Biden takes the stage at North Carolina rally; Speaks on reproductive rights, economy and health care (2024)

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN TOOK TO THE STAGE HERE IN THE JIM GRAHAM BUILDING AT THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE FAIRGROUNDS IN RALEIGH, SMILING, JOKING AND LOOKING FAR MORE COMFORTABLE THAN HE DID DURING LAST NIGHT’S DEBATE. A PERFORMANCE THAT MANY EXPERTS AND TOP DEMOCRATS SAY WAS DISAPPOINTING. NOW, PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN SPOKE FOR A LITTLE OVER 20 MINUTES WHERE HE LAID OUT HIS PLATFORM, BEGINNING WITH WOMEN’S REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS, THE ECONOMY, HEALTH CARE AND EDUCATION. THERE WERE MOMENTS WHERE THE PRESIDENT STOPPED TO COUGH AND HE WAS INTERRUPTED AT LEAST SEVEN TIMES BY PEOPLE SHOUTING AND HECKLING, WHO WERE QUICKLY ESCORTED OUT. THE PRESIDENT THEN WENT INTO ATTACK MODE, SAYING FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP HAS THE MORALS OF AN ALLEY CAT AND THAT HE TOLD SO MANY LIES LAST NIGHT THAT THE FACT CHECKERS COULDN’T KEEP UP. NEAR THE END OF HIS SPEECH, THE PRESIDENT BROUGHT UP HIS PERFORMANCE IN LAST NIGHT’S DEBATE, SAYING IT’S TOTALLY OBVIOUS HE’S NOT A YOUNG MAN. I DON’T WALK AS EASY AS I USED TO. I DON’T SPEAK AS SMOOTHLY AS I USED TO. I DON’T DEBATE AS WELL AS I USED TO, BUT I KNOW WHAT I DO KNOW. I KNOW HOW TO TELL THE TRUTH. I KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW RIGHT FROM WRONG. AND I KNOW HOW TO DO THIS JOB. I KNOW HOW TO GET THINGS DONE, AND I KNOW, LIKE MILLIONS OF AMERICANS KNOW, WHEN YOU GET KNOCKED DOWN, YOU GET BACK UP. THE PRESIDENT CLOSED LAST NIGHT’S THIS AFTERNOON’S SPEECH BY SAYING, QUOTE, DONALD TRUMP WILL DESTROY DEMOCRACY. AND I WILL DEFEND IT. I’LL HAVE MORE COMING UP AT OUR 5:00 SHOW FROM THE PRESIDENT’S VISIT TO RALEIGH. I’M IN RALEIGH.