just — just —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Herzog.
MR. SORKIN: — before lunch.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
MR. SORKIN: And there’s also a big article in the New York Times today about potentially a divide inside the Biden administration about how to approach this — whether to support Israel further; whether to put on — in terms of providing funds and things, making it conditional; how civilians in Gaza are being treated.
What — what are you seeing inside? Can you take us inside what that debate is right now?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: From day one — and I think many of us will remember where we were on 7 October — we have been very consistent as an administration on where we stand.
First of all, that after that horrific attack — 1,200 people massacred, many of them young people simply attending a concert — that we would stand with Israel’s right to defend itself.
And I’m happy to say that, as of today, we have also been very consistent about where we stand on the American citizens and other hostages that were taken and our priority to make sure that they are — are rescued and — and are able to leave.
We have also been consistent, both in public and private conversations — at the beginning, perhaps, most of them private — with Prime Minister Netanyahu that it is critically important that humanitarian aid be given to Gaza and that the rules of war be followed.
MR. SORKIN: Do you think they’re following them?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, that’s a very broad question. There are many rules. But I will say that they — we are looking at the — that — that is, at some point, a discussion that can be had.
But right now —
MR. SORKIN: But is that up for grabs? Meaning, I think there’s a lot of people who are looking at what’s happening, and they’re saying they have every right to go and try to destroy Hamas. But the question is can they do that and at the same time put civilians in harm’s way, and how the global public is supposed to think about that, and, by the way, what that may or may not do to the future of that region —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
MR. SORKIN: — in terms of how people there think about all of this and what happens next.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So, I’m going to share something with you that I think many of the people in this audience will appreciate, which is that when you are in the midst of attempting to leverage whatever influence or authority you have in a relationship in a way that it will impact decisions, it is counterproductive to do that publicly. It doesn’t mean it’s not being done.
And I will say to you that perhaps one of the political challenges that we have faced — and you’ve seen this before, when we were looking at the potential of a government shutdown — is that our President has enough — he’s secure enough with who he is to not feel he has to go on TV every day to boast about how strong he is or the positions he’s taking if it’s not going to actually be productive in terms of influencing the desired outcome.
So, I say to you: There have been many conversations, both in public and private, about the fact that far too Pal- — many Palestinians have been killed, and it is important that Israel do all it can to protect innocent civilians.
It — these conversations have been taking place. I’ve been on those conversations, at least 14 that President Biden has had with Netanyahu. I’ve had conversations with President Her- — Herzog over the many years actually — he and I have become friends — including most recently —
MR. SORKIN: Right.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — after October 7th.
MR. SORKIN: But — you’re seeing the — you’re seeing the Democratic Party is divided over this. And I want to try something —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: There —
MR. SORKIN: — out on you.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: There’s no question about that.
MR. SORKIN: I — I want to read you something. This is the New Yorker. Tell me if you agree with this. “Foreign policy is rarely, if ever, a decisive issue in a U.S. Presidential contest.” This is about the political thinking of what happens here.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
MR. SORKIN: “And it’s hard to imagine pro-Palestinian protesters deciding that Trump — he of the Muslim ban and the whatever-Netanyahu-wants Israel policy — will better represent their cause than Biden.”
Basically making the argument that you — that’s why you can support Israel in this moment, politically.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: The reality of it all is not about politics for us. In fact, maybe we would make different decisions if it were about political popularity.
We are making decisions based on what we absolutely believe is the right thing to do. And those decisions are consistent with what we have publicly stated are our values.
And there is more work to be done.
MR. SORKIN: Right.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — displacement of the Palestinians.
These conversations are all happening.
MR. SORKIN: Let me — I’m going to ask you two related questions. The Second Gentleman, your husband, is Jewish. And I am Jewish. I have watched with bewilderment about the antisemitism —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
MR. SORKIN: — that we’re seeing. Do you think it was always there?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes.
MR. SORKIN: You do?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So —
MR. SORKIN: And we just didn’t see it? We didn’t know it? What?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Oh, we did see it. Come on.
No, you know, you’re reminding me of a conversation that I had with then-Chancellor Angela Merkel. She was actually the first foreign head of state that I had over to the house, for breakfast.
And she’s, by the way, wonderful. She really is. She’s warm. She has a sense of humor, unlike the media would portray her.
In any event, after we — (laughter) — after we talked about Russia, we talked about China — it was before Ukraine — she leaned over and she asked me — you know, this is now at the end of what was a 15-year tenure, where many would argue she was probably one of the most prominent heads in Europe, and she was very concerned about what she’d be leaving behind in the world — and she asked me, “What — what is going on in the United States?” What is — what — what’s happening in terms of the — the hate, what’s happening in terms of the —
MR. SORKIN: Right.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — voting rights attacks, and various things. And I said to her this. So, I — I am a daughter of a mother who had two goals in her life: to raise her two daughters and to end breast cancer. My mother was a breast cancer researcher. And I grew up, then, in an environment that was all about public health.
I say that to say this: I offered — I usually offer two kinds of analogies, either public health or cooking. I like to cook. And so, I said to her, “Listen, it’s — it’s like in our bodies: We — we all have something in our body that can attack us. But God willing, we have a healthy enough immune system that will suppress it.”
But from time to time, something will come and it’ll — it’ll incite it. It’ll flare it up.
To the point of your question, antisemitism, racism, homophobia, xenophobia — these things have always existed in our country. Come on.
MR. SORKIN: And do you think it’s better or worse?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: It’s just a question —
MR. SORKIN: But — but let me ask you a different question, then.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: It’s just a question of where —
MR. SORKIN: We’re going to — we’re going to have —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — we’ve been in our cycle in terms of how we’ve been able to suppress —
MR. SORKIN: So, here’s a question, then.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — or deal with it or not.
And in that way, we are all in the same place in wanting — deeply, deeply wanting a better future. And if we can start from that position with that perspective, and I do believe we can, I think we’ll get there.
MR. SORKIN: Madam Vice President, I want to thank you for joining us.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.)
MR. SORKIN: Thank you so very, very much.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you all.
MR. SORKIN: Thank you.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you all.
MR. SORKIN: Thank you, everybody.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you.
MR. SORKIN: Madam Vice President. (Applause.)
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