Press Release
☷Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Gathering of Community Violence Intervention Leaders
White House ( By Press Release office)
Feb 11,2024
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Hey everyone , good afternoon! ( Applause ) Dr . Chico , so good to see you again . Please take a seat . How ' s everyone doing this afternoon? ( Audience members: Good afternoon ) . So , Dr . Chico and I were just talking backstage about how we met during the holidays . You came over to my house . . . ( Laughter ) We were discussing our commitments to the community and what we can do to follow through on them . Because community work , especially when it comes to violence intervention , is all about investing in our community , recognizing its potential , and taking action to reduce harm . But it ' s not just about harm reduction , it ' s about investing in the greatness and potential of our community . I want to give a big thank you to Governor Moore of Maryland for his leadership . Wes Moore and I have had many conversations about this work , and I know he ' s going to do amazing things in Maryland and show everyone what can be achieved when you have leaders who understand the brilliance within the community . It ' s about providing the resources to support the good work and make a real impact . So , I want to thank everyone here for their contributions , especially the graduates . Where are the graduates? ( Applause ) Congratulations to the inaugural class! This is a historic day because these role models , as the first graduating class , will now inspire others and show them how it can be done . Being a role model means people look up to you and say , "That ' s how you achieve success . I ' m inspired by their story , and I can do the same . " The brilliance of this class and its leaders is their ability to see beyond the past and make things happen . And now , their success will be replicated across the country . So , congratulations to everyone here and the graduates for the hard work you ' ve put into this . Some people underestimate how challenging it can be to care about others . It ' s so easy to just look away , ignore things , and distract ourselves from the tough stuff . But it takes a truly special person to see the pain and needs of others and make it their life ' s purpose to heal and uplift them . Governor , we ' ve talked about this before . It ' s messed up how our society has started to measure a leader ' s strength based on how many people they bring down , instead of how many they lift up . Real leaders are the ones who genuinely care about others and make it their mission to improve their lives . And that ' s who you are , Governor . You inspire so many people by doing just that . The spirit behind this work is all about self - determination and understanding that everyone deserves a second chance . We should be a community that embraces and supports each other . When we deal with violence in our communities , we have to consider all the factors that contribute to it , like well - funded schools , homeownership rates , access to capital and healthcare , and support for young parents . This work is about seeing people for who they really are , with all their complexities , and respecting and understanding them . All of that is the spirit behind the work you all are committed to . And let me tell you , it takes a very special person to truly see others and say , "I see you . " So , congrats to the graduates for all those reasons . We know we have a lot of work to do when it comes to gun violence . It ' s not just about mass shootings , but everyday gun violence too . We need to understand that any life lost is one too many . And we have to address the trauma that comes with it . We also need to acknowledge pain and find productive ways to deal with it . That ' s why the mental health component is so important . Thank you to all the leaders here who understand that addressing these issues is crucial for safe communities . Thank you , Dr . Chico , for bringing everyone together to make a real difference . So , yeah , all of that just means it ' s a huge honor for me to talk to and congratulate the first class of this amazing initiative . Congrats , everyone! ( Applause . ) Congrats! Come take a picture with me! C ' mon . ( A group picture is taken with the Community Violence Intervention Leaders . ) Alright . Q: Vice President Harris , as a former prosecutor , what do you think about the special counsel ' s report? THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thanks for asking . Look , I ' ve been really proud to serve as Vice President with Joe Biden as President . And from what I saw of that report last night , as a former prosecutor , I think the comments made by that prosecutor were unnecessary , wrong , and just not cool . On October 7th , Israel went through a terrible attack . And let me tell you , both the President and I got the calls right after it happened . It was a really intense moment for the Commander - in - Chief . I was there in almost every meeting with the President in the hours and days that followed . We spent countless hours with the Secretary of Defense , the Secretary of State , and the heads of our intelligence community . And the President was right there , asking questions and making sure our military , intelligence , and diplomatic communities were on top of things . He wanted to know how many people were dead , how many were Americans , how many hostages there were , and if the situation was stable . He was totally on it , coordinating and directing leaders in charge of our national security and our allies around the world for days , and still is . So , the way the President ' s behavior was portrayed in that report is completely wrong and clearly politically motivated . It was just unnecessary . So , when it comes to a prosecutor ' s role in a situation like that , we should expect a higher level of honesty than what we saw . Thank you for the question . ( Applause . ) END 12:54 P . M . EST .
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