Biden Backs Electric Vehicles at First Detroit Auto Show in Three Years
US President Joe Biden said American workers were “building the future of the electric vehicle” in a speech at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Wednesday, September 14.
“We’re choosing to build a better America, an America that is confronting the climate crisis, with America’s workers leading the way,” Biden told a crowd during the auto show’s media day.
Local media reported the president test drove an all-electric Cadillac SUV at the event. It was the first Detroit auto show to be held in more than three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Video by Brendan Gutenschwager shows Biden’s address. A second clip shows Michigan Gov Gretchen Whitmer in an electric Hummer. Credit: Brendan Gutenschwager via Storyful
Video Transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[APPLAUSE]
[CHEERING]
JOSEPH BIDEN: Hello, Detroit.
[CHEERING]
You have chairs? I was gonna say, you've been standing a hell of a long time. You don't have any chairs there.
--anymore. Now we're choosing to build a better America, an America that's confronting the climate crisis. With America's workers leading the way, we're rebuilding the economy, a clean energy economy, and we're doing it from the bottom up and the middle out. I'm so tired of trickle down, I can't stand it.
[CHEERING]
When the middle class grows-- when the middle class grows, everybody does well. The poor have a way up and the wealthy do very well. And by the way, don't forget middle class built America and unions built the middle class.
[CHEERING]
GRETCHEN WHITMER: I haven't driven in one.
- [INAUDIBLE]
- I just heard that from a certain president.
GRETCHEN WHITMER: Yeah.
[CHATTER]
Laughing about how he's a car guy and I'm a car person. [INAUDIBLE].
- Yeah, yeah.
- He's got a thing.
- All right, I think they--
GRETCHEN WHITMER: OK.
- --[INAUDIBLE] other angles, other sides. Or are you good? What do you want to do?
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
- Governor, it's so nice to meeting you. [INAUDIBLE].
GRETCHEN WHITMER: Thank you, me too. Thank you.